The First Post!
- Must be a manual transmission. No compromises here. No "Select-a-shift," Switchable automatic, or CVT's. If I am going to drive a vehicle every day, I may as well have fun doing it.
- Good MPG. This is the reason I'm selling the truck.
- 5 door hatchback or wagon. This isn't a requirement, but I LOVE WAGONS! Not the old station wagons that our parents rode in, but the new, modern, styled cars available today. Wagons give you the storage space of a crossover or SUV with the MPG and driving characteristics of a car!
- If I can't have 5 doors, I at least need 4! I reckon that there is an eternal punishment awaiting me for the number of people I have crammed into the back of my tiny extended cab pickup.
This weekend brought me back to Idaho, to clean out and prepare my truck for sale, and also to search for a new vehicle of choice. I'll cut to the chase, and let you know that I didn't settle on a car. However, I learned some lessons.
- If you call about a "like new" Mini Cooper that is listed at $6,000, and he tells you that everybody has been offering him $3000, RED FLAG! Don't expect much.
- If you tell a salesman that their Subaru Outback needs new struts, and they ask you what struts are, RED FLAG!
- If you test drive a car from a shady dealer, and it breaks down on you two miles from the dealership, RED FLAG! You may find yourself riding in a silver Audi, driven by a Russian man who doesn't speak English, wondering if you are going to be "disposed of" for breaking the man's car.
- Finally, if you can't afford something, it doesn't matter how much you want it.
What is my takeaway from this experience? First, I'm glad I take pride in the Vehicles I own. People can tell when a vehicle has been taken care of. Next, patience is a virtue. I patiently waited for the right vehicle when I bought my truck. It lasted five years, and still has many more left! I need to apply this same patience in all parts of my life! Choosing my next car, choosing my career path, even choosing a wife! Patience and wise thinking pays off!
I figure that it is fitting to end with a picture me and my Dad sitting on a dead Subaru Outback Baja, waiting to be killed by the Russian Mafia.
I figure that it is fitting to end with a picture me and my Dad sitting on a dead Subaru Outback Baja, waiting to be killed by the Russian Mafia.
Patience is certainly a virtue I need to work on. It is often difficult to keep a perspective that looks to the future, rather than how I feel right here, right now. Our society continually makes now the priority, rather than working hard now and benefiting in the end, which creates very sticky situations for us in all aspects of our lives. It is no wonder there are so many addictions these days, because we have decided to appease every want now, and forget about needs we will have in the future. Good luck with patience and the car!
ReplyDeletePreston, car shopping is so hard! I drive a little Nissan Murano and I am so attached to it. I worked at a car dealership this summer and every time I tried something new I just never liked it as much as my Nissan. With all the perks that I could have gotten it would have been way more practical and a better investment for me to get a different car but it's so hard! I like your RED FLAGS I definitely came in contact with a couple of those this summer. They also made me laugh. I hope that you find a car that fits all of your criteria. It is so hard to be patient. Good luck!
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