if i sell/should i sell

[ram_man]

so we have owned our 05 civic for a couple years. its been a great car. it currently has 128,000/ it needs no repair or maintenance and is in good shape.
we have been considering selling it though. my reasons are we have 4 dogs and 2 kids.
we cant fit everyone in the little car. the gas mileage is nice to have but my wife doesn't drive far so something with less mileage is ok.
I was thinking along the lines of a crv or element. I hate getting rid of a car I know and that is reliable but its not really practical? would you sell or just live with it? what would be a good vehicle to fit my needs? and I would buy a vehicle with the money I got from the civic. I do not want a car payment. what do you guys think?

 

[Rand]

you wont get much of a crv with a 2005 civic money.

keep the civic you know its history/reliable.

 

[DoiInthanon]

Get a four dog hitch for the civic. If the dogs want to go, they have to pull. Otherwise they stay home. They will get over it.

 

[stevejones]

Arkansas? Dump honda, get extended cab truck. Dogs in back. Done.

 

[ram_man]

I have a truck but I don't want the pups riding in the bed of the truck.
the car is worth around 5000. and I like taking the dogs to the dog park for exercise and what not.

 

[Chris B.]

Sorry man but your car is not in good shape(interior wise) with 4 dogs all over the inside...YUCK!!! That is what trucks are for.

 

[05LGTLtd]

Odyssey?

 

[Barkleymut]

How big are the dogs? My vote would be a Crown Vic. You can pick up a decent one for 5 grand and fit plenty in there compared to a civic. Still get decent mileage as well and as reliable as any car on the road.

 

[ram_man]

they haven't made a mess of the interior yet. space is the only issue. I keep them very well groomed so they aren't messy.

 

[ram_man]

boston terrier lab mix, pit bull, hound, and dashund mix

 

[WANG]

What kind of dogs? Element might make a pretty good ride for y'all.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

If your current vehicle doesn't meet your needs, and you can afford to do so, then it makes sense to sell it and purchase a vehicle that will fit your needs.

If you want a people/dog hauler then a mini van might be a good compromise. If fuel mileage really isn't an issue, then larger SUV's can be found-they depreciate quickly from new, and 7 or 8 year old SUV's can be had for 1/3 (or less) the cost of new.

 

[Smoky14]

Originally Posted By: ram_man
I have a truck but I don't want the pups riding in the bed of the truck.
the car is worth around 5000. and I like taking the dogs to the dog park for exercise and what not.

THANK YOU for not carting your dogs in the bed of a PU. Wife and I had the misfortune of seeing a dog leave the bed of a PU at about 65 MPH. Not a pretty sight.

Smoky

 

[Tdbo]

Sounds like you need a family vehicle. If that is the case and you can swing it, go ahead and buy one.

 

[Cujet]

Yup! You need (at the very least) a small SUV with room in the back, or a wagon. The dogs will enjoy the back and the family will be comfortable.

It's really too bad that wagons have gone out of favor. I always liked them. When I grew up, our family of 6 could easily vacation in the LTD wagon, WITH the little Honda dirt bike in the back! And it got 18MPG on the highway. Better than a full sized SUV today.

I am not a fan of forcing a family to suffer in a tiny vehicle, regardless of what CAFE and our leaders would have us do. The economy car is not for families.

 

[dareo]

CRV and Element are small like a Civic but taller, so i see no real gains in those. Element has a funky rear door that is a pain to get in and out of.

I'd say try to get as much as you can out of that civic and check out a 2013+ Accord LX, tons of car for cheap and it is very large inside.

For a used, no payment scenario, i'd be looking into a used minivan. Toyota Sienna would be my first pick. Mini vans often depreciate fast, creating a bargain for you.