Cranky

For as long as car leases have been available we have taken "advantage" of the God given right of every American...to drive a new car every 36-48 months.

Usually around 90 days before the lease is due we begin to get friendly reminders from the finance company that it will soon be decision time. Do we buy out the car lease, an option we have never exercised, or do we hand in the car and take the keys, ugh, fob on a new model? We have always gone for the new wheels!

As we approach the end of the lease and taking advantage of our new found retirement time, our search has been expanded. Given to the new reality of cutting costs, you'll remember all the money I saved on shave cream, we are looking to lease a car that gets better gas mileage and will lower our monthly payments by 50+ dollars.

Our quest has taken us to the cute Fiat (with a $400 a month tag) Too High
Toyota Camry Hybrid ( logic here was that it looked (a little) like the Lexus Hybrid without the price tag). Sounded good but the monthly on this $30000 car was over $500. Too High
VW Passet (Too High) a lesser version of the car brought with it - THE CRANK. Not willing to spend $4-500 for a VW? So,  No power seats for you!  Instead, as with other lesser than $400 a month cars, you have to be subjected to cranking your driver seat to the right height, just like the barber chairs I remember as a child. Tony, yes my Italian barber was named Tony, would crank and crank until his scissors met my head.

We have looked at Subaru, Minis, little Lexus hybrids,  and two MA cars, Altima and Optima.
Surprisingly the biggest bang for the buck comes from the KIA Optima. Should I decide on this car it will be known as the Optima, not the Kia, Just can't bring myself to admit to driving a car with such an unfaltering name. Lots of bells, whistles, lights and a nav which has become a must have for my significant other. We tend to shop on rainy days and today it's pouring so we are on to the A cars, Honda and Acura. Having owned these in the past they have been perfectly good cars but not much fun to drive. And as a retiree I am all about fun, but at a lesser cost. I do hope we will not have to settle as this would make me CRANKY!