How do you get the horse inside the Beetle?
:snort: Sometimes I even let him drive 
Sounds like the Beetle needs a good interior detailing. A lot cheaper than a new car. If the mechanic says the leak isnāt a big deal adding a bit of oil every couple of weeks is a cheap way to go. But you say you need something bigger.
If you can find a 2 to 3 year old car it will save you money over a new one. You will need to start spending money on maintenance on the used car. At 30K miles it will need a trans service, brake fluid change (at 3 years), perhaps tires, brake pads, etc. If it has 60K miles and never had a trans service that can be trouble in the future.
The main advantage of a new car is you know the maintenance history from day 1. You also have a couple of years of very low maintenance and repair expenses. If you keep the car for 10+ years the depreciation isnāt as much of an issue.
The biggest problem with the interior is an overzealous cleaning with too much fluid (whoever thought ivory cloth seats was a good idea should have their head examined) and a driverās seat that is fixed in one position due to a broken bolt(the seat would have to be replaced but lucky for me itās stuck in a spot I can drive from!). Seat covers hide a multitude of sins.
Anyway, I love the Beetle - itās been a great car, cheap to keep, and can carry a lot of stuff, just not as much stuff as I need to haul around. We may end up keeping it for short trips around town or we may donate it.
We are leaning towards new unless we can find a one or two year old model with very low miles. I have a very specific idea of what I want so the search will go on!
Thanks everyone for your advice!
Here?s a comparison example to consider, if it?s in your budget. If you bought a brand new Honda Civic for $23,000 delivered, and drove it for 10 years and 120,000 miles, if you were lucky you?d probably put 3-5 thousand in R&M into the car and get about that much back when you sold it. Your cost of owning the car (not counting insurance, gas, oil changes, etc.; costs you would have with any car) would be the $23,000 + about $2,000 in finance costs (or else the lost interest you could have earned, if you pay cash for the car). So it would cost you an average of $2,500 a year to own this car for 10 years, if you kept it running well.
Compare that cost to leasing a new Honda Civic every 3 years at a cost of about $3,000 a year. You?re paying $500 more a year, maybe, (which is not nothing) and in return, getting the trouble freeness, convenience and niceness of a new car. If it?s worth those extra dollars, I say lease a new car. That same math holds up for a $50,000 Lexis, but of course at double the cost of everything.
A used car prices are less but there are several risks that the buyer also incurs as soon as the purchase is made. One, because these have been handled by previous owners, there may be parts that are already too old and will need repairs after just a few miles of driving under your care. Another is the warranty period. Using used cars shortens the time that you can take advantage of the warranty. And last is the insurance policy that you can take out.