I agree with Mr. Wilson's right tool for the right job principles.

If you have to move stuff and taking young children to ball games, you probably won't be able to avoid driving a minivan or even a mid-size SUV any time soon until children are big enough and free from bulky booster car seats. It's not fault, it's just the reality.

Personally, I am not a big fan of used car, certainly no fan of eBay. As long as you can take the risks, it's not a bad idea either, but this year, I have seen people paying about the same price ( 22-24K ) for 2005 Prius which you can very well get a very decent nicely equipped new 2007 Prius. Might want to take a look and see how it turns out, since Toyota is running some big 50 anniversary discount and for the first time, they overtake GM...

Just a thought.