MistressMissy said:
its not a big huge deal. they make you pay income tax on stuff you win in game shows too.
every time a college students wins "a new car" on the price as right or anyone wins anything they have to pay out the income tax for it ...but atleast they have it at all.
I was going to say, this wasn't unsuspected at all. It's a free car, figure out the tax liability and you're set.
I would immagine that there are ways they can arrage to keep the car. Personally I like the concept of selling the car then getting a value focused car that can accomidate their type of family. One thing they can do is donate the old hooptie because they usualy give you a better donation value. Maybe the next Oprah show should be everyone bring cars to a determined place to donate their old cars to an organizaion that will help defray the costs of taxes for the winners. Oprah can pay for the admin costs so that all proceeds from those donations will help the winners and another organization. From what I gather each person who won had a legitimate, to some extend "heartwarming" reason that they needed a car. There are things that can be done.
Or you can just set up payment plans with the fed and use bling words like "IN good faith I want to begin making payments" and such and such.
Good luck winners, someone will find a way out of this super soon.
Sorcha said:
As much as it sucks, I wouldn't mind getting a brand new, $28,500 car for $7-8000. Of course, I'd probably sell it and use the money to buy a less expensive, compact car.
That's exactly what these people should do. That's what I would do.
I just checked out GM's website. That thing's packing a 3.5L V6. Why in the name of christ would a poor person want a guzzler like that, and who would give them such a thing as a gift? If GM wanted to push a product why not the new Pontiac that's based on the Suzuki Aerio? The more I look at this rigamarole the less I like it.
You're thinking of the Pontiac Vibe, which is in fact based on the Toyota Matrix and built in the Fremont, California GM/Toyota joint venture plant. I agree that the Vibe would be a better choice, cheaper, get better mileage, etc etc.
No, I'm talking about the Pontiac Wave, which from the shot of the rear I took to be a redressing of Suzuki's compact 5-door, though I now realize it's more likely based on Toyota's 5-door version of the Echo.
[Edited on Sep 23, 2004 by Dogslife]
That car is not sold in America by pontiac. There is no pontiac for sale in America based on a Suzuki at this time. The closest thing to the Aerio sold by Pontiac is the Vibe, twin of the Matrix.
Really.
We are talking about American market cars, remember - Oprah can't give away Canadian market cars in this country.
Chevy sells the Aveo, built by Daewoo in Korea. It's a miserable piece of shite. Daewoo builds the Suzuki Forenza, too - and Daewoo is now owned by GM.
My bad.
Still, that frickin' thing Oprah "gave away" was totally inappropriate. I concur, the Vibe would have been a much better choice, though we both know it was never in the running if we take as given that the point of this promotion was to build some buzz around a new model. This was not the most elegant way to do that.
Sorcha said:
As much as it sucks, I wouldn't mind getting a brand new, $28,500 car for $7-8000. Of course, I'd probably sell it and use the money to buy a less expensive, compact car.
That's exactly what these people should do. That's what I would do.
I just checked out GM's website. That thing's packing a 3.5L V6. Why in the name of christ would a poor person want a guzzler like that, and who would give them such a thing as a gift? If GM wanted to push a product why not the new Pontiac that's based on the Suzuki Aerio? The more I look at this rigamarole the less I like it.
A larger engine is not necessarily more fuel efficient. A 4 cyl underpowered car will burn the same or more fuel as a 6 or 8 cylinder car that isn't working as hard.
I have two roommates one has a 4 cly Isuzu Trooper with a 120HP engine. Other roommate has an Isuzu Vehicross with a 6cyl 200HP engine. Want to guess who gets better gas mileage?
Aaron
Shakopee, MN
July 2004
SEP 23, 2004 11:03 PM