Dear Tom and Ray:

The speedometer on my '85 Toyota Camry is calibrated up to 130 mph. Is this because a) it is really capable of going 130 mph b) it provides for a nice, symmetrical layout, with 65 mph being straight up at the top. c) the manufacturer thinks that by calibrating it up to 130 mph, I'll think I'm in a sporty car (a psychological ploy)? By the way, my boyfriend's '83 Toyota Celica Supra speedometer only goes up to 85 mph. Anna

Ray: The answer is "c," Anna. I remember as a kid, peering into the windows of sporty looking cars and seeing what the speedometer went up to. "Wow," I'd say, "this Corvette can go 160!"

Tom: Of course, I never fell for stuff like that.

Ray: No, he was too busy looking in the windows of Deux Chevaux and Ramblers. But I think manufacturers count on that childlike excitement carrying over into adulthood. I mean, you've read all about this "inner child" stuff, right? Well, while the adult is saying, "I'll don't need a car that goes any faster than 75 or 80," the inner child is saying " Holy crow, it does 130! Cool! Let's get this one!" 1100

Everybody wants a new car. But from a purely financial point of view, there is no question that buying a used car is always cheaper, even in the long run. To learn more, order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1994 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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