So, was the crime selling insurance from an unlicensed insurer? Most CT dealers charge their customers for VIN etching - it's preprinted on the purchase orders but says (optional) next to it. The dealer I worked for charged $159 for it. But if the customer complained when it was presented, we just crossed it out.

The economy is VERY different from when Boomers and Gen-Xers were in their 20's. College students are graduating with huge debts, and high school grads entering the workforce don't have good prospects for high paying hourly jobs. When I graduated college in 93, I had about $8000 student loan debt to deal with. I moved…

Your math may be correct, but you haven't factored in the increased maintenance costs as the Camry ages. You're going to need 2-3 sets of tires, brakes, exhaust, shocks, spark plugs etc that narrow the gap. It all won't add up to $20k, but those expenses narrow the gap. And really, would you rather be in year 8 with…

Actually, a single, unemployed person gets $189 per month in food stamps, which is more than enough to eat for an entire month. How do I know? I've done it. On $189 a month I can still eat steak, chicken, pork, salads, eat breakfast lunch and dinner, and still by frivolous items like snacks and soda. And I don't even…

You missed the most obvious one: automatic headlights.

As far as the nav systems go, many automakers seem to be making the regular radio extremely ugly and tiny, made of cheap looking plastic and looking out of place in the giant nav screen hole. Makes the upgrade to nav almost a must. But I agree the factory nav systems are a giant waste of money.

I love living in Manchester, CT. It's a nice mix of older first generation residents - still living in the homes they bought 50 years ago, next generation residents renewing the neighborhoods, and a mix of lower income areas and upscale apartments for Hartford commuters. Manchester has a huge mall area, and there are…

You never know when Dunkin Donuts is going to run out of blueberry muffins or when there is going to be a riot over the last doll at the mall. The struggle is real here in Manchester, CT.

I felt the exact same way about the 2 years I owned an Ariel Atom. As much as I loved it, I could rarely drive it, had to deal with the constant attention, had to pay for winter storage, and always worried about driving around other cars - especially on the highway. I was sad to see it go and would love to have one…

And if you can find one without the embarrassingly outdated navigation system, even better!

We've been back for awhile with the Volvo CrossCountry's and the Subaru XV Crosstrek, etc.

I like it a lot. Makes the upcoming Ford Edge look very conservative and makes the interior of the Hyundai Santa Fe look like a Yugo.

GM, decades ahead of it's time yet again..

Let's just cut to it. This is where we are headed in our economic descent:

Wow. Selling my Ariel Atom was a piece of cake.

It actually looks a lot like a Geo Storm

People have a false expectation that when they buy a car from a dealer, that the car has been fully reconditioned and in an as new state. That's never the case. Even the most conscientious dealer who repairs EVERYTHING their mechanic recommends is not selling a brand new used car. Things can and will go wrong down the…

There's not really much of a deeper meaning to Anaconda, it's pretty straightforward. She has sex with drug dealing thugs with big penises because they buy her things. Doesn't take a degree in poetry to read the plain lyrics.

What they are suggesting is that the finance manager, when faced with a minority customer, purposely overcharges that person, or conversely, that a finance manager, faced with a white person, gives them a special discount. The the whole thing is stupid. Finance managers will charge as much as possible to whoever they…

Leaving aside that Kia doesn't have the brand cache to sell the K900 or even the Cadenza, They really hamstrung the K900 by leaving it RWD only. Luxury buyers in large parts of the country simply won't consider it. Hyundai had the same problem with the first generation Genesis. Yes it sold much better than the K900…