STUPID math - Chrysler is scamming everyone here.

Let's say gasoline hits $6 a gallon for the next 3 years. That means $3/gallon savings x 12,000 miles / let's say 30 MPG.

Yearly savings? $1200, for a total of a $3600 rebate. Let's say gas averages $4.50 per gallon. Savings of $1800 over 3 years, and you've got a car that's entirely computer-driven, automatic everything, etc. Not much of a savings.

Compare that to a CRX or Civic getting 40 MPG. You could literally buy two used cars and have money left over.

Dealer by me has a 96 with 73K miles for $3,750

Metro for sale

You should check the FE of most jeeps. They average about 17mpg not 30.

And we can sit here and say "I could just buy a civic or metro, and save twice as much etc etc." The problem is that the majority of the population doesn't want to tinker with and old car, they want something NEW with a warranty that they don't have to worry about.

I'm waiting for gas to hit $6 a gallon the I'm hoping to get $1500 for mine :p

When I retired from working on cars I bought new cars and traded them in frequently.

After alignment problems with a new 06 Corolla and the pile of BS I had to crawl through, I bought a 94 Del Sol and averaged about 43 MPG with a manual tranny, about 8 better than the Corolla.

Pure luck and I found my current 94 VX with 27,492 actual miles, stored inside, with the original tires not dry rotted. it was hit in the rear and totalled when it was two years old.

Everyone thought I was crazy to put 5k into that car, until I started recording mileages from 55 to 65 MPG without EOC.

3500 miles on her now with no problems whatsoever other than a couple of annoying rattles, one of which was some moron who pulled the access plug to the rear of the rocker panel and dropped a 5/16ths 1/4 inch drive Proto socket in the inside of the rocker panel.

I'm set up for 8 years worth of transportation, when I will be 65. I figure by then they might be building something that gets better than the 57 MPG average I have maintained for the last 3000 miles.

I drove into the local dealership (Honda and BMW) and it dawned on me that I wouldn't trade them that VX for any new car they had on the lot.

It will take less than 4000 gallons of fuel for me to drive 200,000 miles. $20,000 for gas for 8 years at $5 a gallon.

I have seen the effects of high gas prices, around here people are slowing down. It used to be just under 80 on interstates. Virginia considers anything above 80 to be reckless driving. Today on 64 east from Richmond to my home the average speed was between 65-70 MPH, and the traffic volume was about 65% of normal. I have driven the same route practically bumper to bumper at close to 80 until the recent jump in gas prices.

regards
gary

Okay - let's figure that one out. 12,000 miles per year is all Chrysler will pay for. Gas averages $5 per gallon for the next 3 years. $2 * 12,000 / 17 MPG = 705 gallons * $2 = $1410 savings per year. Total savings over 3 years = $4230.

Still stupid math because all you actually get is a vehicle that gets 17 MPG! Base model Jeep Wrangler about $20,000. Used Honda Civic gets better than twice the mileage - let's say you pay $10,000 for one, which is a LOT of money for an older Civic. More realistic is $3000-6000.

Leaves you about $7000-$17,000 difference to be able to pay for repairs over 3 years, because the gas is sure cheaper! It's a scam, and buying a new car simply because it's "under warranty" is pretty stupid to save a few measly dollars only in 3 years.

You could literally buy a used Civic every 6 months for 3 years at $3000 and STILL have money left over, plus 6 vehicles. That math does NOT make sense.