I decided to hold off on getting a new vehicle (a hybrid SUV like the RAV4) until next year for multiple good reasons. In general, I still think that it was the correct choice overall. However, I am certainly missing the higher clearance and the all wheel drive. I will say that driving Navi (Janelle's Honda Pilot) on the snowy roads between here and Anchorage yesterday was considerably easier than I expected.
Mera's a good vehicle and does surprisingly well in the snow, but this week has produced enough snow that might just be too much for her. Even before tonight's additional accumulations, the "plowed" roads in the city were scraping Mera's undercarriage. I was almost completely stuck when trying to take a left out of Skyview this morning due to the berm on the highway. Again, she made it through--but not by much.