Car Shopping Part I....by Lisa

Jo and I have been on hiatus. It’s been a busy summer, as we knew it would be, and time flies like the roll of toilet paper.

So, it’s time to shop for a car. Cue dreary music. There’s so much trepidation in this type of shopping, I think because of the cost of the item, and worse, the negative feelings toward car salesmen. And of course, the fear, or is it certainty, that one will pay more than a fair price when the deal is done. I think I’ve captured it!

So I went to CarMax a few Saturdays ago, because I’m not too keen on any kind of shopping, and I thought it would be most efficient to go to where I could drive a number of different cars in one stop. The salesman was a very nice young man, and I drove the Nissan Murano, the Toyota Rav4, and the Honda CRV. I wanted to drive the Ford Escape, and there was one on the lot, but by the time we got to it, it was sold. I liked all 3 cars, although two had black interiors, and I definitely don’t want that. And all 3 were a little above the price I was hoping for—and CarMax doesn’t negotiate.

Fast forward to last weekend. First I went to Lexus, and really liked a used Acura RDX I drove there. Zoom zoom zoom went the turbo—the car was really quick and fun to drive, but alas, it had 94,000 miles on it and for the price, I don’t think so. Then I went to the local Ford dealership and drove the Escape. I really like the outside but I didn’t like the inside, which is where I spend at least an hour a day, most days more. Did I mention that I’m ruined by years of driving a luxury car? When I drove my current car off the lot in 2004, I knew instantly that the next car would be a difficult choice—is there any going back?

So last Friday, I went to Toyota, since I decided I really don’t care for the look of the CRV. Notice the theme here—too bad looks are so important. Can I blame that on our culture? I really like the Rav4. Strange deal though—only the top model comes with factory leather, otherwise they send the car out for an aftermarket job (which is lifetime guaranteed and really nice). This particular small SUV is similar to what I currently have and I think I will be very happy with it. I’m hesitant to go back to a sedan since the accident last winter, when I was hit hard on the driver’s door by a larger SUV. No injuries but my car needed a new driver’s side to the tune of $5200.

Next task is to ask for quotes from the local dealerships, in hopes of getting a really good deal. Stay tuned for the rest of the story…