It's car shopping time

I'm going to be doing something a little different on this blog for the next two weeks.

The time has come for me to buy a new car, and I'm going to chronicle the process here. Other than a few cursory web searches I haven't started the process yet, so I'll be using this blog to talk about the marketing, the products, the sales and the overall shopping experience.

I figure the first thing I should do is determine what I need from my new car.

• I don't have kids at home anymore, so happily I can cross minivans, large SUVs and full-size sedans off the list.
• I do a significant amount of driving to visit clients in cities like Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis, Madison, Indianapolis, and Detroit. Thus having something that's comfortable for six-plus hour drives is a must.
• I will easily put 30,000 miles on my car every year.
• I do a little entertaining so having something that seats four adults comfortably is probably a good idea.
• In case you're not aware, it snows in Wisconsin and living somewhat off the beaten path presents some challenges.
• I grew up in Detroit and still have a lot of friends in the auto business there.
• I've been known to haul a few plants and bags of mulch in the spring.
• The other cars in my stable are a Volkswagen Cabrio and a 1968 Volvo 1800 (that needs a little work).
• I love to drive. Given the choice between driving and flying, I'll drive.
• I like to drive fast. Especially on one of the many great stretches of winding road in the Wisconsin countryside.

So, I guess this is a starting point. Tomorrow, the first draft of a long list of cars that I'll start researching on the internet. Suggestions and comments are welcome.