Anyone Ever Had a "Terrific" Car-Buying Experience?

Consumer Reports has dedicated entire issues to telling people how to buy cars. From reading several of those articles, here’s the gist of the CR way to buy a car.

Conduct no less than eight hours of research to ascertain what sort of interest rate you qualify for, how big a monthly payment you can swing and what your trade-in is worth.

With that “basic” research out of the way, you may now begin narrowing your choices. Start by reading the annual car issue and paying special attention to the recommended models. Now, go test drive all of the models in your price range, taking careful notes along the way. Be sure to list positives and negatives.

Take a week to ruminate on those test drive results. At the end of that week, host a live debate with your spouse in front of friends and family where you each argue for your top choice. Be sure to serve cookies and punch at said debate.

At this point, you are ready to speak with a salesman. Negotiate the purchase price of the car. Once a mason has chiseled the agreed-upon price into stone, bring up the fact that you have a car to trade in. Under no circumstances should you negotiate both at the same time.

We bought a Subaru Forester from Ballwin's Dean Team on Manchester. If you go, ask for Keith Strickland. Our vehicle was a victim of "lot damage" (someone backed it into a building). Keith got it repaired and knocked a chunk off the price for the inconvenience. We also appreciated his low-pressure, candid demeanor.

Once you’ve agreed upon the terms of the trade-in, which should be triple checked with Kelley Blue Book, you may submit the three independent financing offers you obtained nearly a month ago. Now, let the dealership compete for your financing business.

If everything is in order, you may sign the papers. Be sure to maintain a scowl during the signing process, or else risk being fast talked into an extended warranty.

The Reality

Here’s how we bought our first car.

Me: I don’t know that our Jeep is reliable anymore.

Tiffany: Maybe we should look for a new car.

Me: There’s a Nissan dealer.

Tiffany: I do like that black one up front.

Boom! We bought a black Nissan Sentra, which we still own to this day. In all honesty, we lucked out. It’s been a reliable car, albeit with a few minor problems.

The best part of the new car -- LATCH anchors! Our last car didn't have these. They make car seat installation much easier and more secure. 

I resolved to avoid an impulse buy with our next automobile. We did, sort of.

Again, we came to the conclusion that one of our current cars was less than reliable. Here’s what we did right.

1. We got pre-approved for a loan prior to looking at any cars.
2. We did the research and concluded we wanted a small crossover SUV: specifically a Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester or Honda CR-V.
3. We looked up our trade-in’s value before going to the dealer. We also negotiated the car’s purchase price separate from the trade-in’s value.
4. At the end of the day, we were well within our monthly payment limits, while keeping the loan terms favorable.

Still, I feel we could have done some things better. Find me one man who claims to be completely satisfied with a past car-buying experience and I’ll introduce you to a huge liar.

1. A little more research revealed a model we should have given a serious look – Mazda’s CX-5.
2. We should have insisted upon connecting one of our phones to the car’s audio system via Bluetooth. Hands-free was a big item on our list. I think the system could be more user-friendly.
3. We ended up buying the car the same day we test drove it. While a week might be a bit much, I think waiting a day or two to think it over is a pretty good idea. Judging by the amount of follow-up calls I've received from the dealerships we didn't buy the car from, I'm betting the price might drop if you "sleep on it."

Well, there’s always next time. In the meantime, the new Subaru has told me it would prefer I stop washing my hair and start wearing Teva sandals year round. I also need to save up for a kayak and bicycle.

What's In Your Garage?

In the wake of Winter Storm Q, I gazed out the window to see numerous cars up and down our suburban street, all with several inches of ice and snow piled atop their windshields.

My neighbors all have a garage. Like mine, it will fit two, albeit small-to-medium-size, cars. Why then, are the streets littered with compact sedans covered with ice? In short, because these folks have elected to fill their garage space with something other than their car(s).

I counted 9 cars on the street. That's minus the trucks, which don't fit in our tiny garages.

What on earth are you storing in your garage that’s worth more to you than your car? Glad you asked. Here’s what my neighbors value more than their automobiles.

One family has elected to place a couch in their garage. I’m not sure if they’re using it as a bonus room. If so, it would be one cold/hot bonus room. If not, I’d value the couch at around $500. Much less than the late-model Camry that’s sitting under two inches of ice. Oh, they also have an amazing Air Jordan cardboard cutout from the 90s. I can understand why you’d want to protect that sort of memorabilia.

Our next-door neighbor keeps a large assortment of lawn equipment in his garage. It’s a bit ironic as he enjoys watching his grass top ankle-height in the summer before breaking it out. Since he’s not keeping an assortment of antique, restored lawn tractors, I’d value his collection at a maximum of $2,500. Again, much less than the Toyota and Volkswagen sitting in the driveway.

The folks across the street take the cake. They don’t like going outside to empty the trash. So, they store their trash can (alongside a massive supply of Coke) in the garage. Yes, they value their trash over their new Honda Accord. Serenity now!

Here's John's garage. Though he gets a pass because he just moved.

If you’re keeping your car on the street, take a moment and consider that decision. It’s out in the open to the sun, sleet and wind. Kids on bicycles (maybe even kids just off their training wheels) probably pass it daily in the summer. Do you shower it with grass clippings (and potential rocks)? Assuming you have a garage, what are you prioritizing over your car?

I cannot think of anything that, economically, should be stored over a car in a garage. Well, maybe a restored Space Invaders cabinet over a rusty old IROC-Z. And, if you’re hanging onto an old IROC, you don’t rock.