Even though I travel in the heart of rush hour twice a day for 28 miles, I still can do 75 if I want. In 6 years time doing this route, I've only needed the carpool fewer times than I have fingers on my hands. I got the car because its what I decided I want, not because I can get a carpool sticker that expires in 5 months. Though, if I get the sticker, maybe I'll "invent" use for it, but it really isn't a concern to me one way or the other.

The only real way (for me) to avoid paying $6k+ mark-up was by laying a deposit. All the places that I can walk into and pick up a car for MSRP are too far way or too long a commute for me to keep leaving work every day in the hopes that I'll finally get the car before everyone else on the call list arrives to pick it up. But the deposit actually did something else for me, it helped me to "plan" for an arrival and get my finances in gear accordingly and to have "think" time whether its what I want, rather than "impulse".

I'm happy with the $29.4k I paid out-the-door that includes a 7yr 120k 0$ deductible, custom moonroof, lojack-early warning, interior lights, pro-package, dimming mirror, and other things. Please, I paid $300 below MSRP on the day of 6/19/2006. Frustrating, I almost gave up multiple times, but I stuck with it and it worked out.

As for your advice and such, I agree, 40MPG isn't something to complain about but I'm actually trying to get my average MPG to a minimum of 45 MPG if I can. For me, this is a car, not an obsession, 50 MPG would be great but I'd rather drive and enjoy my car, but I will try and do what I must to average 45 MPG as that's where the (minimum) best pay-off for the car+payments vs. the Tacoma fuel (no payments) I had meets equilibrium (vs. loss) given a 12 month period of time @ 1,500 miles per month (my average driving).

Time will tell how much I really care but in the meantime I really enjoy driving this car and I never thought I'd enjoy any car. I hate them. I hate being in them, I hate being low to the ground, etc. But I really like the HCH-II. I have no "real" complaints.


Thanks,
Shawn