re: #254 darthstar

So I took our X5 in to the dealer, as it’s almost at the end of its lease and we paid an extra 300 a month for the last three years to pay off the last car we traded in for it. They’ll forgive the extra 25,000 miles we put on it, the four run-flat tires($1500) and the assorted dings one gets when one owns a car (oh, and the cracked windshield)…but it’ll still run us 900+ a month for the new X5 (though it is a diesel and it drives like a dream).

So, on my way home I stopped at a GM dealership (I usually don’t look at US cars because after three years they fall apart like a Santorum campaign…they didn’t used to be like that, but they are now). Anyway, I really liked the GM Sierra crew cab pickup - 33000 after 5k rebate, throw a shell over the bed and it’ll look just like an SUV with a divider. And it has a 5.3 liter V-8 which was quite responsive on the highway (though the X5 diesel gets an extra 10mpg)…I could buy an American 4WD vehicle and only pay 600 a month - even after paying the 6k penalty for giving up the X5…decisions, decisions.

Incidentally, while I was writing this the dealer just called and offered to knock another 3,000 off to make it 841 a month but we have to put 6300 down instead of 5000.

How about an XC90? volvocars.com