down-sizing our car

To replace our ten-year-old minivan, we decided to go for a diesel Jetta sportwagon instead of the newest model of the Grand Caravan minivan the kids assumed we were getting.  It’s a family crisis!  We were all excited about the roominess of the minivan — until we faced the direct relation between cubic size, gas mileage, and emissions, and realized it was time to make a change.  

I drove the new car to Boston and back and was thrilled to average over 43 miles per gallon for the trip. So far the kids have managed to coexist peacefully in the back seat for short trips. The real key will be surviving our roundtrip drive to visit family in South Carolina over Thanksgiving!

We're now investigating the 'greenest' option for donating our old mini-van.