Car Buying Horrors (Patricia Potter)

Too many things to do, too little time to do it. The story of my life and, I suspect, everyone else’s.

While I’m waiting for my copy-edited manuscript to be returned to me for yet the 100th reading, I’m frantically trying to catch up with life. There’s a synopsis to be written, a garden to be planted, a trip to plan, and more drawers to be emptied. There’s neglected dogs to pamper, and a mother to tend. There’s house repairs that need to be made.

There’s a car to be purchased.

Now this is a really big deal for me, and I need recommendations, suggestions, etc.

I don’t buy a car often. In fact, my current car – a Ford Taurus --is going on fourteen years. It’s only the fourth car I’ve had (one of which was lost prematurely to fire). I don’t like buying cars. I don’t like haggling. I don’t like bargaining. I don’t like being taken as a female simpleton. And I like my car. I really, really like it. It has most of the features I want: a combination lock which is handy when you’re accustomed to losing keys and locking yourself out.

I also like its climate control (perfect), and I like the sound system, but most of all I like the way it turns on a dime. I don’t want bucket seats, and it seems all cars have bucket seats now. I don’t want the clutch on the floor. I want it near the steering wheel as it has been on my car for umpteen years.

Now I have to admit I do like some of today’s features, particularly the satellite radio, and the GPS and thigamajig thing that shows what’s behind you. I think I would like the heated and cooled seats. I like the better gas mileage.

But I’m still reluctant to give up my Taurus. It’s my buddy. It’s familiar.
It’s comfortable. It doesn’t have a dashboard like a 747. It doesn’t object to dog hair.

I was, however, going to go through with it last week. Until, I was offered a measly $750 for my beloved Taurus. An insult. I stalked out of the dealership when they made the offer, pity in their eyes.

The next one did the same, only they upped it to one thousand. I stalked out again. After all, it’s still a pretty good little car, even if the gas mileage could be improved and it smells like dog.

I would probably wait for years to buy a new car, at least until they came out with one that had an mpg of at least a hundred miles a gallon, but my family is insisting. They desperately want me to buy me a new car, whether I want one or not. They sneer at my existing one. My mother, particularly, worries herself into a frenzy whenever I drive over to the nursing home, which is every night. If I’m two minutes late, she’s frantic. She’s convinced something has happened to the car and, therefore, me. For her sake, and her sake only, I finally agreed.

So I finally said I would. I’ve been delaying it for months, though. I’m on deadline. I’m waiting for the next sale. I’m waiting for the next hybrid. I want to find the best possible gas mileage. But now I’m trapped. I promised and now I must make it good. Reluctantly.

I looked at the new Taurus. It’s much bigger, doesn’t turn on a dime and, as I said, has enough buttons to scare off an airline pilot. But what drove me off was the fact that the Ford place gave me a price for the Taurus that was $4,000 higher than the one they gave my brother for exactly the same car (he bought it; I didn’t). I could go back and insist on the same price, but I don’t trust them
(for other reasons as well.) I don't like their business practices.

I went to Toyoto, because it’s within walking distance, but they’re the ones who insulted my Taurus. This weekend, I’m going to check out some other models. Then I’ll have to steel myself to fight the good fight. I hate it because I always feel I could do just a little better. I hate the (purposeful according to a carbuying site) wait while they try to figure how much they can jack up the price. I hate to leave after they give me their “lowest” price, then call me an hour later with an even lower one. And I greatly resent the fact that the complete warranty for most of them is only 30,000 miles. It was 50,000 for my Taurus. I would have thought it would go up. Not down.

Anyway, I need all the help and suggestions I can get. I want a midsize, 'cause I love traveling and like,even more, feeling safe. What’s your favorite car? And why? And how do you haggle for the best price? I could enlist my brother, of course, but I really, really don’t want to do that. I am woman, and can certainly buy my own car. I just want to make sure I have all the tools to get the best deal.

I figure with my car buying record, this one will last forever, so all suggestions gratefully welcome.