After driving junkers for many years, buying a slightly used 1997 Mazda 626 in 2001, I finally bought a brand new, next years model Ford Escape! My beloved Mazda has over 200,000 miles on it and with a new baby in the family, it was time to get a vehicle I wouldn’t have to worry about breaking down. My sister let me use her Jetta as a trade-in for $6000 and I was able to finance on my less than stellar credit. And then three days later, I received a check for $11,000 from the VA dept so I was able to break even with my sister. A good move, yeah!! Although, my new vehicle is now worth less than I still owe on it, I like my red ride.