Dear Tom and Ray:

I just want to thank you for your discussion of car dealers and your backing of the "one sticker price" idea. I was in a car accident and my car was totaled, so I had to buy a new car. Being shaken up the way I was, I was nervous about haggling with a car dealer. So I bought a Saturn. That was the easiest experience I've ever had in buying a car. Even today when I go into the Saturn dealership for maintenance, I'm treated well. I've found the dealership courteous, and they listen to you when you tell them what the problem is. I, like you, hope more dealers go to the salaried salespeople and a one-price sticker. Thanks. -- Kathy.

Tom: While not everyone has had a great experience at Saturn, many people have. And while the car they sell is really just average these days, they've got a lot of loyal owners due to the way they treat people. And I'd be willing to bet that the no-haggle sticker has a lot to do with it.

Ray: By the way, we do an ongoing survey at our Web site (the Car Talk section of www.cars.com), and one of the questions we ask is: "Based solely on your dealership experience, would you buy the same car again?" The five makes getting the greatest number of "yes" answers to that question were Saturn, Infiniti, Lexus, Acura and GMC.

Tom: And of the makes currently sold in the U.S., those least likely to get return business based on people's experiences at their dealerships, are Volkswagen, Suzuki, Ferrari, Porsche and Jaguar. If you're interested, you can peruse more results yourself in the "Need a Car" section of our site.

To buy or not to buy -- options, that is. Are options worth what you pay for them, or are you better off just going with the basics? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Should I Buy, Lease, or Steal My Next Car?" to find out. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1998 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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