So, your budget is 22,000 (excluding taxes) . . . which of these would you buy and why?

I was a little taken aback from not seeing this . . . or thinking about this happening . . . it makes sense.

A client calls me, asks about getting a Prius.

She asks me what is the average market price on a 2008 to 2009 model.

Well, the last one I bought was in December of 2010 and I figured they would be about the same.

Oh, no . . no no no . . . I was wrong.

As the fuel prices have been climbing, it seems the little Prii has been crawling up with them as well.

At this very moment, expect to be paying $2000 to $3000 more that you would have paid for a Prius back in December 2010.

Or, maybe consider something non-hybrid . . . like a Yaris which get similar Highway fuel economy or go with a different car maker. . . the Honda Insight and the Honda Civic Hybrid are both going for less in comparison to their Toyota super fuel saver counter part.

Based on energy expert’s predictions, the odds are very good that gas is going to break $4.00 a gallon this year (and possibly by Memorial Day — to see more on this click here) and they are also good that it’s not going to go down from there . . . If your memory is patchy the last time gas hit $4.00 a gallon, we also has a economic disaster. The causation between gas price and people’s economic situation are very closely related . . . because the operation cost of our daily lives increases substantially and this makes our available funds for other things more limited.

In short, if you own a 2008 GMC Denali right now, you are going to be spending about (or more than) $25,000 to run it over the next 5 years if you drive 15000 miles a year.

If that’s is a lot of money to you: GET SMART!!!

And get into something that is economical now!!!

In 2008 when gas prices spiked, ALL SUV’s that got less than 17 mpg avg TANKED in value. THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN!!!

But who am I to say anything, I’m just a professional in this area and I really do give a damn about you.

If you need help making a transition into something that can save you

Dear Chrysler:

I have seen images of what you’re putting out these days, like that new 2011 300 Sedan, and I just don’t care (http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/all-new-chrysler-300-sedan-revealed). . . but I would like to.

See, the problem that I find in your products is that they are underwhelming when compared to their rivals and time has shown they are exquisite examples of reliability time-bombs, with your engines that tire after 100,000 miles and transmissions that seem too made of papier-mâché and tin foil. . . The fact is, your cars are disposable and I haven’t seen much in the past 3 decades that has swayed me from coming to this conclusion.

This saddens me, because your cars look so good.

They really do.

But why can’t you make one that is actually decent and not just all pretty fluff covering a poorly engineered catastrophe?

It’s like seeing a beautiful woman and then finding out she’s insane and like to stab people in their sleep or barely smart enough to drool. . . It’s just disappointment when I step into your cars, so I’m praying you give us something more.

Some might call me a snob with you, but I’m not . . .

Look around and ask who would be willing to gamble on driving a 15 year old model of anything you make or who would consider Chrysler with 150,000 “reliable”?

Toyota, BMW, Subaru, Volvo, and Honda got this down . . . but you, oh no.

Your cars seem to reflect a life of bad decisions and I’m sorry for people when they take ownership of one of your offerings.

You make the best looking cars in the states, but then they just become repulsive because we want to love them, but then they just hurt our wallets over and over again.

It’s clear that you design on the model of “planned obsolescence” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence) and have stayed true to this . . . but we, the consumers have grown wise to this ruse (and that’s just what it is) . . . what happened to building something that would last decades?

When BMW, Honda, Volvo, Subaru, and Volvo make a car they want it to last for 20 years and they hold up.

It looks like GM and Ford is catching back on to this, but I don’t know about you . . .

You haven’t built one thing that we could classify as great since LBJ left the office; it’s just been about numbers and look where it’s got you?

You’ve become a joke . . . a large, overweight joke to the consumer market.

The cities and town of this nation are laden with your shaped metal crammed into rental car lots and “bad credit” used car stores everywhere . . . the prestige in owning a Chrysler has faded.

To “reinvent” yourselves, you toss about terms like “HEMI” like its special, but the only ones buying are those who haven’t yet learned that there are better options or have poorly researched their choices.

One day, I am hoping you’ll be more than the Pamela Anderson of automobiles . . . one day, I am hoping you will be more than the disposable lighters of automotive quality . . . I’m rooting for you, really I am

To this day, there are only a handful of American cars that I can stand behind and that I consider great, and there is not one that you make that I can call “good” . . . and, dangit, you have so much potential!

More than what Hyundai has, but look where they are and look where you are . . . they really have figured it out and, I’m willing to wager, they will be in the top 4 manufacturers in the US in the next 5 years. . . They are building cars like they give a damn.

If you haven’t figured this out yet: Great engineering before great looks will always win in the end when you’re in the world cars.

Let see how these new cars you are bringing out will fare . . . in 10 years, we’ll know.

You’re now under a new and interesting ownership — The Auto Union owns 60% of you, the USA owns 10%, Canada owners 3%, and FIAT owns the rest.

I smell a disaster on the rise, honestly, but we’ll see . . . maybe your new direction will really care about the consumers and making something they will love.

Time will tell Chrysler. . . Here’s to a decent turn around.

I hope you’ve finally decided to give a damn about us and not your bottom line . . . it will be in your best interest at the end of the day.

Promise.

This accident occurred north of Deer Lodge on I-90. The driver was appx 22 year old guy heading east to College. He had left central Washington early in the morning.

He fell asleep at the wheel and drifted off the shoulder hitting the end of the section of guard rail.

The guard rail came through the right headlight, engine compartment, firewall, glove box, passenger seat, rear seat and exited out the driver’s side rear window.

That is 120 LF of guard rail that threaded through the suburban.

No passengers and the driver was not injured.

I am sharing this as a reminder to all about NOT driving when you shouldn’t be behind the wheel (drinking, texting, distracted or just plain tired).