I do wish they had brought it here under the Buick name versus Pontiac. It was never a worthy successor to the GTO - it was always way more “Skylark 364” or even “Grand National V8”.

You’re very welcome. The fact that I can work when and if I want to, rather than being FORCED to work is the most liberating thing I’ve ever done. To me, that freedom is worth a lot more than “new car smell” or the “great dealership experience” you get when you take that depreciation hit.

I am a huge fan of the LS2 GTO, it’s 90% of an M6 for 30% of the price. However, that one needs a stick and to go back to a stock paint.

Put as simply as I can : living *below* your means allows you to save money. Check out “The Millionaire Next Door” or anything by Dave Ramsey. Based on where I live (coastal SC), I calculated that I could safely retire with no debt and 2M in the “bank”. I had both last year, right before I turned 40.

And that is why it will be a very smart buy at the trough of the depreciation curve in another five years.

Or, if you have $20K to spend on a vehicle with 75K miles (as this is) - then might I suggest an early C6 Corvette, E92 335i, 2011-ish 5.0 Mustang, Infinity G37, etc, etc.

Yes, yes, yes, and no. I also have no mortgage or debt and enough in my 401(k) and IRA to retire tomorrow if I so chose, based on living well below my means for the past 20 years.

That’s Tavarish, not Tom. The former drives all kinds of ultra rare, wicked fast stuff that he buys used and wrenches on. The latter pays a lot more for a new Golf.

Totally agree, Ash78 - this F&I manager could be the owner’s wife, sister, etc. That GM / Owner has given up on making good numbers from the F&I office. I bet her back end numbers ($ P.U.S.) are freaking terrible - she’s just a title clerk that they let talk to customers, not a salesperson.

Is “a nice conversation with someone that feels like a family member” worth the five grand in depreciation you’ll take when you first drive that new car over the curb? Nah.

It’s not going to happen; one of the VP’s here at work has offered to let me drive his (when I have told him how uninspiring his car is compared to what else he could have bought for the money), and I have no interest. I told him that I “don’t know how to drive an automatic” and showed him the tattoo of the six speed…

Fair enough, although I would submit that the FoST and the GTI are similar enough 'sporty FWD hatches' (especially in six months when they are both 'used') that I can cross-shop them. Of course, this paradigm is why I haven't bought a new car since the mid nineties.

As a "used car first" guy, count me among the many who want to read your justification over the FoST, considering examples out there like this:

Thank you for the well constructed and thought provoking replies. To put a point on it - I'd rather read your (potential, future) book than the original author of this article's.

I understand. I ask you this - could you ever be in a serious relationship with a woman (or man, if you are so inclined) from the US who has rarely/never left home? When did that change?

"Life Sustaining income" according to whom? As an exempli ad ridiculum - it could be argued that an NBA player who makes 10M a year and spends 12M a year doesn't even make "life sustaining income".

I stand corrected.

And now, you have revealed EXACTLY why lawyers like yourself push for big insurance policies. Because while I'm sure you think it's probably a lot of fun to "chase the turnip into bankruptcy and make [his] life miserable", you'd much rather get your 40% cut of a bloated insurance policy.

You can't get blood from a turnip.

You've never driven a Cobalt SS (turbo), obviously. It was the FoST before the FoST was cool.