Req: Some advice on buying a Jeep
 

I've been wanting to buy one for a few years and now have a good
reason to do it, since my 88 Honda CRX is beginning to show its age.
The Jeep that I want is a 2003 or 2004 Sahara. Rubicons are a little
too much unless you are a hard core off-roader and I am not crazy
about the way the extra length kind of ruins the classic Jeep lines in
the Unlimited models. Obviously it might make sense to wait a couple
of weeks till 2006, so the 2003-2004 models depreciate a bit more.
The prices may rise a bit as we get closer to the summer, but is there
a good period to look for used Jeeps? Do a bunch of them get traded
in or sold as people buy 2006 models? I would have to finance a large
chunk of it, so I'd have to buy from a dealership. You can get
financing for a private party transaction but its a real pain and the
rates are much higher.
I've been keeping track of Saharas on Ebay and I am wondering if that
maybe the way to go, but I don't seem to be able to get a straight
answer from the Registry ( I am in Arizona) if I'd have to pay sales
tax at 7.6% at some point if I bought a Jeep out of state.
Thanks in advance for any info or advice!