Base wages have not increased at all, if I’m not mistaken, and if you’re using pre-crash figures (pre-2008), total compensation is actually much lower. COLA increases were replaced with bonuses tied to profit to keep fixed costs under control.

Well said!

So.....still no, but your neighbor is an exec at a Small-Cap. Got it. Still got it.

So....no. Got it. Wise insight, indeed.

This is the world we live in nowadays. Someone seriously debating the value Taylor Swift adds to society vs. a CEO in an industry that provides hundreds of thousands of middle class and upper class jobs. Awesome.

Have you, or are you, an exec in a publicly traded corporation? Or are all of your comments based on stuff you’ve seen on TV?

I’ve always been a CR fan, but also a die-hard domestic auto person. A lot of the Consumer Reports hate comes from the nature of their recommendations. Since it is survey based, consumer bias plays a tremendous role. When you have a defect in your Toyota, you might be surprised and give them a pass because “that never…

Buy 2011 models?

Just have to make sure the buttons on your bedazzled jeans don’t scratch the paint.

Tailgating. Seems like just an annoyance, but I’m convinced the cycle of douchebags speeding up, tailgating, then slamming on their douchebag brakes is what causes 99% of non-accident related jams because then everyone behind you has to hit their brakes.

This article must be fake news. According to Jalop commenters, there are no used cars on the market for cheaper than $15k.

There was no prior ST model, thus, no 17% increase.

Most ridiculous post of the day. Reality:

Exact same situation over here. Driving a truck that is now 20 years old was the single best financial move I’ve made in my life. 

If the auto loan crisis is a moon, the mortgage industry collapse was a planet. Mortgage securities were bundled, sold and spread across virtually every aspect of the world economic system. Car loans don’t have that scope of exposure. Also, people don’t typically walk away from cars when they’re underwater because…

I didn’t know math was a philosophy.

What’s the over/under on people regurgitating wage growth claims to account for people spending a ton of money on cars they don’t need and can’t pay for? Also, you don’t need $10,000 or $20,000 laying around for a used car. You need $5-8K for reliable or even less if you are car savvy or get lucky. 

Beat me to it. I had an immediate “WTF” reaction when someone in the market for a CTS-V is also asking about its turbo.

You have an interesting definition of “most”. 

At the risk of sounding ancient (I’m not), a Honda or Suburu or Toyota is not an American car. You can talk parts content and assembly all you want, but the tens of thousands of engineers, IT staff, legal, sales & marketing, compliance, headquarters, etc. are overseas.