I was reading the thread about shopping for a new car, and I generally hate to gloat, but dammit, this is the first vehicle my wife and I have bought in ten years (we loved not having car payments). We actually picked it up Saturday night and have been driving solely it since we got it (we are lucky that we can carpool our mighty 7-mile drive to work each day).
It is a 2003 victory red Avalanche 1500, 2-wheel drive, fully loaded. After driving my 93’ Ford Ranger with no options for so long, I feel really spoiled:
Heated seats
Onstar (free for one year), which is nice because with onboard diagnostics, they can tell you when something is wrong with your truck when a warning light appears and they will call you so you know exactly what to tell the mechanic. In addition, if the airbags deploy, they will call to see if you are okay. If you do not answer, they radio 911 to come to your location. Hell, they will even order plane/theater/whatever tickets for you as a sort of concierge.
XM Satellite Radio (free for three months)
Onstar phone network (you push a button and tell the car who you want to talk to, SOOO cool)
Sunroof
Sideview mirrors that fold in at the push of a button
Bose stereo with 6-CD changer
Traction Assistant
Cruise control
A sensor that automatically activates the passenger side airbag when someone is sitting in it
Not only does the back fold down to extend the bed size, but the rear window also comes out
Cool little buttons that open my garage doors (one button each for each garage door) without having to keep the actual garage door openers in the truck.
The odometer doubles as a range thingy that tells you how long you can go before needing gas, as well as how long the oil in your car is good for.
Anti-theft that not only does the shitty alarm, but also cuts off the fuel pump (and with Onstar, they know where your vehicle is anyway)
Free carwashes for a month
Free oil changes for a year
The sticker price was $39,500, but with GM Employee discount (EDS employees get this as they were once owned by them), it was $33,000. We got another $4k in rebates, and then traded in Llamaettes 93’ Blazer for another $3200 off (about $500 more than what I figured at Kelly’s website).
Hey now that is sharp! I love it. Too rich for my blood though. Unfortunately all I can afford is something less than $13,000 and that is with my fathers GM Employee discount. The way I got it figured I should be moving up from the standard pogo stick to a fancy motorized scooter in no time.
I love them. They are so ugly, they’re good looking. I almost bought one myself, but got a Beemer instead as we already have a Durango. Beware of SUV threads, and congratulations.
I am completely GREEN with envy. I would sooooo love to have an Avalanche. Before they were sold, I signed up with Chevy to get updates. I have a free toy Avalanche on my desk they sent me. Someday, someday but it will be a 4x4…I love four wheeling in Colorado.
I’m happy you got a car you like. It seems like you were smart with your money and the wait was worth it huh?
I hate those things though. I hate all the damn plastic all over it, it’s like a damn Pontiac. it’s only slightly less awful than that Aztek crapfest Pontiac foisted off on the public and lost their butts on.
Ashkicker: I wasn’t talking money in an attempt to gloat about how much I spent, it was meant instead to gloat about how much I tried to do my homework to save. $13k with a GM discount will surely still buy you some bitchin’ (I love that word, so 80’s) wheels.
Daddy: I agree that they remind me of the Aztek (which IMHO is one ugly-ass car. I wept for Colby of Survivor for winning one) with the plastic ‘armor’, but the Avalanche to me just looks like a macho pickup truck, appealing to my more primitive instincts. I go outside to unlock it and I find the need to pee on the corners to mark it as mine (grunt grunt grunt). Since I try to do a lot of yard work, the vehicle is more practical than an SUV since I feel less guilty about dumping bags of pine bark and mulch into the back of it.
Techchick: come to Atlanta and we’ll go cruising. I doubt I can drive up Stone Mountain, but I’d bet we can manage some off-roading in it.
Scylla: thanks for the warning. I haven’t had to fill it up yet, but I am sure that when I do, I will weep openly (30 gallon tank).
Yippi!!! Another Avalanche owner!! There is a thread on here somewhere Avalanche Appreciation Thread. Congrats on the new ride. I’ve had mine for several months now, and Love it. Doesn’t feel like you are sitting in a cockpit? My wife has a slightly different opinion of it, but I love my ride.
Here is a pic of mine, with matching color. It is a file photo, but that is the right model and color.
Whoa, I didn’t say what I said to offend you. I am sorry if I did. I totally did not think that you were bragging about how much you spent. I just meant that they don’t make cheap cars anymore and it is hard to find one for a low price. You did get an awesome deal no doubt. For the record I drive a 99’ Grand Am, 4 door. It had 22,000 miles on it when I got it. I paid $500 down and financed I believe $12,000 for 5 years, that was in August of 2000. That was with no trade in and no GM employee discount (you can’t get that on a used car) and my payments for me are affordable. $245 a month. Once again. I didn’t mean to offend you and sorry if I did. They just don’t make them cheap anymore.
Are car prices increasing compared to wages? Even when you factor out inflation? I know cars were a ‘toy of the rich’ long ago, and then got cheaper, but I have the impression that new cars were always pretty expensive.
On the other hand, forty years ago my father could support a family of five, a house, and a car on one lower-middle-class wage. Hmm.
Oh, I’m not offended at all brother (and I apologize if I came across that way). Although my wife and I do pretty well financially, we really try hard not to live in an ostentatious fashion. Generally as long as I have my happy computer/video/German board games and she can do her scrapbooking, all is good.
If anything, I was worried that I was coming across as arrogant when I was throwing the numbers around, and I was trying very hard not to (while still gloating about the savings).
You are right about not making cheap cars anymore though for sure. Just watch Price is Right sometime and see how they’ve had to convert all their pricing games to handle FIVE digits instead of four. It doesn’t seem THAT long ago when the prices would max out at $8900 or so. I’m hoping to replace my 93’ Ranger in 4 or 5 years once we pay off the Chevy and have already started looking at low-cost vehicles so that we don’t go through crazy ass payments forever.
No, no, no. You weren’t coming across as arrogant. I knew what you were trying to say. That you had got a great deal, and you did! It sure is a beauty by the pictures and I would be beaming proud too.
I am afraid I am a bad person to ask that question, because I am a server and my hourly wage has stayed the same for years $2.13 an hour + tips. My wage increases when I get good tips.
I did however call my dad to talk to him about the price of some of the cars he has purchased over the years. Here is what I found out.
66’ Supersport Impala Chevrolet new off the showroom floor, cost him $2,700. He said it was a bad car for him (he should have known that when he looked under the car and it had a puddle of oil under it). Yes, sitting on the showroom floor, with a puddle of oil underneath. He got mad at that car and bought a ‘67 Ford Firelane Convertible (yes, he bought a Ford, working for GM, but he was pissed) the cost for that car was $3,800. In 1972 he ordered, from the factory a 72’ Cutlass Oldsmobile Convertible. The cost for it was $4,615. He kept that car for 20 yrs and gave it to me for a wedding present (I lost it in the divorice). Then he bought a 76’ Cutlass Oldsmobile new the cost for that was $7,600. And in 78’ he bought a Cutlass Oldsmobile new, the cost was $9,000.
I asked him how much he was making in 1970 and he thought around $8 an hour. Of course my father is aging and his memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be so all those prices are going off memory except for the 72’ Cutlass Olds he is certain of that, he even kept the reciept for it and has it to this day. My dad raised 2 two kids and supported a wife off his wages at GM. Pretty good for someone who only went through the 8th grade. Things just don’t work that way anymore though.
Then he bought a 76’ Cutlass Oldsmobile new the cost for that was $7,600. And in 78’ he bought a Cutlass Oldsmobile new, the cost was $9,000.