The Nitro is just hideous...reminds me of a Star Wars storm trooper helmet. I think Chryslers screwed up big time by not bringing the SMART into the US and selling it thought the CJD dealer network. They had announced plans to do that, but then scrapped them and concentrated on building more huge ugly gas pig pick ups and SUV's that no one wants now. Now that Penske is the official distributor for the SMART, he has a ton of interest and it appears that the first year import production is already sold out. Last year i bought my wife a new Scion xB. She would rather have had the SMART had it been available. But i am sure i could have all the Commanders and Aspens i want, along with Hemi pickups.
It's a little sad...my brother is the service manager at a Chrysler Jeep dealer, and he calls my scion a piece of junk. My wife dropped my son off at the dealer last week to pick up his 99 Stratus that had some brake work done on it, and the brothers boss and a few of the techs were laughing at the Scion. I thought it was a funny joke and didn't really think much of it, until i stopped by the dealership today and talked to mt brothers boss for a few minutes. He started making comments about the Scion and i just laughed them off...then he said "wow, i was embarrassed for you"...since this guy is my brothers boss, i just turned and walked away...but i thought...WTF? embarrassed? Why, because i spent $14,600 on a roomy, comfortable, well equipped, car? Because my $14K car came standard with a pioneer MP3 killer stereo, ABS, traction control, stability control, sunscreen glass, steering wheel audio controls, A/C, rear wiper, and a sweet shifting 5 speed? Why, because my funny little car is getting 38 MPG? Why, because my funny little car has more leg room front AND rear, than my Grand Cherokee? Why, because in the 18 months i have owned it, the car has not been back to the shop one single time for any type of problem, just routine oil changes? (3 of which were included in the price of the car, IE, FREE).
I guess this a bit of a rant, but this is part of the reason that Chrysler is in the position they are in. Would i have preferred to buy a Chrysler product instead of the Scion? HELL YES!! But they had NOTHING to offer. I DID just buy my Caliber, but that is not what my wife wanted last year. Her previous car WAS a PT Cruiser, which to their benefit was a bold and daring move on their part. There was a long waiting list for the PT when it was introduced. have they ever had a waiting list for some stupid pickup truck?
BTW, i have no intentions of saying anything to my brothers boss. I refuse to be the bigger fool who argues with a fool.
