Primp My Ride
by
Diane Perin Hock, as taken from her Going
To Pieces blog post .
Yesterday was all about cars. Roger, my husband, and I spent the better part
of the day test-driving, which meant actually dealing with car lot sales people.
That's always a risky enterprise. Some are just so hard to get away from.
But the day was a success. We narrowed the field down to one option, the Acura
MDX , and I'm totally in love with it (in the way women love a car,
but not in that way men love cars.)
I know, it probably doesn't seem glamorous. But when what would really work
is a mini-van, and I simply refuse to drive a minivan (it's a gut reaction
thing to those sliding doors, I think), this is a pretty fancy option (hence
the "primp" thing above!). This is sort of a cross-over between an SUV and
a luxurious station wagon, with a decent third-row seat for when I drive my
quilting friends to bay area quilt shows or haul various kids on field trips. And
look at that sunroof! I haven't had a sunroof since I was a footloose, child-free
working woman.
It was an exhausting day. It started when a fairly manic woman at the Mercury
dealership took us out for a test-drive in a Mountaineer (a fancied up Explorer)
and the battery died, leaving us stranded and requiring that someone else from
the dealership come rescue us. Roger and I had a few panicky moments when we
were trapped in the car, waiting for rescue, while the lady took the opportunity
to give us a tour of the vehicle's interior features. Yikes! We weren't impressed
by the car to begin with, and couldn't get out of that dealership fast enough
once we were finally retrieved by another salesperson (driving a Hyundai, no
less).
Then,
we came home and I spent the late afternoon and evening talking to my
dear salesmen friends at dealerships within a 150 mile radius. What's a
two-hour drive to pick up the car if you can save $50 per month on the car
payment?! By the time the wheelin' and dealin' was done, I was feeling empowered
and exhausted. Turns out our local dealer was willing to match the
best deal, so I'm headed there today to sign the papers. Gotta get those "end of the
month" papers done to get the best deals, I guess.
But I'm thrilled. Ooh, and I did I mention that this has heated seats in the
front? Highly useful here in California (!), but a thrill nonetheless.
I've put together some tips for car buying for all you ladies out there. When
I think about the process, I'd make these recommendations:
1. Test drive different cars and decide what you really like and
want before you talk any numbers with any sales person.
2. Don't let them try to get you with that "this special offer is
only good for TODAY" thing. The dealerships offer various special
offers all the time, and another will roll around soon. The trick
to remember is that you're on YOUR timeline--don't let them push you into
doing something sooner than you're really ready to.
3. Research online. Read the forums to find out what owners like
and don't like about the car you're thinking about. You get a lot of
information about features you might not even have noticed that way.
4. Figure out what you can afford.
5. When you know what you want and what you can afford (and presumably
there's some overlap!), then call around to different dealerships to see if
they can get it for you for what you want to pay. Some places say "We
don't talk numbers over the phone," but you can have various responses to that. "I'm
a mom with several kids and don't want to bring them all to hang out in your
showroom while we talk all this through" (Let them picture a bunch of wild
kids running around putting finger prints on everything.) Or "I live
far away but I'd come to your dealership to do this if the numbers are attractive.
If you can't give me any information on the phone, then I'll be calling the
dealership in X town."
6. Don't be afraid to call other dealerships to tell them what you've
been offered by another, and to ask for something better. First of all,
you're not just pitting them against each other for fun. They're looking
out for themselves and trying to get your business, and you're looking out
for YOURSELF and trying to get the best price. Second, they'll either
tell you that they CAN beat that other deal, or they can't. But I find
it works best to be specific, for example.... "The San Francisco dealer will
give this to me for $400 a month with $2000 down, but I'd buy it from you if
you can do it for "$375 a month and $2000 down." If you ask them to "match
it" then that's all they'll do. If you ask them to "beat the deal" they'll
maybe shave a few dollars off. Ask for what you want, and they will either
say "yes" or they'll offer you something in between. And if you reach
a set of numbers that you like and are willing to commit to, ask 1) Has the
sales manager/finance guy approved this offer? (that prevents you from
getting there and being told "oops, the sales manager wouldn't approve such
a low deal) and 2) Does this deal reflect all of the costs, there won't be
any licensing/registration/delivery/acquisition/tax/other amounts added? Try
to make sure that this REALLY is what you'd be signing for.
7. Once you have narrowed it down on the phone and go to the dealership to
sign the deal, don't be afraid to insist that they stick to what they told
you on the phone. If they try to add new figures (watch out for them
adding "tax" which can amount to a LOT) then don't be afraid to walk away. They
are either trying to bluff you and add a bit extra, or they're sloppy with
their numbers and maybe you don't want to do business with them anyway. Or
it truly was a misunderstanding, but they'll just have to "eat" their mistake
because you were clear about the offer you were accepting.
8. Don't feel obligated to pay for or accept "options" that have been
added to the car when you didn't want them. Let's say you want a white
car with the basic options. The only white one they have has an upgraded
stereo system that they want to charge you for. Say "I really don't care
about the upgraded stereo so I don't want to pay extra for it" -- they'll either
find you a car for the price you want, or not charge you for that option. Don't
get sucked into paying for something you didn't want in the first place just
because they put it on there.
Diane is a 40-something wife, mom, quilter, lawyer, and avid reader. She
juggles these roles and more, and tries to keep smiling as she drops a ball
or two every now and again. You can see her thought on her Going
To Pieces blog.
©2006 AskPatty.com, Inc.
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