Thought you guys might be interested to know that finally--after WAY too many months of research, angst, and overthinking, I bought my new vehicle. It's a white V6 Toyota RAV4.
I was ready to buy a Nissan Juke, and have had one on order since October. Unfortunately, it didn't come . . . and it didn't come . . . and meanwhile got cold feet based on numerous issues I've been reading about with that car from current owners. So --- the RAV 4 had more space, more reliability and more power. Not quite as many bells and whistles, but drives just as smooth as silk with effortless acceleration, and good gas mileage for its class. I think it will be a versatile, reliable, and enjoyable vehicle for me for a long time.
Thanks to all the Cellarites for their help in the "Cloud's Car Stuff" thread -- and don't think I'm done with that either! Here's a couple of pics: