Is guaranteed 3$/gallon gas worth enough to buy a Chrysler?

[wagonman76]

$2.99 gas doesnt do you any good if the car wont go.

My friend worked for the local Chrysler/GM dealership and said they have to keep at least 1 of every Chrysler transmission in stock at all times because they fail so often. No so with the GMs. I already have heard time and time again of young failed Chrysler transmissions but this pretty much took the cake. Also this video he got from when he worked at the Ford dealer across the road, comparing the Ram with the F150. The Ram did so horribly that he said Chrysler threatened to sue if they didnt stop showing it. He gave me a copy that I still might have somewhere. I know other companies have had issues too, but at least to me, Chrysler builds junk moreso than the other makers.

[njlou]

Getting back to basics, any "deal" has to be evaluated on its own merit and compared to future worth. When gas is $4/gal you save $1. The plan as i see it is for 15000mi/yr x 3 years. The typical car today will get 25to 30 MPG. So 15000mi/25MPG= ~600 gal. or $600/yr. If gas goes to $5/gal you make double etc. It's a gamble, but not for car buying. The realistic future worth would be ~$1800 over the 3yrs. (It could also go down - at which case you got zip). But in negotiating you should be able to get $2000 additional off the price up front.

I would not fall for this deal at this time. It seems that gas cannot sustain this price level. It will go down.When????How much????
You shouldnt buy a car based on this "distraction". They get you all worked up over the $3 thing and you forget that you should be getting thousands off the sticker on a higher priced car. Watch out that you dont go broke saving money.

Personally i wouldnt waste my time on new cars that get less than 50 MPH. Until then i will keep my gas hogs and save the price of a new one. It makes no sense to buy a new big$ car that gets so-so mpg. You can buy some really great (large/cheap) used lo mile cars that get 25/30+ MPG. Dont be too hasty. Time is on your side. Next year's cars WILL get much better MPG and so on. If you need one immediately, dont fall for these gimmicks.

[azraelswrd]

Yeah, when I saw those ads I just did the math in my head... and it wasn't worth it. If gas was $4.50/gallon, then it would save me 1.51/gallon. Assuming I drive an avg of 33mpg (worst case scenario) and drive 12,000 miles/yr:

12000 mi/yr * 1g/33mi = 363.6 gallons/yr
363.6g/yr * $1.51/g = $548.58 savings / yr

...that's assuming gas is $4.50 the entire year, my mpg is roughly 33 and I only drive 12,000 miles in a year. Seems like it would be better for drivers with bad MPG, who drive a lot in a year and during really high gas prices.



(Forget about that Suzuki deal... that's not even worth running the numbers)

[njlou]

Sorry -- the deal was for only 12000Miles x 3 years. Same idea but about $300 less value over the 3 years.

[dann_04]

they offer the choice of a rebate, or 2.99 gas. even at 5.00 gas you still save more with the rebate because of the limit on the amount of fuel they offer at the 2.99 price, pus in the end it costs more to buy a new car to save some money on gas than just keeping what you have, or buying a used ecobox to pump the miles out of. it's a lose lose situation in my book.

[dremd]

My local Nissan Dealer has basically the same deal; but it is $.99 a gallon.3 years; I don't know the mileage though.

[atomicradish]

I am going to start saving up for a 2009 Ford Fiesta now.

[njlou]

You are so correct. The 2009 Ford Fiesta looks great, and will easily get 40MPG+.
It seems Smarter than the Smart.

[metromizer]

maybe a $1,500 savings over two years... think of it as a rebate or incentive, ho-hum

but.... That campaign created quite the media buzz. The marketing team who created the idea should get hefty raises for creativity and effectiveness!

[Big Dave]

I don't believe Chrysler will live up to the bargain. Chrysler is on the verge of liquidation. Chrysler cars will be as orphaned as Gremlins and Nash Metropolitans.