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There are other changes as well.

Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:

We go on to the joy and through the tears
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Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.

It's time to move on and move forward.

PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.

But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.

So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.

And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.

That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!

If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.

So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!

Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!

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Old 08-04-2004, 09:03 AM   #1
Jennifer2003
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In the market for a new car, need some advice!

I am in the market for a new car.

Currently, I drive a 2002 Pontiac Aztek, which I LOVE, but my warranty is about to run out, and I can't afford to fix it if something were to happen. I have the SUV because with my old job I had to drive the thruway and I wanted to be up high. Now, with my new Disney Store job, I just have to shoot up the street. So I'm thinking of dropping down to a car.

My dad works for General Motors, so I am limited as to what I can choose from! My choices are:

Cavalier (which i had a 2000 cavalier before the Aztek)
Malibu
Grand Am
Saturn Ion

Anyone out there own any of these that can give advice if they like it or not?

Thanks!

Jennifer
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Old 08-04-2004, 09:26 AM   #2
kadterp
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Re: In the market for a new car, need some advice!

I have a 2004 Kia Spectra and that one isnt that bad. It is roomy enough for the four of us and ended up costing us about $5000 less than my first choice of a Honda Accord. Their warranty cannot be beat with a 5 year 50K bumper to bumper that can be upgraded to 10 year 100K bumper to bumper warranty. Good luck in making your decision!
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Old 08-04-2004, 12:21 PM   #3
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Re: In the market for a new car, need some advice!

We had a Saturn LS1 for 11 years and LOVED it. Take a good look at the Saturn.



But, I'm confused. Do you have a lot of problems with your Aztek? Why is the running out of the warranty mean you need a new car? Why would you trade it in after only 2 years? Why get yourself into a new car payment situation? Save your money. Your car isn't going to need any major things done to it for a long time (even the tires will last you a few more years).



The reason I ask is, we always keep our cars from between 5- 10 years and we rarely have to have anything done to them. Why be paying a new car payment for years, if there isn't anything actually wrong with your car? We also always drive GM cars because we use GM Mastercard and get 5% back toward a new car purchase. We have been very lucky and have had cars that give us no to little trouble.



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Old 08-04-2004, 01:51 PM   #4
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Re: In the market for a new car, need some advice!

[ QUOTE ]
But, I'm confused. Do you have a lot of problems with your Aztek? Why is the running out of the warranty mean you need a new car? Why would you trade it in after only 2 years? Why get yourself into a new car payment situation? Save your money.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. If you have no problems with the Aztek, why not keep it? It's only two years old!
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Old 08-04-2004, 01:53 PM   #5
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Re: In the market for a new car, need some advice!

Jennifer I drive a Windstar now but my last car was a Grand AM and I LOVED that car. You could park it anywhere, gas never cost too much they are very efficient, and I had very few problems. I had that car for 9 years and made very few repairs to it during that time. I only upgraded b/c DS wheelchair was too tough to fit in that car. I still miss it. Good luck with your decision.
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Old 08-04-2004, 02:10 PM   #6
Jennifer2003
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Re: In the market for a new car, need some advice!

[ QUOTE ]
But, I'm confused. Do you have a lot of problems with your Aztek? Why is the running out of the warranty mean you need a new car? Why would you trade it in after only 2 years? Why get yourself into a new car payment situation?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes small problems that keep reoccuring and are covered under warranty. But once the warranty is up, I'll have to pay for them.
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Old 08-04-2004, 02:11 PM   #7
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Re: In the market for a new car, need some advice!

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Save your money.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is also what I'm trying to do. If i get a new car, one of the models I mentioned in my original post, which are the only ones I can get, I can't get a foreign car, the new car payments will be less than what I pay now. The Aztek is much more money than a Cavalier or an Ion.
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Old 08-04-2004, 02:37 PM   #8
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Re: In the market for a new car, need some advice!

We don't have any of those cars in the UK so I am not going to be any help to you because I have no idea what those cars are like. I just wanted to say good luck with your new car when you get it .

British Chum
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Old 08-04-2004, 02:48 PM   #9
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Re: In the market for a new car, need some advice!

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But, I'm confused. Do you have a lot of problems with your Aztek? Why is the running out of the warranty mean you need a new car? Why would you trade it in after only 2 years? Why get yourself into a new car payment situation?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes small problems that keep reoccuring and are covered under warranty. But once the warranty is up, I'll have to pay for them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you have a lemon law where you are from? If you have reoccuring problems that don't get resolved, you may be able to get a new car and turn that one in. Check into it!

So you are still making payments too? Hmm. We'll then I guess I could see downsizing.

-HiddenMickey
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Old 08-04-2004, 10:03 PM   #10
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Re: In the market for a new car, need some advice!

I have 1998 Saturn SL2. It's my second Saturn -the first one had 110,000 miles when I traded it in. There really wasn'r anything wrong with it-I was just tired of it. DD has a 2000 Saturn SC2 that she loves, too. They're very dependable. I'd go for the Saturn ion - but that's the saturn owner in me talking.
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Old 08-04-2004, 10:28 PM   #11
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Re: In the market for a new car, need some advice!

I don't drive a car. Only SUVs and Trucks, but personally, I would go for the Saturn. They are good, reliable cars.

Why not go to the library and see what Consumer Reports says about each car, and use that info to help you make your decision? That's what I do, and so far, it's been fine.
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Old 08-05-2004, 12:37 AM   #12
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Re: In the market for a new car, need some advice!

One of my good friends from work drives a Saturn ION and she loves it! Good luck!
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Old 08-05-2004, 07:46 AM   #13
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Re: In the market for a new car, need some advice!

Another Saturn lover here. Mine has been great (99 SL2). No major repairs and was pretty cheap to fix after an accident.
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