We don't know about you, but what we're looking forward to about retirement is the discounts.  Early Bird Specials at the Waffle House, Senior Wednesday at the grocery store, Employee Pricing on the Hemi-powered Dodge Ram 2500 Power Wagon Quad Cab 4X4.  AARP members get all the good stuff.

Wait a minute -- what?

That's right.  The automaker who brought you the Viper and a bunch of cars named with firearm lingo has joined Denny's and Walgreen's.  It's offering Senior Discounts.

Autoblog Explains, "Dodge is seeking card-carrying AARP members (it's $12.50 per year, in case you need to join). Presenting a valid AARP card at the time of sale will get you 'Employee Pricing' (or better) on all 2008 and 2009 Dodge vehicles except the Sprinter, Challenger, and Viper SRT 10 ACR models."

Dodge's Web site says the discount can't be combined with most other incentive programs, plus there is a $200 fee to participate, and it expires Jan. 2.

We mock playfully, but the truth is that AARP now accepts members as young as 50 -- making this offer a decent one for more than 30 million Americans.  There are so many good deals on the market right now, and Dodge is selling so few cars, that you might be able to beat the employee price simply by haggling with the dealer for a few minutes.  But apparently an AARP card in your pocket is yet another negotiating tool buyers can use in this market, and that's good news for many buyers. 

But we had planned on buying a Challenger SRT8 for our golden years, so it might not do us any good.  Maybe when things get so bad in the U.S. that Dodge dealers start offering buy-one-get-one-free deals they do in Europe, we can talk to our local dealer about that muscle car...

Dodge's AARP discount is just one of many ways automakers are working to attract your business now.  Research the best car deals for November with U.S. News' car rankings and reviews.