Thread starter here. Been stressing over this car bullshit for weeks.
I was borrowing my boss' late 80s Lincoln with a V8. Gas guzzlin' Old man car nightmare!
But.. after much consideration and several close-call craigslist burns,
I wound up purchasing a 2002 Subaru Forester yesterday!!! 
117k miles, one owner, maintenance records galore. Got it from a dealer for 6700.
Threw down 3 g's, 100 bucks a month to pay off the rest. I freaking
LOVE this thing! To put it to the test,
I packed up all my music gear
and a third person in the back seat, and had plenty of room to spare!
Thanks for all the excellent suggestions dudez. Wound up getting a decent deal on a car I love! Couldn't have done it w/o yall
