5th Gear: The Nissan NV200 is a genuinely great courier van. Very reliable, easy to drive, economical and durable.

It sounds like he was either nuts or he had a bet going with other salespeople to see how many times he could mention Jesus during the test drive... like a crappy salesperson version of the “Meow” game. 

The whole “Can’t find the keys to the old vehicle” thing really bothers me. I’m shocked that such a sleazy sales tactic ever actually happened but apparently it happened ALL THE FREAKING TIME. I know two people who got duped into buying a new vehicle because the dealership either “lost the keys” to their car while…

This sounds like something out of a horror movie... with the victim eventually being tied to some sort of torture device and the guy saying in a creepy foreign accent “Now you hear the noise!”

I’m glad the German guy didn’t wreck the T-bird. Those cars are some of my favorites.... So freaking pretty. 

Really not “nightmarish” compared to others, but just irritating.

Thanks everyone for the informative responses!  I hadn’t considered the post-crash depreciation. Good to know some insurance companies will think of their clients’ best interests also! 

I’m kind of surprised they totalled it, actually. Given the MSRP of the vehicle and that it was literally brand-new, even an extensive $50,000 repair would still have resulted in less of a loss than a write-off. 

Profit is usually measured multiple ways. Gross Profit is what he’s referring to in this case, i.e. how much of the selling price of this product is left over after the direct cost of creating the product itself (“Cost of Goods”).

I forgot that about the shared logo size and shape. Now if I get a Stinger I can change all of the logos over to Ford!

I wonder if his opinion of the fit and finish would change with a newer-production version?  The one they previously tore down was a very early production one, wasn’t it? 

It’s not really competing with Volvo’s fossil fuel vehicles though, at least not yet.

They’re not such amazing deals when you consider that we’re basically subsidizing their business in order for them to sell stuff so cheaply.

As I understand it, Airbus’s backing of Bombardier was only for the C-Series (now A-220) program. Bombardier remains independent and retains all profits from their other programs (like the CRJ).

“T-Series” now that they’re Transits instead of Econolines. They use the same naming system... T-150, T-250, etc. 

Even with more competition, it wouldn’t necessarily be cheaper. It’s such a heavily-regulated industry, and detailed documentation is required for virtually EVERYTHING. For example, if a fan blade fails on an engine, there’s a paper trail that doesn’t just provide when the blade was installed and who installed, it,…

5th Gear: Having only two companies dominating the commercial aircraft market isn’t what’s causing the delays. You barely touched on the real reason for the delays: engines.

Might have been a packaging deal... the V6 being considerably larger than the I4 might have made it too difficult. Another consideration is crash protection... not just will the linkages or hydraulic setup fit, but where does it all go in a crash?

I see it a little bit in the headlights, but that’s about it. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing... to me they both look focused on attacking the next corner. 

I loved that game for how heavy and shitty the cars felt. It is still one of my favorite games, too!