When we were first married and money was short, my husband 'surprised' me with a Ford Pinto--before the fiery headlines. That almost led to a divorce. $3000 spent without a committee meeting. After that, he told me to buy the cars. Period. My method? Read the safety/mileage/dependability ratings. Check the prices. Decide on a model. Walk into the showroom with a price in mind. I would say to the salesman, "I want xxx car for xxxx price. If you can't do that, I'm leaving." That was it. Always worked. In all the years we owned cars we had two lemons, the Pinto--which actually worked fine but was a little too 'explosive' for me, and a Chevy wagon. The wagon was a real lemon I unloaded at 66,000 miles.

I think loving cars is a guy thing. To me cars are transportation. Wish I didn't have to own one, but love the freedom they give me.