Things to think about before buying a new car.

1. If the car is in for warranty work do you get a free loaner car? If not, the manufacturer has incentive to build bad cars and the dealer makes money renting you a car while they drag their feet to fix it.
   
2. Does the extra cost extended warranty cover things that should be covered by the manufacturers warranty? This would lead me to believe the manufacturers warranty is not worth much. Having two warranties also gives the dealer the option to complicate the issue.
   
3. Is there someone else you can help? Look for people who have complaints with the dealer and help them get a resolution before you agree to buy. In helping a past customer you make a clear point with the dealer. If you have to go to court later you can always demonstrate to the jury that the dealer delt in bad faith before by not fixing the previous customers problem until it almost cost him a sale.
   
4. Don't buy a car without checking out the service/support/lemons. Sure you want a Nissan 350Z but you would be better off buying a used Mercedes SLK. It would cost less and a used car has a proven history. Don't buy based on looks alone.
   

My brother and I built a knoppmyth pvr this weekend. it is quite impressive; tivo on steroids. I recommend one for those who are comfortable with linux. its not quite a straight out of the box experience, but once it is working it is amazing.