Number Guy's car is getting kinda, well, not to put too fine an edge on it, old. It just passed its eleventh birthday and, like us humans, it isn't exactly the same unit that rolled off the assembly line anymore. Aside from the normal wear and tear of a car in its second decade of life, there some somewhat more major items requiring repair all of a sudden. For example, the front suspension is making some interesting clunking noises and when the door locks engage one hears a rather impressive grinding noise which rather resembles the sound of the starter protesting when one attempts to "start" an already running car.
This is the point at which one begins to wonder whether it would be better to repair the current vehicle or to invest in a new one. I know, it seems pretty much like a no-brainer. Old car facing major repair bills usually means replace me now. The thing is, his car has only about 52,000 miles on it. He uses it for getting to and from work and band practice. For family driving and long trips, we take the minivan, which has more comfortable child-seating arrangements and a DVD player.
On a whim, we went to visit a couple of dealerships this morning. Since we are very early in the data-gathering phase, not knowing for certain whether we are repairing or purchasing, we decided to go for the cool factor in our test drives. First up, the Mini Cooper.
This was quite the posh dealership. The franchisee itself is brand-new and the building was custom-built. The had complimentary bagels and coffee available and the paper towels in the bathroom were actually neatly folded microfiber napkins. No loud air dryers or cheap c-fold paper towels for them.
We took out a convertible and the sales guy climbed into the backseat next to the Neatnik and her booster seat. He spent the entire test drive backseat driving. Told us exactly where we were allowed to take the car on the test drive and described for us, in great detail, how a turn signal works. We were rather stressed by the time we returned to the car lot and I was glad to be away from there.
Final assessment of the car? You are paying for the Bond-esque cool factor and not much else.
Next up was a trip to the Jeep dealer. The salesman photocopied Number Guy's driver's license, slapped a temporary plate on the back, and said, "See ya soon". He even waved.
If you have ever driven a truck, you have an idea of how a Jeep feels. There's quite a bit of "play" in the steering wheel and you are really high up off the road. We tooled along a bit and then Number Guy pulled over on a residential side street so that we could execute a Chinese fire drill. While I was adjusting the seat, a guy in a red Jeep passed going the other way. He slowed way down, pointed at the window stickers and gave me the biggest grin and a thumbs up. It's a Jeep thing, I guess. Washed the sour taste from the Mini test drive right out of my mouth.
Final assessment of the Jeep? Loads of fun to drive and great if you want to go off-road but not very practical with respect to gas mileage. Yes, you are paying for cool factor here, too, but you get much more other stuff for your dollar. And way more cool.
Updated, Sunday, June 19th, 9:25am The Jeep sales guy called us later in the afternoon to personally thank us again for test driving.
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Ebook Giveaway: Last Stop by Lou Harper
3 hours ago
8 yarns:
The Jeep guy gets major points for the callback!
I have to say I love my 1997 car, which has 76,000 miles on it. Every time I have it in the dealership for work, they give me a free loaner to drive - obviously trying to entice me to switch from my little 1997 to a spiffy 2011! The things is, they'd have better luck if they put me in a certified used vehicle, 'cos no way could I afford a 2011 beemer! (And I'm not buying a new car ever again - too stressful waiting for the first ding...)
I got a new car two years ago in July...I LOVE it, but the salesman was also a backseat driver and quite annoying....but I still love my car! Fully loaded and just fun to drive...it's a Mazda 3 - 5 door...never thought of looking at Mazdas, until FIL suggested it...
I drove a 2000 Volvo until last year (about 150K miles on it). The a/c was shot and with the heat in Virginia last summer, the drive to work was untenable. And the repair bill would have been what the car was worth. So we looked and looked and drove and drove and finally settle on a 2011 Subaru Outback 3.6R (fully loaded). I *love* it! It's comfortable to drive and it takes regular unleaded. the gas mileage is comparable to the Volvo (almost 30 mpg highway). That's impressive for an AWD car.
The nav system is...um...interesting and I haven't tried playing a DVD (which works when only when stopped), but other than the weird nav system, it's a nice car. I highly recommend test driving one.
Teri S, when grandma was looking for a new car a year or so ago, she called to ask me what kind of car I would buy if I was in the market. I suggested the Subaru Outback. Sure enough, she bought one that very same day :o)
one year ago, my "new" (2008, I bought in 2009)Saturn Vue was seizing up on the highway. Not cool. Dealer couldn't find the problem, but they could replicate it. After the 3rd time, I picked it up (fixed) and drove to a Subaru dealer and traded it in for a 2010 Forrester. AWD, moon/sunroof, good backseat, great pickup and great mpgs. Not a cheap car, but like the jeep, when other "subies" see me, they wave! One of the highest "re-ownership" cars behind Toyota. :) I loved the Honda Pilot, but the salesperson let me drive 2 miles (and "no highway! i'm not getting on the pike with a broad!") and then was like "it's $32k, with $2k for your trade (what?)-- you want me to get the paperwork?"
Car shopping is such an experiance! Good luck and keep us posted.
I bought a cool car once. it was fun...for about five minutes and then I realized that there was not a chance in heck of me being able to drive it in the snow. Not my finest hour...
Love the Jeep dealer for the service they gave. :)
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