I'd have given anything to buy my Jeep Compass with a diesel. it's offered in the UK and it's a great package. They tried the diesel on the Liberty in Canada and they were backordered for over a year...they still canned the option.

My cousin is a mechanic for a dodge dealer. The Liberty Diesel was backordered for so long due to parts issues. The Mercedes Diesel had nothing but problems with US fuel and they had most of the ones their dealership sold sitting in the service department for long periods of time waiting for parts. Thats why they canned the option.
They really should have revised the Cummins 4 cyl engines when they did the 6cyl in 2003 and started sicking those in everything.

Do you have access to Google? I suggest you consider using it before you ask things like "Are flex-fuel cars available (or legal) in the U.S. at all?" and also research your other assertions a bit more closely.

I'm glad you said that and not me

Can you compromise somewhere between your Jeep and a Prius. I drove a 4 banger Chevy S10 for years, still had 4x4 but could hit 28mpg. Now all the small/mid sized new trucks cost just as much as a full size truck and with the v8 and v8 engines get the same gas mileage but going older a 4 banger manual s10/ranger can still get close to 30mpg which still having some capabilities.

Other option is to see what transmission can be put in your jeep, maybe a manual or a heavy duty auto.

I have attempted to work close to home. To make a long story short, I make - literally - exactly 6 times more doing the same job in New York City that I can earn out here in Bucks County.

I can't afford to nor do I want to live closer to the city, we have very solid roots here.

Just in case you don't know - a 3BR apartment in New York City, in a building you would actually want to live in - will cost you around $5,000 to $10,000 a month rent. Really.

I grew up in the suburbs of New York, I hated it. I lived in Manhattan for a long time, I loved it, but always knew I'd live in the country one day. Now I have both. 3 days a week in Manhattan, 4 days a week at home. It's a great mix for me, and well worth the commute, both financially and mentally.

I work on the bus, so for me, the commute ends at the bus stop. Now that the third kid is here, I'm changing my bus station to one that's closer, but has a longer bus time, but now my "commute" to the bus stop will be only 8 miles, and I'm pondering riding my bike when it warms up.

BINGO.

I have 4 acres, three bedrooms, a rural setting, just under $3,000 a year in taxes and a house that cost me under 200K when I bought it.

My parents sold their house on Long Island - 2 bedrooms, 1/4 acre, $12,000 a year taxes (!) - for just under $500,000.


If I wanted to buy a 3BR anything that would reduce my door-to-door to, say, 40 minutes, aside from the fact that I'd absolutely hate living there and would be miserable, it's no less than $800,000 and more like 1.25 Million, plus taxes.

Really.

and I'll bet your house is like mine, pick it up and move it and its worth three times as much. All the houses closer to my work that cost three times as much are about the same size or slightly bigger but are not nicer in any way.

If you can ride a bike then its silly to buy a new car. Buy a decent bike and lock and nice rain coat for less than one months payment on a car and bike to the bus stop.

$5,000 would be cheap for a 3 BR in Manhattan.

Congrats on the new baby.

I've never understood US diesel prices...taxes maybe? In Alberta the only thing cheaper than Diesel is propane but hardly anybody does propane conversions anymore. I think it may have spiked up recently since our gas prices are higher than I ever remember them but it's still pretty cheap if your diesel isn't a fuel guzzling 3/4 ton truck.

The US Diesel tax is higher, we (well our .gov) considers the big trucks which haul our groceries to be evil so they tax their fuel more.
There have been a couple of new stories on people making their own biodiesel and getting fined using it on the road since they are not paying the tax on it.