Nobody in my family has concrete plans to swap out their cars at this point in time although my mom is less happy with das Malibu and the issues we have had with it are well documented on this site (great design, bad follow-through).
My folks want to take advantage of the real estate market in PHX in the next 18mos or so- the 'solution' to the Malibu issue is putting it down there and freeing my mom up to get herself a new car for up here. She has expressed interest something a bit more 'interesting' next time, namely a Camaro, Mustang, Sebring Limited Convertible or a Fiesta SES hatch.
As for me, I still have my ear constantly to the ground for a tidy 94-96 LT1 Fleet at the right price, but in this neck of the woods they are few and far between in good condition. Ownership of one of these cars is a long-term goal, it's worth waiting to find one more or less how you want it. If that's this summer or four years from now- so be it. My 2007 Impala serves my day to day purposes well and has given me over 55k miles so far of unimpeachable service and I have no plans to get rid of it, period. Despite the bad rap it gets, it really is honest, dependable, and economical.
My future car (and life) plans revolve around my university graduation in Fall 2012. Throughout my time in college, living at home, minimizing my spending, working full time during the summer and the occasional scholarship has enabled me to amass quite a nice nest egg. The idea is that not that long thereafter graduation I should be able to put 25% down on a mortgage and get a place of my own. It is at or around this point that I will be looking at a new car although I will probably keep the Impala around as by this point it's not going to be worth much, I really like it, and it's paid off, it will just be time for something different.
So in fall 2013 I will be looking at the model year clear-outs to choose between one of these three cars and get myself a good deal.
- Buick Verano w. Convenience Group
- Chevy Cruze LTZ
- Chevy Malibu LT
Especially seeing as I'm looking at keeping the Impala I have no desire to have two big cars. Mainly concerned with something smaller and more economical that will last a long time and not give me a lot of trouble so I can feed my car hobby. That means something new(er) with a warranty that can be had well-equipped for under 27k MSRP, although I don't anticipate paying quite that much all told. I tend to prefer sedans