How to buy a car.

When I realize with my broken sedan, I start to think about if I want to buy a new car, what can I do?

Real experience:
One night in August, 2012, I am driving down I93 with my wife. It's raining heavily outside and I barely can see the lane. Crazy or brave people are everywhere and they are also driving along me and then pass me. Without any sign, a van turn right a little bit and then turn left sharply. His tail swings out and his light is staring at me. It should happen so quick. But my mind was so clear that the time seems slowing down. I even had a time to look at the dashboard. The speed before I pushed the brake was around 50m/h.

I'm a positive person, even after this fatal accident. Of course I won't buy a van unless I have a den of mini people. Then I ask myself the question:

• Should I buy a SUV/Cross-over?
• Should I buy AWD car?

From my point of view, no, I won't  buy a SUV/Cross-over. There are couple of reasons I don't want to (maybe I change my mind soon or later):

1. Center of gravity is higher. This is not only to say the car is more probably to fall over but also to say if you feel it's going to fall over it will do fall over. You don't have much alarm range compared to sedan.
2. SUV? They are all over the streets. I don't want to add one by myself.
3. Probably, probably SUV will cost more on gas.
4. Most importantly, I don't have the budget for this kind of luxury! Ok. I don't have budget for a full size SUV. And for mid-size SUV? Grrr, passage space is like a mid-size sedan...then why choose them.

However, SUV do offer a safety advantage over sedan:

SUV is taller than a sedan.

 This comes to the point that the mount point of front light of a SUV is higher than a sedan. When driving a SUV through thousand needle, you should be less affected by the second wave of needle by the front car. This helps a lot in that situation.

TBD

Buying a car is only half the homework. The other half goes to maintenance. I find a link which saves my time. I copy the table here:

2012 Best New Car Warranty - Domestic

MAKE	BUMPER- TO-BUMPER LIMITED  WARRANTY	POWERTRAIN LIMITED WARRANTY	PWRTRN WARRANTY TRANSFER.	ROADSIDE ASSIST.	COURTESY TRANS. PROGRAM	RUST / CORROSION WARRANTY
BUICK	4 YRS / 50K MI.	5 YRS / 100K MI.	YES	5 YRS / 100K MI.	5 YRS / 100K MI.	6 YRS / 100K MI.
CADILLAC	4 YRS / 50K MI.	5 YRS / 100K MI.	YES	5 YRS / 100K MI.	5 YRS / 100K MI.	6 YRS / 100K MI.
CHEVROLET	3 YRS / 36K MI.	5 YRS / 100K MI.	YES	5 YRS / 100K MI.	5 YRS / 100K MI.	6 YRS / 100K MI.
CHRYSLER	3 YRS / 36K MI.	5 YRS / 100K MI.	NO	3 YRS / 36K MI.	NO	5 YRS / 100K MI.
DODGE	3 YRS / 36K MI.	5 YRS / 100K MI.	NO	3 YRS / 36K MI.	NO	5 YRS / 100K MI.
FORD	3 YRS / 36K MI.	5 YRS / 60K MI.	YES	5 YRS / 60K MI.	NO	5 YRS /   UNLTD MI.
GMC	3 YRS / 36K MI.	5 YRS / 100K MI.	YES	5 YRS / 100K MI.	5 YRS / 100K MI.	6 YRS / 100K MI.
JEEP	3 YRS / 36K MI.	5 YRS / 100K MI.	NO	3 YRS / 36K MI.	NO	5 YRS / 100K MI.
LINCOLN	4 YRS / 50K MI.	6 YRS / 70K MI.	YES	6 YRS / 70K MI.	NO	5 YRS /   UNLTD MI.

2012 Best New Car Warranty - Import

MAKE	BUMPER- TO-BUMPER LIMITED  WARRANTY	POWERTRAIN LIMITED WARRANTY	PWRTRN WARRANTY TRANSFER.	ROADSIDE ASSIST.	COURTESY TRANS. PROGRAM	RUST / CORROSION WARRANTY
ACURA	4 YRS / 50K MI.	6 YRS / 70K MI.	YES	4 YRS / 50K MI.	NO	5 YRS / UNLTD MI.
AUDI	4 YRS / 50K MI.	4 YRS / 50K MI.	NO	4 YRS / UNLTD MI.	NO	12 YRS / UNLTD MI.
BMW	4 YRS / 50K MI.	4 YRS / 50K MI.	YES	4 YRS / UNLTD MI.	?	12 YRS / UNLTD MI.
HONDA	3 YRS / 36K MI.	5 YRS / 60K MI.	YES	YES	?	5 YRS / UNLTD MI.
HYUNDAI	5 YRS / 60K MI.	10 YRS / 100K MI.	NO	5 YRS / UNLTD MI.	?	7 YRS / UNLTD MI.
INFINITI	4 YRS / 60K MI.	6 YRS / 70K MI.	YES	4 YRS / UNLTD MI.	YES	7 YRS / UNLTD MI.
JAGUAR	4 YRS / 50K MI.	4 YRS / 50K MI.	YES	4 YRS / 50K MI.	NO	6 YRS / UNLTD MI.
KIA	5 YRS / 60K MI.	10 YRS / 100K MI.	NO	5 YRS / 60K MI.	NO	5 YRS /   100K MI.
LEXUS	4 YRS / 50K MI.	6 YRS / 70K MI.	YES	4 YRS / UNLTD MI.	YES	6 YRS / UNLTD MI.
MAZDA	3 YRS / 36K MI.	5 YRS / 60K MI.	NO	3 YRS / 36K MI.	YES	5 YRS / UNLTD MI.
MERCEDES	4 YRS / 50K MI.	4 YRS / 50K MI.	YES	YES	NO	4 YRS / 50K MI.
MITSUBISHI	5 YRS / 60K MI.	10 YRS / 100K MI.	NO	5 YRS / UNLTD MI.	NO	7 YRS / 100K MI.
NISSAN	3 YRS / 36K MI.	5 YRS / 60K MI.	YES	3 YRS / 36K MI.	NO	5 YRS / UNLTD MI.
PORSCHE	4 YRS / 50K MI.	4 YRS / 50K MI.	NO	4 YRS / 50K MI.	YES	10 YRS / UNLTD MI.
SUBARU	3 YRS / 36K MI.	5 YRS / 60K MI.	YES	YES	NO	5 YRS / UNLTD MI.
SUZUKI	3 YRS / 36K MI.	7 YRS / 100K MI.	YES	3 YRS / 36K MI.	YES	3 YRS / UNLTD MI.
TOYOTA	3 YRS / 36K MI.	5 YRS / 60K MI.	YES	YES	YES	5 YRS / UNLTD MI.
TOYOTA HYBRID	3 YRS / 36K MI. HYBRID COMPS. 8 YRS / 100K MI.	5 YRS / 60K MI.	YES	YES	YES	5 YRS / UNLTD MI.
VOLVO	4 YRS / 50K MI.	4 YRS / 50K MI.	YES	4 YRS / UNLTD MI.	NO	12 YRS / UNLTD MI.
VW (USA)	3 YRS / 36K MI.	5 YRS / 60K MI. *10 YRS / 100K MI. (*Certain / Models)	YES	3 YRS / 36K MI.	NO	12 YRS / UNLTD MI.

From the table, it seems that the best option on warranty is from Hyundai and Mitsubishi. But I guess I need more info about adding price for the warranty.