Cool, thanks Mr. King!

Thanks guys! Makes sense. I'm actually kind of looking forward to a salesman or two getting all pissed off and thinking I'm an asshole in this process, because fuck those guys, so I will happily heed your advice on the directions.The car I'm trading in is actually something they'll be easily able to turn over, the more I think about it, because it's a hybrid. I probably don't have much to worry about. I just got a douche chill from a salesman last week when I was test driving a Volvo XC60 that was way the fuck out of my price range but fun to pretend I was actually considering buying for a few minutes. Dude asked me whether I was doing a trade-in and did that wink/nod "we can play around with that to get you a good deal" thing before I even went on the test drive. I was like "ugh I hope the FC guy has some advice on how to avoid dealing with that shit." And I'm glad to find out he does.That Volvo was nuts--it actually has a sensor that slams on the breaks if you're coasting in stop and go traffic and not paying attention and are about to hit something like a stopped car in front of you! And when you put it in reverse, the headrests go down so you can see out the back window better! I asked the guy if there was a proximity sensor in the back to slam on the breaks if you're about to back into something and he said no, and I acted all annoyed like the car wasn't up to my standards.I mean seriously, don't people accidentally back into shit way more than they accidentally coast forwards into shit?

tbone wrote:Did any of you guys use fighting chance when trading in a car? It looks like they provide some sort of advice but I was wondering how that worked out for you. I am envisioning the dealer being like "yeah you get this crazy smoking hot deal on the purchase, but...uh...your trade-in is only worth half what you think. Sorry dude."I used FC when doing a Cash for Clunkers trade-in, at that. A 1998 Dodge Ram Wagon being traded in on an Audi A4 wagon. It was funny. And sad. Mostly sad. I loved the van, but it was done.The first place I tried to settle with was a pain in the dick about it, b/c they weren't exactly swamped with Cash for Clunkers deals and were all crying about maybe they wouldn't get paid by the gov't. By the time they'd sorted it out, I had a deal for like $1200 less with someone else, so I was, like, later.Just do what the guy says in the instructions, basically. I know a few people who did it and inexplicably did not follow the directions. The directions are good. His basic thing on trade-in is do not negotiate the trade-in until you have a price for the car. Trade-in and method of payment are not connected to the price. If they want you bad enough to give you a great price, they should want the deal bad enough to give you a good trade-in as well, so why throw them a bone by doing it all at once?

tbone wrote:I mean seriously, don't people accidentally back into shit way more than they accidentally coast forwards into shit?The only accident I've had is reversing our car into a lamppost about 3 days after we bought it. We actually have all kinds of idiot sensors on it for reversing - but that damn post was hiding right between the sensors, and just in spot where I couldn't turn my head and see it as I swung the car into a park.Please don't ask me why I didn't just look in the rear view mirror.

At one point in the US new cars were supposed to come with distance sensors and wide view video in the back which honestly would add only a small amount to the car price. This regulation is tied up and has been under "review" for many years.I think this would be great almost as great a a law requireing bumpers all to be at certain heights so urban rednecks would not smash my car hood when parking.

I knew someone who had a car back up and hit him. The driver became so freaked that they hit the gas and drove across the driving lane of a parking lot hit the car on the other side of the parking lane (this was a shopping center lot not a street). He lost both legs above the kneecaps.Actually I know of two accidents where people in cars died because they were behind trucks with ladders and construction gear in front of them that stopped short and the materials were not tied down and shot out of the back of the truck.Not that a camera would help that but I tend not to drive behind cars/trucks with stuff piled up on them. Saw a car on the highway loose a mattress that was tied to the top and it landed on the window of the car behind that wrecked. Don't know if anyone in the car was hurt though.

tbone wrote:Maybe some day Volvo will introduce a safety feature where it tests whether or not you are an idiot before letting you get in traffic. Like before you can shift out of park, it plays a youtube video on the steering wheel, and if you post a racist comment on it, the engine shuts off.Fantastic.Thank you.

True. Although I am pretty sure I have seen people texting while backing out of parking spots before, too. Maybe some day Volvo will introduce a safety feature where it tests whether or not you are an idiot before letting you get in traffic. Like before you can shift out of park, it plays a youtube video on the steering wheel, and if you post a racist comment on it, the engine shuts off.

Yeah I'm sure the only reason that law was proposed was because theoretically that would save you from squashing some kid that ran behind your car after an errant soccer ball as you were backing up, but I wonder how often does that really happen outside of a TV commercial? In practice I think those things really are only good for helping you fit in a parallel parking spot easier if you suck at using mirrors and are worried about scratching your bumper. The cameras are becoming standard or at least a low cost option that the dealers all stock on a lot of crossovers and SUVs, though, I think. They have them on pretty much every CR-V and Forester, at least.

Anyone have advice if I'm looking for a used car?Fightingchance is just for new cars, right?For budgetary reasons as well as great past experience with Hondas I'd be looking for a 2009-10 Civic LX.