For whatever reason I got a bug yesterday morning to check into a Dodge Caliber. I've had my eye on the Magnum for a while and it looked like it was a similar car.
I went the the web site and got the scoop. The Caliber looks be another car aimed at surfer dudes - it has a beverage cooler and an option for speakers that drop down from the hatch to entertain at beach parties - but hey, it's made in good ol' Belvidere (where they made the Neon. That should have been a clue.) but hey, it's fairly cheap, so if I can fit in one...
So the site tells me there's a dealer right down the road. I can even see a specific car they have. A nice yellow one. Jann and I stopped in the showroom simply to try it for size. I'm greeted by Joe, an old line car salesman, who tells me I won't fit. I did fit but my knees wouldn't like hitting the console for long and I could see my head getting banged on bumps. I had maybe a half inch of clearance.
So, Joe, let me try sitting in a Magnum. It's a great fit and pretty nice car. They just started employee pricing, meaning they have the list - 20% price right on the dash.
In spite of listening for an hour while Joe regaled us with his war stories, I left with my wallet intact to do some more research on the web. I was actually more entertained by the guy than intimidated. What car do I have now? I have two. They're both 97s. Why do you care? I'm not doing a trade. We were the only customers in the place late on the Saturday of this holiday weekend. My patience held out well. He didn't apply too much pressure, although he also had to size me up to see if I was just a looky loo. I didn't tell him I owned a plane until way later, if that mattered.
I didn't leave him with enough info to run a credit check on me. I read on his desk the sheet with the "great deal" they have on the dealer's add-on enhancement packages with a wax job and interior spray which a have a "great, one price" of $1000 and up. This does not give me a good feeling. I have to shake the hand of the sales manager on the way out. Joe follows us to my 97 Sable. I should have let him see the 177,000 miles on the odo. 
I found that it apears the Magnum owners and fanbois have few complaints. Some of these guys amaze me. They're backslapping each other about being able to buy the new SRT8 version for a mere $3000 over list.
Along the way I discover that the Caliber is the replacement for the Neon. It's supposed to be a compact, economy car. They say it's slow. I rented a Neon years ago and didn't think it was too bad.
I looked up the price of a V8 AWD version of the Magnum At $30,000 plus it means payments in the $500 a month area at 36, 48, or 60 months even with 20% down. So when I see these new cars on the road people have gone for that? No wonder they say they can't save any money.
I can go for the V6 version for about 20% less.
That is BTW, more than I owe on the plane.
I guess it's been too long since I bought the Mustang 10 years ago. I guess it shouldn't be such a surprise.
I decided to go for buying a house first. I'll check back sometime next year when I know what I'm doing in that respect.
This, like an old Bob Greene column, is "Mike discovers common knowlege."
I went the the web site and got the scoop. The Caliber looks be another car aimed at surfer dudes - it has a beverage cooler and an option for speakers that drop down from the hatch to entertain at beach parties - but hey, it's made in good ol' Belvidere (where they made the Neon. That should have been a clue.) but hey, it's fairly cheap, so if I can fit in one...
So the site tells me there's a dealer right down the road. I can even see a specific car they have. A nice yellow one. Jann and I stopped in the showroom simply to try it for size. I'm greeted by Joe, an old line car salesman, who tells me I won't fit. I did fit but my knees wouldn't like hitting the console for long and I could see my head getting banged on bumps. I had maybe a half inch of clearance.
So, Joe, let me try sitting in a Magnum. It's a great fit and pretty nice car. They just started employee pricing, meaning they have the list - 20% price right on the dash.
In spite of listening for an hour while Joe regaled us with his war stories, I left with my wallet intact to do some more research on the web. I was actually more entertained by the guy than intimidated. What car do I have now? I have two. They're both 97s. Why do you care? I'm not doing a trade. We were the only customers in the place late on the Saturday of this holiday weekend. My patience held out well. He didn't apply too much pressure, although he also had to size me up to see if I was just a looky loo. I didn't tell him I owned a plane until way later, if that mattered.
I didn't leave him with enough info to run a credit check on me. I read on his desk the sheet with the "great deal" they have on the dealer's add-on enhancement packages with a wax job and interior spray which a have a "great, one price" of $1000 and up. This does not give me a good feeling. I have to shake the hand of the sales manager on the way out. Joe follows us to my 97 Sable. I should have let him see the 177,000 miles on the odo. I found that it apears the Magnum owners and fanbois have few complaints. Some of these guys amaze me. They're backslapping each other about being able to buy the new SRT8 version for a mere $3000 over list.
Along the way I discover that the Caliber is the replacement for the Neon. It's supposed to be a compact, economy car. They say it's slow. I rented a Neon years ago and didn't think it was too bad.
I looked up the price of a V8 AWD version of the Magnum At $30,000 plus it means payments in the $500 a month area at 36, 48, or 60 months even with 20% down. So when I see these new cars on the road people have gone for that? No wonder they say they can't save any money.
I can go for the V6 version for about 20% less.
That is BTW, more than I owe on the plane.
I guess it's been too long since I bought the Mustang 10 years ago. I guess it shouldn't be such a surprise.
I decided to go for buying a house first. I'll check back sometime next year when I know what I'm doing in that respect.
This, like an old Bob Greene column, is "Mike discovers common knowlege."
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I'm driving a '93 GT with 145k. Wonderful car, handles like a dream and is suprisingly roomy (for two!). With the rear seats down you can really pack a lot of stuff in there. Seemingly bulletproof.
However, I got the Carfax report and had it checked out (on my mech's advice, I found a nearby Bosch service center to do it) and there were no surprises, except for the low price that I got. 
