It’s not actually that much higher, and in fact you WANT actual collisions to take place to identify the limits of the system. That’s like saying 100% of crash test vehicles have been totaled. If the test cars don’t get into collisions, we’ll never know if they’re safe or just lucky; that’s the point of moving from…

Or (3) the government wastes some money, and that amount should be lower, but it doesn’t constitute the “bulk” of government spending.

It’s not different. Someone shopping for a car should expect to pay the listed amounts, which is to say that s/he should be prepared to spend that much money to obtain and exercise the option. That doesn’t mean you must be charged that amount. If you get a better deal through negotiation or because the seller charges…

I sincerely doubt the reserve on that car is less than $20k.

The 3.5 in the Prowler was the one from the Intrepid/Concorde, not the Sebring or the minivans. It was later resurrected with a few tweaks for the Sebring/Avenger and a bunch of other forgettable Chrysler products.

What are you talking about? I still have that A4. How is 15 years not long enough, but 17 gives you magical insight? That’s just as ridiculous as the supposed sudden drop in quality for 1999.

If you’re prepared to pay, you CAN have what you want. Buy the closest factory configuration model, arrange to buy the parts, and pay someone for the labor of swapping those bits out (or do it yourself).

Anecdote for anecdote counterpoint: I have a 2000 Audi with 191,000 trouble-free miles except for one mysteriously premature battery replacement, which was more than likely the battery and not the car.