Dealer offering $44,999 - check this out

[Zing]

So this got me thinking about the whole question of how much off MSRP is enough incentive to buy the 2003 vs. the 2004. I went back and did some math on another vehicle I own. After 3 years the book value declined 40% and after 8 years 75%. Using this as a proxy you could expect the H2 to depreciate on average:

- over 3 years - depreciation of $7,129 per year
- over 8 years - depreciation of $5,012 per year

So if I sold it in 3 years I might as well just get a 2004 because in the end I will be no better or worse off. And if I keep it longer getting the 2003 would save me maybe $2,000.

Since I don't want the lux package anyway, I'm still leaning towards getting the 2004 even with this deal. Sweet deal though if someone want's to save $7,000 up front.