I hate car buying

this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this

 

That just seems like too much work for me. Time is money, too.

Has anybody ever used AAA's car buying service? I assume it works pretty much like the old auto broker service I used to buy a Toyota Supra back in the late 80s. Tell 'em what you want, as specifically as possible. They look for the car --- as close to your parameters as possible --- make the deal, and give you the price. You either say yes or no.

 

My dad buys vehicles over the phone.

When I was in high school he bought a 1990 Geo Metro for me and my sister to use. It was stick shift, 1.0 engine with no AC and No radio. And it was maroon.

He didn't care. It met his needs and price. He bought his his truck and a last two cars the same way.

It seems - around here anyway - the majority of car dealers are no going to the no-haggle, one-price sales platform.

 

What are you going to do now the Rangers are no longer made?
I had to upsize to F-150.

 

By my track record, I won't need another truck until about 2022. I'm sure by then Ford will be making a small truck again. I've had an 87, 2000 and now my 2011. By the time I trade again, we'll have flying trucks ... where we're going, we don't need roads!

 

Be interesting to see what the mid-size truck market will be like. Chevy is re-introducing the Colorado later this year. But by mid-size, I mean as big as a early 1990s Silverado. I miss my little S-10 sometimes.

 

Costco has a car buying option that is supposed to be a good value.

 

This is why I'm glad my dad works for a Chevy dealership.

When I bought my Cobalt in late 2006, I went to a dealership ran by someone my dad used to work for. He said he'd sell me a 2006 Cobalt with 15K miles on it for $15,000. I went up the road where my dad works, told them who I was and that my dad worked for them. My cost was cut by more than half to $7,000.

I've gone and looked at other cars, mainly because I'm tired of my Cobalt, and all of them would be sold to me for far less than what some other person could get it for. It pays to have connections.

 

I'm actually car-hunting for a "real" car (read: not a beater) for myself for the first time in my life.

Bought a 2-year-old car back in 1998, the first time I ever set foot at a dealership. Bought the ex a 2-year-old minivan several years ago, with the understanding that the next nice vehicle would be mine. Then the divorce.

I've driven beaters pretty much my whole adult life. It is surreal to think that I'm now in a position where I can set foot at a dealership again. Even better, my new bride is a former dealer and knows WAAAAAY more about used cars that I ever did. She is a tremendous blessing in more ways than one.

After spending my reporting days amid cheeseburger wrappers in small beaters, I'm ready for an SUV. Nothing major -- a 6-cylinder that looks sporty but drives economical. Just tired of "not being seen" or being bullied because I'm in a little Civic.

Fell in love with an overpriced Kia Sportage. Have been talked out of Jeep Liberty. It's a bit exciting, but I agree with King. It's stressful and a pain in the butt. I'll be glad when the hunting is over.

 

what talked you out of a Jeep Liberty?

I took a test drive in one today and I liked it.

And buying a car is a huge ass pain.

 

I love the look of the Liberty, but the seats were not cloth, and were already splitting.

I also didn't like the view from the driver's seat -- it seemed like the windshield was too small and the frame between windshield and side window was directly in my line of sight.

My wife warned me that they were rough riding. I didn't intend on the knobby tires, so I didn't think that would be an issue. But she also said they're uncomfortable on long drives.

 

If you wish to seek and/or drive an SUV, that's your prerogative, but don't make that the reason you have issues with driving a Civic.

Being a bully on the road has nothing to do with the size vehicle you drive. If you move up to an SUV, plan on paying more for insurance, more for gasoline and needing some time to adjust to driving a clearly different classification of vehicle.

I'll let 'em know I'm there, smaller vehicle and all. The horn works well, and the accelerator and brakes get me past them in a hurry or allow me to place my vehicle somewhere else.

Best of luck … let us know how it goes.