Choosing a car should be done using financial reasoning, but somehow our emotions overwhelm us. We want cars that make us feel proud and the neighbors feel jealous. On this web page, we explore adding coolness without subtracting too many dollars.

There is a nice, simple, and FREE way to make your car cool. Make sure it is red. Even a stodgy Geo Metro looks a little bit cooler in red. To verify this, look at some new car advertisements. So many cars in those ads are red; you would think red is the only color they have. More proof: the local police will love to give you speeding tickets. Obvious jealousy.

Another way to make your car cool is with the body style. Get a two door car. Unfortunately, this limits your choices, but most small cars have a two door option. Many mid-sized cars also come with two doors. Very few large cars have two doors, and these are luxury cars. If you have your heart set on a large, two door car, there are many from the early 1980's - at bargain prices.

One controversial bone of contention is the country that makes the car. Many people swear that foreign cars are better without knowing what foreign means. Many "foreign" cars are made in the United States. For example, the Toyota Corolla and Geo Prizm are made in the same plant in California by the same people. They should cost the same, but the Corolla costs about $1000 more. Clearly, this price difference comes from the extra demand for the "foreign" Corolla. Also, the mechanics who will maintain your car are as American as you are. So, what is the advantage in buying "foreign?" Your unenlightened friends will not tease you for buying what they think is a lemon.