Hi. I recently discovered the forum (A great forum! I knew there had to be 500e fanatics congregated on the web somewhere ). I've been thinking about buying a 500e (actually I'm planning on it, the question is whether or not it will be my next car). The overheating talk scares me, though. Right now, I live in Yuma, Arizona, where temperatures like 116F aren't at all rare in the summer and running the AC is necessary for much of the year. I've read about most of the cooling mods, but I would be leery of a car I'd have to modify just to get by here. Does anyone have or know someone with 500E experience in the desert? Palm Springs and the Phoenix area would be similar (but slightly cooler) operating environments. Does the C36 present similar problems? I am thinking about that one, too, but I think I'd rather have the 500e.

Another question. I notice Edmunds and even KBB prices are way lower than 500e prices on Autotrader and in newspapers (even considering the difference between asking price and the selling price). According to Edmunds, a 92 in outstanding condition with 40k mi. should go for under $21K. Are they just making these numbers up, or are they more for real than the asking prices would suggest?

Finally, has anyone noticed a nice 500e for sale in San Diego, Palm Springs, Phoenix or Tucson?

Thanks.