New car: To buy or not to buy?

The first car I bought was a heavily used white(ish) gas guzzler of an American make that went extinct in the earlier part of this decade.  From a distance, it was a fairly ritzy looking automobile.  However, small areas of rust would peek out at you through chipped paint as you got closer.  Although it was the only car I could afford back then, the rugged Americanness of the car suited my juvenile resolve of not acting in acquiescence with my fellow desis by picking one of their favorite Japanese makes.  I used to love the car.  It was sporty, had good acceleration, and felt quite sturdy; until one fateful winter day involving a snow storm, black ice, and a discourteous pickup truck.  I escaped, probably because of the car's said rugged Americanness.  Unfortunately, the car was totaled.

The incident shook me up enough to opt for a car that was a complete antithesis - a used and unoriginal gray all-wheel-drive crossover SUV of a Japanese make.  Make no mistake though, I used to love this vehicle as well.  By this time I had entered vie conjugale.  As such, this car served faithfully on many an ensuing long drive, viz. through the winding highways of Pennsylvania, scenic routes of West Virginia and Virginia, and flat roadways cutting through midwestern states.  Also, our first-born came home in this car.  All was well until one day, at a traffic light at a busy intersection, the car's timing belt decided to give up on me and the engine sputtered to a permanent stop.

Not long before this incident, we had acquired another car to accommodate our contradistinctive commuting requirements; a sand colored ('gracious beige', per the manufacturer) coupe sedan of another Japanese make.  Despite being heavily used at the time of purchase, it turned out to be a particularly prolific giver of miles to the gallon, which suited my preposterous 140 mi. daily commute at the time.  While the odometer strained to keep up with my insane commutes, the engine continued to stay in top notch condition.  Everything else on the car however started coming detached one by one, all while driving on the highway.  First, I saw one wiper blade fly off.  Next, one rear view mirror started dangling.  Then, the muffler excused itself from the underbelly.  Finally, an entire brake assembly severed itself.  That is when I decided to terminate my faith in the vehicle, and sold it off.

Today we own an SUV and a mini-van, both Japanese makes, thus staying true to our current existence as a borderline boring desi couple married for 12 years.  The vehicles presently run fine.  However, as you can see, I have never been proactive with car replacements.  I often look at the duo in our garage and wonder what I am waiting for.  Sans conclusion, I usually end up convincing myself that it isn't time yet.