So, fairly recently I found myself the owner of a third-hand Audi Allroad. It's a very cool car, despite it's mediocre gas milage: roomy, comfortable, almost every option or feature you could conceive of in 2002. Backup sensor, tiptronic manual-mode automatic transmission, adjustable height suspension, etc. I paid $8,000 for it. It's a bit old though. It has 90k miles on it, and no bluetooth or iPod integration or navigation. Some parts show some wear. Here it is:
Well, it has a problem. When the fuel tank is totally full, it leaks. This seems bad, and Audi recognizes that, so they issued a recall on the car to fix the fuel tank (by replacing the whole $1,700 tank). So there's this $1,700 part plus about $1,200 in labor that goes into this fix, but because of the recall, it gets fixed at no charge to me.
But since this is an Audi dealership, and they're all fancy, they make sure that when you come in for service, they lend you another fancy Audi to drive around in while they fix your car. So I show up in an 11-year-old station wagon, and what do they lend me while they fix it? This:
A brand new, literally with 3,500 miles on it, convertible sports car. And because they have to order the gas tank and have it shipped, they don't expect my car to be done until Monday. So I'll get to keep it over the weekend.
The whole experience, and especially the free sports car for a week, really does make you more inclined to buy a brand new Audi, I think. I couldn't help but think to myself, "you know, I could bring this back here tomorrow and leave with one of my own if I financed it like a 'normal' person."
I won't do it. I'll pick up my paid-for Allroad and return the TT. Maybe one day I *will* buy a sports car like that, but if I do, I'll pay cash for a used one. But still, I'm sure more than one person has upgraded to a brand new car after driving a fancy loaner for a couple days.
For now, I'll enjoy my free sports car for a week. It's supposed to be 72 degrees on Friday. I'll put the top down.