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Originally Posted by Droid13
1) I had a good honest look at the Cav and realized that while it's good shape right now, pretty soon it's going to start falling apart, rust just starting to come thru, etc. (Decide for yourself what you can expect from your truck in the next year or two)
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Of course no one can see into the future but I have no reason to think the Ranger will fall apart. It's been reliable so far.
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Originally Posted by Droid13
2) For us, buying this car is not a terribly risky financial choice. I'm just an ordinary working guy, but I have enough "reserve" to see me thru if something unexpected happens (you might consider some "what if" scenarios if you buy the car to determine a way out, maybe lease instead of buy, figure out that if things go bad are you screwed or simply have to make adjustments to compensate).
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We have a decent reserve and if we didn't own a business this would be a no-brainer. It's just that when things get slow you can burn through a reserve very quickly. Also, after posting I spoke with a friend. The tax credits are going to start being phased out on Toyota hybrids starting Oct. 1. If I need the cash I can probably turn around and sell my TCH without too large a loss.
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Originally Posted by Droid13
3) Finally, and most importantly for me, this was never about simple transportation or smart money choices. It's about taking advantage of an opportunity to feel good in this short life. Feel good about having a nice new car. Feel good about something that's quite a bit different than anything I've had before. Feel good about a technically cool toy to play with. Feel good about something that will be safer to drive. Feel good about something that should reduce some pollution (what is this worth to you in your life?).
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I understand what you're saying. I'm an engineer so I'm into high-tech toys. Plus I love reducing our dependence on oil. Once the decision is made to buy a new car, getting a hybrid was an easy one.