If you’ve resorted to landing on a highway, there are probably not a lot of choices left open to you.

Mercedes, I’ve been loving your content since getting brought on.  But please don’t let the slideshows start to permeate Jalopnik too! I’m sure I’m in the minority, but I personally just don’t bother anymore when I see a slideshow.

I hope your own department also got a Christmas party.  Nothing sucks worse than being the holiday and lunch time slave because you’re IT and your company wants you to work when it’s convenient for everybody else.

I dunno. Considering Rivian gave Long Way Up VIN’s #1 and #2 to drive from the southern most point of South America to LA., and they (presumably - last episode they were in Mexico) succeded, I’d say the R1T is more “real” than the lone Cybertruck we’ve seen Elon driving once in a city.

Yes.  Yes it does.

All I can say is “this”.  By signing up for one of these insurance plans, you’re effectively trusting a corporate entity to “do the right thing.”  That rarely ever happens.

The problem with this anecdote is that we don’t know what was actually wrong with the GC. It could have been something as simple as a battery that needed to be replaced and could have run for another 80k after that for all we know.

Unfortunately it still has the shitty Nissan rubber band CVT transmission. :(

Heh.  So I actually asked her if they accidentally put it in as a WRX instead of an STI and she confirmed for me that it was indeed an STI.  Beyond that I didn’t know what else to say other than “thanks and bye”.

Was August of last year. Traded in my 2015 STI Launch Edition with 28k miles.  I was actually surprised Carmax was so far off from the rest of the offers.

To talk actual numbers:
Carmax: 21,599
Carvana: 26,954
Vroom: 26,000
KBB website: 24,621

In my case, Carmax offered me $5,355 less than Carvana.  $21,599 from Carmax versus the $26,594 offer I accepted from Carvana.  Like I said, insultingly low.

Seems like it may very much be a YMMV process, then.  I wonder if the pricing is based on levels of inventory as well as the usual condition, etc.  

When I sold a car to Carvana a year ago it was valued higher than most local dealers wanted to give me. Including Carmax. (The Carmax offer was an insult.)

In an ideal world, that’s exactly how it would work, but state governments in general and the DMV and Treasurers specifically generally seem to find whatever way to screw it up that nets them the best outcome, in my experience.

I know my wife does!  I just handle all the car research these days.

I would say that’s been true for pretty much every car I’ve purchased as well.  When we bought the wife’s Highlander, I eventually walked out of the first dealer because not only was the salesman telling us stuff that was incorrect, he argued with me when I corrected him on particulars.

I think you may overestimate the average car buyer a bit. It always amazes me when I hear that my neighbor down the street went to the car lot and just picked whatever SUV fit her budget. Zero research and zero planning.  Heck, the last car my wife bought before me she bought because she needed something immediately…

And people wonder why Carmax does such good business despite their prices not always being competitive.  The simple truth is that some people are willing to pay more to avoid all the bullshit.  Some days I can’t say I blame those people.

I was actually wondering about that.  I know virtually nothing about Haas as a business, but if they can take a tax write off and have a little fun while doing it, that sounds like a win-win situation to me.