I hate cars....

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the ideas, I don't really have to get one until the fall of 2007, when I have to start classes in Indianapolis at Butler University or have clinicals up there at the hospitals (until my last year...when I can do clinicals in the local area).  I'll have a pretty good chunk of change saved up for the purchases next year.

Dodge is coming out with a new compact called the Caliber ( http://www.dodge.com/caliber/index.html?context=vehiclePage&type=vehicleLink ), looks pretty cool, but will be a first year run vehicle and I hate taking a risk on a first run, but I know the dodge dealer people really well in town.  We don't have a Volkswagen dealer in town, so if there is any problems and I need them to work on it, I will have a big towing fee and have to take it to 1 hour + away to have the dealerships work on it.  Of course most VW's don't need a ton of work on them.  The damn Toyota dealer made me mad, because he kept trying to convince me that a hybrid would be great, even though I kept pointing out to him I would be on the interstate most of the mileage.  Hybrids get the great gas milage from the stop and go, not from running 90 miles an hour down the interstate.

As far as my Jeep, I'm keeping her  :-D  I could allways go nuts and try and make her drive better.  Swap in a diesel from a VW or Liberty, get a hard top, put 30' tires on it, but that would suck.  We have a wonderful off highway park down here in Dugger IN, called he Redbird OHRA, where you can run your truck, motorcycle, or quad on some great trails, from mild to wild.  The other place is called the Badlands in Attica IN which has some pretty insane trails.  So building up my Jeep in about 4 years will be pretty fun, but expensive.  As far as an FJ being better, to each his own.  Besides, I don't see many of those out on the trails with me, mostly it is the pre 1985 Toyota trucks that are out, hell, it is mostly the older trucks and suv's that have straight axles or newer wranglers that are out getting dirty.  I really miss the old Bronco, Blazer, and Ramchargers.  I'm only 5'6" so the jeep fits me well, but for taller people you needed the extra space from the bigger 4x4's.  I keep finding older trucks forsale!  I have found a 93 Dodge 250 4x4 with decent milage and price, 69 jeep M715, 74 Ford Bronco, and a 2000 Ford Diesel 4x4 F250...of course I don't need any of those right now.

[Roac]

They might make money if the car's value didn't drop 25-33% when you drove it off the new car lot. 

The drop in value is entirely because you can no longer legally call the car "new".  This isn't an American car thing - foreign cars do it too.  Again, this is the obscession with all things new.

As for making money if this weren't the case, you're missing the point.  Even if they did hold their value on the lot, car manufacturers don't make money on second+ sales.  They haven't, can't, and never will make money on anything but first sale, because the profit for them is in making product.  Car lots make money, but that's another matter.

[Strazos]

That Caliber made me think of a Focus at first glance.

[Rasix]

I can't say I agree with your choice. Then again, I've been a Honda person for a few years now and my 2002 Civic is a rock (we've got an Acura TSX too, fantastic car).  Great gas mileage and its wimpiness doesn't bother me much.

And yah, most Toyota dealers I've been to are dicks.  I don't know what it is about those jackasses, but they don't understand the word "no".

[WayAbvPar]

I don't know what it is about those jackasses, but they don't understand the word "no".

You just have to pronounce no as "Fuck off".

[Roac]

Assuming you can get one, go to a dealer with an infant (and no one else).  Nobody will bother you; they know that you can't take a test drive, therefore will probably not purchase.  Worked for my wife anyway.

[TheWalrus]

Incentives for hybrid sales. Old fashioned greed baby.

[squirrel]

Assuming you can get one, go to a dealer with an infant (and no one else).  Nobody will bother you; they know that you can't take a test drive, therefore will probably not purchase.  Worked for my wife anyway.

I did that as well on my first round of looking at cars. Second round i took the dog. Third round i took a car seat and insisted i be allowed to put it in the car for a test drive.

Still ended up with a moderately unpractical vehicle but that's mostly weakness on my part.

[Alkiera]

Assuming you can get one, go to a dealer with an infant (and no one else).  Nobody will bother you; they know that you can't take a test drive, therefore will probably not purchase.  Worked for my wife anyway.

I did that as well on my first round of looking at cars. Second round i took the dog. Third round i took a car seat and insisted i be allowed to put it in the car for a test drive.

Still ended up with a moderately unpractical vehicle but that's mostly weakness on my part.

Sounds like something I'd do.  I wanna drive one of those at some point... Mazda seems to be the only corp doing anything with that tech.  Everyone else has given up on it.  How's your milage?  They were claiming 24-25 around the time it was released.

Alkiera

[Yegolev]

Assuming you can get one, go to a dealer with an infant (and no one else).  Nobody will bother you; they know that you can't take a test drive, therefore will probably not purchase.  Worked for my wife anyway.

Alternatively, you can look poor, or whatever is the reason I never can find a sales whore.