I drive a 2006 Nissan Quest minivan sportsvan and love it.  The lease is just about up on it though am I’m struggling with trying to figure out what to do or get.  Not once in my life have I been so completely satisified with a car so much so that I wasn’t anxious to trade it in after a few years.  However, my Nissan Quest not only satisfies me but I am proud of it too.  Unlike with other cars I’ve driven in the past, I don’t mind piling a few of the kid’s friends and parents in the car for a day out because I like my Quest and I’m proud of it.  Oh, and I just had some vinyl lettering installed on the rear window on the Quest for my website, AtlantaMoms.com, so I’d had to do that all over again if I got a new car.. but that’s not a big deal.

I use my car to the max. The kids and I are always on-the-go between school, after school activities, local events, my job (AtlantaMoms.com) has us going to events around Atlanta a lot, camping trips, and I’ve been driving it to blog/social media conferences often lately which my great friends Desiree Miller from StressFreeBaby.com and Stacie Connerty from TheDivineMissMommy.com and would love to continue to do so.  I’m afraid if I keep putting miles on this Quest, it’s going to go give out on me or the maintenance expenses will sky rocket.  So, is that a good reason to get a new car?

Again, I love my Nissan Quest.. I’m not anxious to get a new car. I just want to make the smartest decision when my lease is up.. very soon.  The Quest has take us to Orlando many times, Kentucky to see family many times, on many many road trips, and to and from every day activities for almost 5 years.

Here’s what I love about my 2006 Nissan Quest:

• The size.  It seats 7 people easily.
• The cargo area in the back is great.
• The DVD movie and sound system is great.
• The heated seats. I love these.. even on hot summer days I use the heated seats to help with my back issue.
• The running boards.  I am short (so are the kids!) and I love having running board to step onto so I don’t fall on my face when I get out of the car.
• Automatic doors.  I love that the kids can push a button to get out and that I can close the door from the front control panel when my daughter’s teacher gets her out of the car in the morning.
• Safety.  The Nissan Quest crash test results were very good.
• The leather seats.  They are so easy to clean.
• The adjustable pedals.  Because I’m short, I tend to have a difficult time reaching the gas pedals on some cars.  The Nissan Quest has adjustable pedals so I just move them all the way up so I can reach them easily.
• It hasn’t had any major mechanical issues.
• Wireless headphones.  The kids can listen to a movie while I listen to music up front.
• Front and rear air conditioning.
• Rear View Monitor

Here’s what I don’t love about my Nissan Quest:

• I think the front seats could be much more comfortable.
  I drive long distances regularly for family road trips and blogger trips and have back and neck issues, so being comfortable while driving long distances is extremely important to me and is the MAIN reason I would consider getting a different minivan.
• It needs about $800 worth of regular maintenance done on it within the next few weeks.
  I maintain my Quest very well and this is a regular maintenance and new tires, etc.. but I’m thinking maybe that $800 can be spent on a new lease or buy instead of on maintenance on a vehicle I might not have in a few months when my lease is up.
• Not that this is something I don’t love about my current Nissan Quest, but I am always on top of the newest technology and it sort of pains me to know that there is a newer version of my car out there that has better technology implemented in it than mine.

What I would love in my next car:

• All of the things listed in my “What I love..” section above PLUS
• Built in GPS
• Moonroof
• Blind spot warning system
• Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System
• Woodgrain
• USB input

Here though, are a few questions I’ve been asking myself over and over for the last few weeks:

If I trade it in for a new Quest:

• How much will I be charged for being over milage?
• How much will I be charged for the broken cup holder?

If I keep and buy my Quest:

• When I finish buying the Quest, in three years, will I still want it and will it still be in good enough condition to drive for another few years so I can be without a car payment for a few years at least?

Go New..Buy or Lease?

• If I decide to trade the current Quest in for a new car, should I buy or lease?
• What are the proc and cons of leasing?

Go New All Together

• Should I embrace change and buy or lease an entirely different vehicle?  I need a minivan and have test driven the Honda Odyssey and didn’t have any qualms with it but am not sure if I want to switch from Nissan to Honda.

The funny thing is, I haven’t actually seen or driven the new Nissan Quest yet.  I’ve seen plenty of photographs online and inquired about it at my local dealership where I leased my Quest, but the salesperson at the dealership wasn’t very nice or informative which turned me off to shopping with them.

What I’m asking for from you..

Is your help with this process!  What would you do? Are there other questions I should be asking myself?  Am I using my super power of over-thinking things too much here?  I need to have one of Oprah’s Ah-Ha! moments here.. I’m desperate!

Your advice and thoughts are greatly appreciated!  What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Image source: The photograph of the Nissan Quest above, is from Edmunds.com. Can you believe I couldn’t find a single full body shot of my van?