I can see you have read the above posts, both negative and positive. And, you are right, buying a car is an emotional thing, that is why the dealer wants you in the car before you leave the dealership.

My .02...go for the 05. I have had mine since Jan 05 ( A little over 18,000 miles to date). I drive it every day to work, about 55-60 miles round trip, now that I have found a nice twisty back road, I can avoid I-35. It's further, but more fun!

I have experienced zero problems with the car. It is just as tight as the day I picked it up. The paint is flawless, not a peel or run on it. As for maintenance...it has a 7/70 powertrain warranty, and an extended bumper to bumper 7/100 warranty. Have the dealer toss in an extended warranty, at no cost. If he wants to sell the car, he will. And, I am betting he wants to sell it.

Oil changes. I bring my own oil and the dealer charges me $18.50 for filter, and a total cost of $24.95 for the change (minus the oil). you can also ask them to include free oil changes as part of the deal. Several people on this forum had them included, from what I have read in the past. And, Our Jeep dealer throws them in for the life of the car.

Long story short...deals are out there. The dealers want to move the "unit" and you can ask for anything you want. All they can do is say no, and then you tell them, no problem, and walk out. Bet you don't hit the front door.

If you are buying the car for a long term investment, forget it, buy a Honda Accord. If you want a fun, enjoyable drive and don't care about resale value (and, who knows, it may actually improve as years pass) buy the XFire. You only live once...

Enjoy!