This is the contestant of today. I do agree that it was a waste and the 2nd digit would've been the better choice, but I realize that contestants are very unsure of themselves when they're on stage.
A LOT of things on the show (especially cars) are overpriced. Chrysler 200, Mustang, Camaro, Jeeps. It doesn't matter what the size of the car is, people are just going to overprice it. It's unfortunate, but that's the way it is now.
That being said, we've had a really odd rash of 1st digit free picks this season. I don't know what has caused the sudden shift in uncertainty, but it certainly has been weird.
I'll agree that "this is the contestant of today," and Alejandro is Exhibit A (or B, C ... what have you). I also understand that just like in the 1970s contestants are often nervous and unsure of themselves onstage. I've heard Pat Sajak say many times on "Wheel of Fortune" especially after a seemingly easy bonus round puzzle goes unsolved (especially when the win should have been an afterthought) that it is much easier to play the game at home than it is in front of a studio audience with the cameras rolling.
I'll also agree that many cars on the show are overpriced. Remember, these are without the discounts you see on TV or in the newspaper. (Even so, I stand by my earlier comment that the car ads should give the contestant at least an idea of what cars are more or less than $20,000, for instance.)
Why are we seeing so many first digit picks, though? Because the contestant plum does NOT know how to play the game. That's argument No. 1. Argument No. 2 was even if he doesn't know the exact price of the car, any reasonable person should know that a subcompact car (one that probably has little more than standard equipment and maybe the cheapest option package) is not $20,000-plus.
A fully loaded Sonic runs you about $22k.
The Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Subaru Forester, Jeep Compass, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, Ford Escape, Jeep Patriot (obviously), and Dodge Journey, which are all SUVs, start less than $22k.
But again, the Chevrolet Sonic on offer here was not fully loaded. The SUVs you mention are base models whose first numbers once you add in options are more than likely "2."
Again, with me playing the game, if it were a compact SUV, I'd go 2-3-4 or 3-4-5 (assuming I answer all three GP questions correctly), and leave it to logic to fill out the rest of the price. On a good playing, you'd deduce that the first number in this case is "2." (or possibly a "1" if the 3-4-5 numbers are filled in and the other number choices include an "8" or "9").
BTW as of today, Ford's website listed the base model Escape at $22,470. The crossover Dodge Journey is $18,995, but quickly goes over $20K with options. I'll stop there since I think you get the idea.
I have watched TPIR nearly every day there is a new show for the past several years, yet that does not mean I know the price of all or most items shown there. Also, what exactly defines small car? How does it look cheap? How we do know it's got a small engine?
Until you mentioned, I had no idea whether manual transmission makes a car cheaper than one with automatic transmission, or more expensive, or whether it is indifferent.
I'm not saying it was a good move to pick the first number; I'm just saying it is a good move to pick the second number.
I'm not even sure if I should continue this discussion.
I've never said I know the exact prices of most of the items on the show. (Honestly, I probably know the right prices on less than half.) But at least I have an idea that, for instance, a spa might cost anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 (depending on the size), or that a kitchen the ones they offer these days, and not the average suburban one is probably in the $6,000 range. Most trips are probably at least $7,000 with everything that is thrown in ... and I'll stop there because I think I've made my point.
As for the car argument: 1. I stand behind my "Anyone who can't tell that a Chevrolet Sonic is a subcompact car either has glaucoma or something else" statement from earlier. 2. They ought to go back to the days of Johnny Olson, who quite frequently DID tell us whether the car had a stick shift or automatic transmission, for instance. While he didn't mention the engine unless an optional one was installed, it may be a good idea to give the size and/or horsepower of the engine. It would help.
I take back my comment on "did he really think a Chevy Sonic was a $20K car?". I thought the Sonic was among the other sub-compacts like the Ford Fiesta that the average contestant today (not necessarily trap-aware LFaTs, mind you) can recognize as cheap, but I guess not.
(And I greatly fear the day when a contestant does ask for the second digit, which turns out to be something 6-9... and they put a 2 for the first digit.)
For now, only mid- and full-sized cars that have 6-9 as the second digit will have "2" as the first number. (For instance, a Ford Taurus or Chevrolet Impala, or maybe one of those loaded compact SUVs.) Unless something drastic happens overseas that causes the dollar to become worthless ... I don't think we're going to see a $27,000 Chevrolet Sonic anytime soon.
And yes, the Ford Fiesta is a subcompact, too, that can be recognized as inexpensive. (Not necessarily cheap. Inexpensive. There is a difference.)
And remember, GM has a new microcompact Chevrolet coming out thus summer the 2013 Spark, whose base price is, per Chevrolet's website, currently in the $12,000-$14,000 range for a base model, and about $15,000-$16,000 for the more deluxe version. Meaning even with a fully loaded top-of-the-line model, the Spark will likely cost less than $19,000, and the average base model will retail in the $15,000 range. Look for those cars to be offered soon on TPiR. (For now, the Ford Fiesta is the smallest car in North America.)
