Wouldn't it be cheaper to just fix the a/c? Or are there other reasons for buying the SUV as well?
Well, we had a 1997 Ford F-150 for many years that was in great condition and going strong with more than 297,000 plus miles on it before a woman turned left in front of me (on a green light) near Guadalupe and the 101 and totaled it (Valentine's Day of 2013).
At the time we primarily drove the truck but also had my wife's grandma's 2000 Taurus parked at our house which we used mostly when we needed to take her places. Typical low mileage grandma car. So - we never replaced the truck and have been driving just the Taurus ever since. Basically have nothing in it except for the cost of repairs which adds up to over $2200 (rack and pinion, Pitman arms, gaskets, etc. over the last couple of years.) Not a bad deal at all, IMHO, but we really want to get back into something bigger/higher. Tough transition to go from a truck/SUV to a much lower car.
Anyway, the A/C went out just before last summer and the estimates we have gotten for repair are close to and over $1,000. Not sure we want to put that much more into a 2000 Ford Taurus with 191,000 miles on it. I know eventually we could still sell it to someone who works on cars and they could fix the A/C on their own for a break on the price. Decent car with low miles for a 2000.