I really, really hate having to replace my "wheels."  First, there is the purchase to get through, and then there are all those new control locations to figure out and remember. Moreover, some people do get attached to what they drive. I still miss my poorly rated Dodge K car that, overall, served me well for 13 years.

Ah, the thrill of getting into a new car, and the disappointments that too often follow. Such as the cost in time and dollars fulfilling service visits to protect the power-train warranty. And getting dinged in parking lots.

Seated in a previous car, I watched a woman back into a slot that met the one I’d driven into. When her car bumped the front of mine she jumped out, avoided looking my way and dashed into a store. Happily the damage was negligible and I did have my hand brake on, something I never did back east.

One day, while I was sitting in the car listening to the news, a guy took a surfboard out of an adjacent van and clipped the driver-side mirror (fortunately built in anticipation of such abuse). Was there a "Sorry"? Not at all! He just ignored the incident.

Should I have protested? Perhaps. But no real damage done, should a mid-seventies guy who lacks muscles confront an ignorant lout who appeared to be in his twenties or thirties?

Such incidents only bolster my belief that I’m not the kind of person who should own an expensive vehicle. Spending $30,000 or more for transportation doesn’t appear on my radar screen. It’s not that I’m a tightwad; more that I’d lose too much sleep worrying about potential parking lot damage.

Unfortunately, vehicles do wear out and eventually, painful as it is, shopping for something newer becomes unavoidable. In fact, given the state of our economy, as long as you have the funds organized, could there be a better time to update what you drive around in? Auto lots are crammed both with shiny new vehicles and older models, and dealers are offering enticing discounts and financing arrangements.

For this vehicle replacement, my wife wanted a hatchback and, aside from financial aspects, the choice was to be hers. For this transport upgrade, with longer-term retention in mind, we sought a new hatchback model.

We decided on the amount we could afford to spend and began to do research. I listed potential acquisitions and searched the internet sites including www.mycarstats.com and www.jdpower.com for information and complaints.

I’d previously purchased the auto-rating publication Lemon-Aid and found it well worth the price for what I found within its pages. On this occasion I used Zack Spencer’s Motormouth: The Complete Canadian Car-Buying Guide.

The book provided helpful tips such as that you should clarify and debate upfront any extra/added/hidden charges, and have any deposit noted as "refundable." I also learned from it that unlike "all-season" radials, "all-weather" tires do not harden in colder weather and provide a surface grip more like snow tires. There is also a Motormouth website: www.motormouth.ca.

Mindful of rising fuel prices, I took into account key factors for selected four-cylinder compact hatchbacks and sedans, including engine size, fuel consumption, and whether they featured ABS brakes.

We planned to move one model notch upward from the previous vehicle. Asian vehicles dominated the list but, having an impressive rating, Ford joined the roster.

With our first choice decided on, we began to consider what we could get for the trade-in on our old car. In the past I’d checked the Canadian Black Book trade-in valuation and managed to get another five hundred dollars on a vehicle.

This time around I sought the same data our current car through the internet. Free access to the appraisal information is available from auto manufacturers (e.g., at gm.ca and toyota.ca) but CAA membership access proved to be less complicated.

Armed with the gathered data, we were ready to tackle the top-listed dealer, although not eager to engage in the auto-shopping game. You know the one: "I’ll have to check that with my manager..."

We headed for a dealership and test-drove the targeted hatchback. Satisfied with that, we sat down with a sales rep. We were veterans of a number of such sessions over the years, and while our trade was being assessed, words and numbers flew back and forth.

Finally, we came to a meeting of minds, albeit one that left me with a sense of having somehow lost something during the battle. But we did survive the ordeal, and we hope that, with proper care, what we bought will last a long, long time.