Best Of

I began the long process of deciding what, if any, car I may get to replace the Outback today. Decided to start with the Toyota dealer affiliated with both the Mazda dealer where I got the CX-7 and the Subaru dealer where I got the Outback.

I did not know they move more cars per month than any Toyota dealer in the state. The place was crazy busy for an early Friday afternoon.

I had called earlier in the day to ensure that they had a FWD Camry XSE available to drive. They did, so I set up an appointment. Showed up a bit early and had to wait, then was handed off by the original salesperson to someone else. No matter - I was just there to take a test drive. Went through the basic qualifying questions (what's important to you? how long until you're ready to make a decision?), surrendered my license for a photocopy, and we were off.

Dark blue over black - I didn't care about color at this point, just wanted to get a sense of how it drove. Loaded with the premium package, which added ventilated seats and some other niceties; MSRP just under $40K.

Typical 4 right turn test drive in urban traffic. The car rode comfortably, and I didn't notice any issues with the e-CVT (yep, that's what Toyota calls their transmission). The heads up display was nice, and the seat was comfortable. The salesman kept up with a steady stream of patter, which grated on me more than it probably should have.

Back at the showroom, the salesman ran off to "get some numbers", which I also (correctly) assumed I would be meeting a manager. I had them skip the trade appraisal, so the numbers I were given were using the promotional 4.99% APR for various terms and down payments. Fine, OK, no problem.

Looking closer at the prices, I saw over $3000 of "accessories" added to the price - this included paint and fabric protection, a clear bra up front, and one or two other things. With tax and fees, the final price was around $45K. This, on a car that was shown on the website with an almost $2K discount from sticker.

It has been a long, long time since I've done this, and I tried to remain non-plussed by what I was seeing. But, I channeled my dad when he bought the Sonata in 2003 - "dang, cars got expensive" (he paid, I think, $17K before TTL on the Hyundai).

I am in absolutely no rush on this - just getting a feel for what's out there, how they're equipped, how they drive, and what they cost.

Want to test drive both the Accord hybrid (Touring trim) and the Sonata hybrid (Limited trim) in the next few weeks.

Still may consider a hybrid SUV, in which case there are a lot more contenders.

Just wading back into the CCBA pool!

Seems like that anti EV crowd just gets obsessed with range anxiety scenarios. And ignores all the benefits (the reasons so many people buy and love their EVs). Of course like any other vehicle option your specific needs will make some options not good for you. If I lived in an old city I would not want a dually F250. But if I towed a horse trailer I would.

Sorry, but you will have to jump up to an F350 to get a dually. AI Overview

"The Ford F-250 Super Duty does not come with a dual-rear-wheel (DRW) or "dually" configuration. While the F-250 is a heavy-duty truck, the DRW option is exclusive to the F-350 and higher models like the F-450 and F-550."

I agree that many vehicles are for specific purposes. I have a Ram 2500, but do tow a 30' Airstream with it. I rarely drive it in the good weather because that's what the Miata is for. I don't think that I have put 500 miles on it since April when we got back from a camping trip down south. I will use put about 6000 miles on it this fall when we drive to Albuquerque to camp at the balloon Fiesta, then zig back across the country to the NC coast for a fall family reunion before heading back to Vermont.

Nobody needs a pickup truck until they do and then it’s essential. I don’t tow with mine but I can’t imagine trying to haul junk to the dump or bring home lumber without one.

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Another pic made for the internet. When will it end?

jmonroe

I saw this guy at a Home Depot (or Lowes - I forget). I was going to wait until he was ready to leave to see how far he got, but he was tying it down with the string they supply so I left.

Now I sort of wish I would have waited.