re: When would you all recommend getting a new car?

I am aware of the capacity of minivans to store stuff. They are uber practical, yet very few people actually own them. Have you actually been in the two vehicles? I have (tested Odyssey when I bought the Pilot, which had comparable price at the time). There is a significant difference in usable space (not to mention passenger comfort). And I'm not the OP - my family situation is different and warranted the purchase of the larger vehicle (I have more kids and tow a boat, for example). The mileage difference and associated gas price is not a sum that is significant enough for me to influence the decision to purchase. As for the suburban vs expedition, i chose expedition because the price/feature combo was significantly better for the ford. Why folks on here have to criticize the decisions of others as "vanity" or whatever is beyond me. The extra $10k I spent to get it over a comparable van is honestly worth it to me, and it has nothing to do with vanity. If that were the case, I would have bought the King Ranch