Letters to the Editors
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Subject: Dealer Cash
From: Steve

Dear Phil:

I heard your interview on NPR this past week — great job! I have read some of the articles regarding dealer cash on the site, and I have a rather urgent question:

In your article called "Alerting Buyers to Incentives, Rebates and Trends," at the end of the article, you say that the "TMV price has been adjusted for 'dealer cash' (money the manufacturer pays to the dealer to help them [sic] sell the car at lower prices and still make a profit). However, 'customer cash' — those rebates that are widely advertised and typically used as a down payment — have not been deducted yet. This means you should negotiate your lowest price for the car (using TMV as a guide) and then deduct the customer cash rebate."

In the TMV I ran for the a 2004 Cadillac Deville, for instance, the incentives and rebates links acknowledge the $7,000 dealer cash you talked about in your NPR interview, but the TMV seems to adjust for the customer cash only, so (now, at last, the question!!), am I correct that I should reverse the above-quoted explanation and deduct the DEALER CASH instead of the customer cash and, then, begin negotiating?

Senior Consumer Advice Editor Philip Reed responds: You're overcomplicating things. The dealer cash is always automatically deducted from the TMV price. You don't have to worry about it. Then, the customer cash is shown. This mirrors the way things are in the marketplace — dealer cash works behind the scenes while customer cash is widely advertised.


Subject: Buying Your Leased Car
From: Adam

I was reading the article "Buying Your Leased Car," and am now confused. I want to buy my leased Jeep Cherokee from Chrysler Financial (CF) at lease end (two months away). Your article says all of my discussions and negotiations should be with CF. CF states that according to Arizona law I cannot deal directly with the lessor, but must purchase my used vehicle from a dealer. Does this make sense? My contract is with CF, how can I not be allowed to buy the vehicle directly from them?

It's possible that you are talking with the wrong person at Chrysler Financial. They own the car and they can sell it to you. In many cases, you can buy your car by mailing in a payment to them. Make sure you are talking with the officer in charge of "lease end options" and you will quickly get this problem straightened out. — Ed.


Subject: Personal Vehicle Shopper?
From: Joe

First of all let me say that your site is amazing. I've never found this much help on a topic before. I've actually been taking notes! Now the real reason I'm writing, which I don't often do, I am looking at buying a car before winter slaps me in the face with my 6-year-old Jeep Wrangler. I love my car but am starting a family. It's awfully hard to get to the car seat in the back. Although your Web site is an extremely useful tool, I find that there is still way too much involved in picking, finding and purchasing a new car. I understand how to change my own oil but I pay for the convenience of someone else doing it. I would love if there were a way to do the same thing in the car-buying world. If Edmunds.com would just take down the info regarding my current trade-in, my desired car, my desired payments and work it all out, I'd be more than willing to use a portion of my savings to pay for the convenience. I'm not lazy, just busy. I need a personal vehicle shopper. If I entrust this to a dealer I'll surely get more than ripped off. Am I just dreaming or does something like this already exist? I have a wedding planner, why not a vehicle planner?

We know there are plenty of people out there just like you so we have development underway of just such a product. Until then, keep taking those notes and you'll be able to do just fine on your own if you follow our advice. — Ed.


Subject: Top 10 Cars for CEOs
From: Anonymous

I understand articles for car enthusiasts. However, the title of your article about rides for CEOs is disturbing to me as an investor. I think a Ford 500, a Buick or perhaps a Honda S2000 make much more sense for today's prudent CEO, rather than the conspicuous consumption implied by the cars identified in your article.


Subject: Top 10 Cars for CEOs
From: Matthew

I am the proud owner of a Mercedes E55 and was shocked to see cars like the Cadillac, Maserati and Audi on this list and not the E55. Performance at 4.2 for 0-60 and styling is far superior to those other cars and price point is right there. Where else are you going to get performance of a Turbo Carrera and in a sub-$90K 4-door sedan? I think you missed this one. Thanks!

Our choices were shaped by various parameters, 0-to-60 times not being one of them. We agree that the E55 is a spectacular sedan, but we're not so sure that CEOs would appreciate all that it has to offer. — Ed.


Subject: RX-8 Long-Term Update
From: Nelson

This is becoming a habit.

In the September update of the RX-8 you complain about the "mediocre fuel mileage" which you list as average over life of vehicle at 17.6 mpg (achieving a high of 19.7).

Edmunds goes on to say, "Of course, not helping the fuel economy cause is the fun of keeping the engine on the boil. Road Test Editor John DiPietro clarified: 'I'm like the kid who's always caught with his hand in the cookie jar; when conditions allow, I've got my foot on the throttle, just to feel the surge and hear the jet enginelike sound.'"

While I agree these are not stellar numbers, even the editors at Edmunds must agree that the G35 Coupe which although has a larger motor, posts similar performance figures and has the fuel economy at 15.6 with a best of 16.8. So what does Edmunds write?

"Our inability to keep our foot out of the engine's power has resulted in some discouraging mileage figures. Guess we'll try to do better next time."

Clearly both cars are FUN to drive, so naturally fuel economy is not going to suffer a bit and that's OK. It's just the negative way it is reported in the RX-8 update vs. the G35C update that bothers me (mediocre vs. discouraging).

I look forward to the next update on these two (indeed all the other) cars!

Given that the RX-8's engine displaces just 1.3 liters, we were expecting a little better mileage, especially when compared to the G35's 3.5-liter V6. — Ed.


Subject: Lease Trading Companies
From: Dahlia

How credible are these companies? I have a leased vehicle I am looking to find someone to take it over.

The companies are quite credible and have helped many people. But they don't always place every single car that is listed. Since there is no upfront money you have little at risk. For more information you should look at our story on lease trading. — Ed.


Subject: Honda Issues
From: Anonymous

I recently took my Honda Accord for 120,000 miles maintenance. They flushed the radiator, but forgot to put coolant in the system. I drove the car in such conditions for over a week (about 200 miles). On September 29 the check engine light came on. I stopped to check what was going on and not until then I realized that there was no coolant in the radiator. I immediately drove the car back to the Honda repair shop where they had performed the maintenance services (about 7 miles down the road). By the time I made it to the shop, there was steam coming out of the hood. When I opened the hood at the repair shop I noticed that the pump from the coolant tank was melted. My question to you is that if driving the car in such conditions, the engine could have been seriously damaged? They said that they will fix it, but I am concerned about their honesty in telling me the truth about any potential damage to the engine. Should I get a lawyer?

We would suggest a new mechanic first. Forgetting to replace the coolant after a flush is an inexcusable mistake that could have caused serious engine damage. We would also suggest taking it to another repair shop and have them take a look to see if any damage resulted from this mishap. — Ed.


Subject: Hybrid Vs. Diesel
From: Kevin

First and foremost, I am avid fan and daily visitor of your site.

Your recent articles covering hybrid technology have caught my attention as I am a big proponent of looking at alternatives to fossil fuels to power our vehicles. Your recent coverage of the Toyota Prius, limited coverage of the Ford Escape and previous coverage of the Honda Insight have sparked some controversy and debate among my friends.

I think it would be great if Edmunds were to look at the advantages/disadvantages of hybrid vs. diesel technologies. The reason I say this, and what sparked the debate is that it seems that the average mpg with a hybrid is on par with the TDI Volkswagen engines, which also have more horsepower. The clear advantage of the hybrid seems to be more city use than highway.

When looking at pure price alone, I can buy a Volkswagen Passat GLS TDI for about the same price as a loaded Toyota Prius, give or take a few options on each model. Alternatively, a Jetta GLS TDI could be purchased for roughly the same price as a base Prius.

It would be great to see a comparison of the VW diesel technologies pitted against the hybrids. Also, if Ford is claiming that its Escape Hybrid has similar performance to the Duratec currently offered, I only foresee this technology being embraced by more people. I just am concerned about the long-term unforeseen costs these vehicles may pose, not to consider landfill waste of either the vehicle or its fuel cells. It would also seem that replacing an entire diesel engine would be less expensive and less wasteful than a hybrid.

It would also be great to get the California slant from you guys as I know your state frowns on diesel.

You bring up many valid points. The diesel vs. hybrid debate is an interesting story that we intend to investigate further as more models become available. For now, keep an eye out for our upcoming reviews of the Passat TDI and Touareg TDI. — Ed.


Subject: Toyota Prius Long-Term Test
From: Randolph

One thing I didn't see in your long-term test article that you may not know about. Underneath the front cupholder is another storage bin that pulls forward to put odd bits in. I currently keep my disposable camera, flashlight and compact umbrella in this storage bin, which is very handy for such things.

As far as the car itself, I love it. I have had mine since December and have yet to fall below 38 mpg average. On my last trip to Chicago, I averaged 43 mpg there and 48 mpg on the way back. Very nice trip car, not to mention the fun at the gas pump as everyone asks, "What is that?"

The numerous storage areas are just one of the many reasons why we have found the Prius to be an excellent all-around sedan above and beyond its stellar mileage figures. — Ed.


Subject: GMC Canyon Review
From: Dale

I recently rented a GMC Canyon and found it better than your review. I regularly drive from Phoenix, Ariz., to Fresno, Calif., 640 miles twice a month. It is approximately a 9-hour commute. I found the Canyon to be much better all around than any of the other makes you listed. Toyota Tacoma is HORRIBLE! Uncomfortable, noisy pedal area so small I could barely extract my feet from underneath them. Let us not mention poor gas mileage on a very lightweight truck for the 6-cylinder Nissan Frontier. Last time I looked, average horsepower was 170 maybe 210 supercharged. Nissan will win race to junkyard followed closely by Toyota. Toyota and Nissan have torque curves like a rainbow. If you use a vehicle for hard use and drive many miles, you do not want to be saddled with one that will not go the distance.

I had read many of your reviews and am of the opinion I will no longer read them as I cannot agree with a small percentage of what is written.

Thanks for that comprehensive and clearly unbiased review of the competition for the Canyon. Unfortunately for GMC, both Toyota and Nissan completely redesigned their compact trucks for 2005 adding larger cabins, incredibly powerful V6 power plants and far nicer interiors than the plastic-covered Canyon. — Ed.


Subject: Mercedes-Benz SUV Observation
From: Richard

I thought your readers might find a couple of my observations about the ML3xx Mercedes SUV interesting. Let me say first that it is a mini-tank, and I have never felt safer, and it's pretty comfortable on long trips. But…

1. Why no daytime driving lights?? I know, I know, it's officially a truck and they didn't have to include this feature, but what would it have cost?? Gimme a break.

2. The so-called Climate Control System is a farce. When first turned on it blasts you with frigid air until you have to shut it off. I carry a heavy long-sleeved shirt in the car to wear when it's so cold. I have had it turned on at full blast on a 55-degree day because the temperature sensor is located exactly in the middle of the dash, and if direct sunlight hits it it goes crazy. I have complained to no end to Mercedes and never received so much as the courtesy of a reply. Sadly, the latest models still have this "feature." Luckily I was able to find a way to run the damned thing manually, something which the "service advisor" said couldn't be done.

3. Folding up the rear seats is a four-step, extremely cumbersome, labor intensive job. It requires both hands, a strong back and a good vocabulary of curse words. Trying to return the seat backs to an upright position is even worse. In my last car, a Volvo station wagon a six-year-old could fold the seats with one hand and the temperature sensor was inside the passenger door speaker cavity, isolated from sun "events." I would suggest Mercedes hire a Volvo consultant.

Mine is a 2002 ML320…will I keep it?? Probably until the warranty runs out (which is pretty good). Will I even buy another? No way in hell!!

We came to many of the same conclusions in a recent comparison test of high-end SUVs that will appear soon. — Ed.


Subject: 2005 Nissan Pathfinder First Drive
From: Stan

Who cares about off-road driving, some few, I believe. 95 percent of the buyers are soccer moms and people who just need an SUV to get around town, etc. Your report goes on and on about off-road BS. We want to know about all the details and features of the new vehicle. For instance, I have an old Explorer and I want to know why I should consider this vehicle over the Explorer and I am interested in the highway ride and all the features, gas mileage, ride quality, reliability, quality of construction, etc. Readjust your thinking as to who is buying these SUVs and what they are looking for. Off-roaders are a very small amount of customers in my mind. Give us the good stuff!!

First Drive articles are written after getting limited seat time in very controlled circumstances. Items like reliability and quality of construction are hard to ascertain after driving a vehicle for just a few hours. Look for our upcoming full test of the Pathfinder to see what we think of it after getting behind the wheel for an entire week, a situation that's sure to highlight more of the "good stuff" you're looking for. — Ed.