So I bought a Chyrsler Aspen yesterday. See my previous post on how much I hate shopping for cars. My father in law is a master negotiator and I learned a lot sitting in a couple times as he negotiated rock bottom pricing. His hat trick is the “get up and leave.” Works every time. Just say it’s too much and walk out. They want to sell you a car and will follow you down the street on their knees if they really think you’ll buy one. I don’t really have the personality cut out for car dealing, but when my wife sends me text messages and calls me and says things like, “don’t be a wuss,” and “stick to your guns, panzy,” and “you embarrass me with your weak negotiating skills,” I reach down deep and find the motivation (I might have exaggerated a little bit just then).

Anyway, the deal, I almost forgot. If you’ve seen the recent commercials for Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep, you know they’re offering a new power-train warranty that lasts the life of the car for the original owner. It only covers the engine, transmission, and drive system, but it covers it for life. At the same time, at least for a while, they are offering a manufacturers warranty that matches the power-train warranty. That’s right, for the life of the car. That was the deal breaker for me. the only things not covered are those that natuarlly wear out like tires, brakes, wipers, etc. No one else even comes close to that kind of offer.

Think about that for a second. As long as I own this car, if the A/C goes out, it’s covered. The engine fails, it’s covered. The transmission goes out on you on a trip to Ohio, it’s covered. The lights on half of the buttons on the radio stop working, it’s covered. It is a bumper to bumper  warranty for the life of the car. Normally, cars are not an investment. This one, however, is most definitely an investment. I will never have to worry about the state of any mechanical or electrical issue for as long as I own the car.

That’s right, I will never sell this car. Why in the world would I? I told my five year-old son when he saw it for the first time that he was looking at his first car. That is exactly what it will be.