Car buying

I settled on a Chevy Trax ( I still have the truck).  My motivation was the potential for the Nissan CVT, with 155,000 miles, to break down in nowhere and leave me stranded. At the age of 25 this would not be a concern. In my uppers 70s, it could be exciting. So realizing that I now drive 3000 miles a year instead of 50000, I went for basic.

Anyway I had a a Dr appointment, so I went to the big city. The dealer there gave me much more for my trade in and the price on the Trax was much less than the local place. Then there was a problem.  Anyway, they wanted me to secure the car with my credit card……BUT they really couldn’t give me the bottom line price.  So, I kept my credit card and told them to call me when they figured out the bottom line.

The next morning they called and wanted me to drive another 160 mile round trip to discuss the price.  Of course, I was confused as to why they could not tell me on the phone.  Well, they really couldn’t come up with a reason, so the salesman finally named the named the price ….odd even with the trade in being subtracted , the price jumped by $7000.00.  I guess closing costs can be a bitch.

My local dealer turned out having the lowest bottom line.  As for the Trax, the ride quality feels a little like a late 60s VW Bug.  It is certainly more stable when a semi goes by.  For my first trip, it says it got 42 mpg.  For the curious, engine noise wise, there is no indication it is a 3cyl engine.

Edit: Just made a 60 mile trip.  MPG was 49.6.  

I went to pick up a new truck one time, turned out it had options I didn't ask for, and the price was adjusted accordingly. I basically asked, do you want the check or not? Price was adjusted back to the agreed amount and I drove it home.

My mom told the story of when my granddad bought his fist car somewhere around 1920 if I remember right.  Similar situation, price was three dollars above previously agreed. My granddad's response was, "kids get back in the buggy". Price went back down then too.  

Yah, dealers have some creative options to ring in buyers.

One of our friend got roped into the "You can just take the car home and try it out."  Later he found that the paperwork he signed to take the car home for a test was the real thing.

I always ask for an out the door price.  And pay cash.

I'm glad things work out for you with the local dealer.

I have also done the "Dealer A gave me this price so can you do better" strategy ...

John , I concur , at 25 a dead car was merely motivation to practice my well honed hitchhiking skills

Good vehicle choice, it seems  You would have been a crafty horse trader in the 1800s
( I love my used Honda fit, as you like hojr Trax,, over my latest 7000 mile test, mix of city and highway, I got 46mpg, very basic 1.5liter model)

Hi Rico,

Actually, I am very much a straight talking negotiator.   I ask for the price, and that is the one I assume is meant. My local dealer knows my approach.   Many years ago he caught on when I bought from someone else. He asked me why I didn’t come back to him with the lower offer …he could have beat it.  I told him that when he told me that was his lowest possible offer, I assumed he was telling the truth.   He learned quickly.  

Heaven preserve us from descending into the car buying snake pit! It's freaking Mad Max.

The biggest shenanigan around here is financing. Sure, you can negotiate a price on a vehicle. But then they insist/pressure you to take financing. Often they will hold up the sale unless you sign on. They will require you to sign a document that requires you to pay a big fee if you pay off the financing early. Guess where they make their money! Bloody scoundrels.

Hi Douglas,

I didn’t attempt to get into the financing part.  I knew the Big City guy was off and running when he told me the bank they used didn’t require a credit check. I suppose that b3cause I was trading in a 10 year old car he assumed my credit was bad.

Hi Rico,

While I am not a hyper-miler, I do seem to get better mpg than the average person. With my 6cyl Chevy truck I regularly pull over 30 mpg on the highway.  It is amazing what anticipating stops, turns, etc will do for mpg.  

I have learned to dislike CVTs.  While they do seem to get better mpg with standard driving, I find that a regular transmission can be beneficially used to take mpg well beyond the norm. For whatever reason, I have found it much more difficult to get significantly better mpg out of a CVT.

A good reason to like traditional automatic transmissions.
CVT's cost significantly more to rebuild or replace than a standard automatic tranny.
When you think about it, there is a whole lot to be said for the simplicity of a standard transmission.
Of course, there is the added personal satisfaction of watching young folks back away from a stick shift car as if it might bite them.
Imagine their confusion if they looked at a three-on-the-tree car...  

…and kids don’t steal stick shifts….they don’t know how to drive them.  The Trax, of course, has a non CvT auto.

Yes, the Nissan CVT has a rep for breaking down beyond 150,000.  It also costs about $6000.00 to replace.  The math added up to deal with it now.

This is going to sound facetious, but this system has really worked for our car buying experiences.
It involves checking the salesman's footwear.  Not sure how it might work if the salesperson is female though.   So, if he's wearing up to the minute pointy toed and very shiny shoes - forget it, likely to be the slick sort - mile a minute talker, oozing sincerity etc. You get the picture.  If paired with tight pants, look out!
Boots, either elastic sided or lace up, then you could be onto a winner. We have purchased 3 vehicles now using this system, and it has proved invaluable.   I guess buyer beware, really does work.

Hi Jill,

This reminds me of the rules of used car buying. Hit the buttons on the radio. Avoid  heavy metal and buy classical.  Frankly, I never tried it. There are too many other options.

For what is worth, mixed driving involving round trip distances of 60 miles  coupled with in town trips to multiple stores involving stop lights, stop signs, railroad crossings, and crazy drivers consistently results in mpg of 48 to 53 mpg.  

In town results in around 35 mpg. This would be driving to a community of 3000 that is about 7 miles away and making multiple stops.   My driving is pretty much over for the month as far as the Trax is concerned.

I dont usually buy many new vehicles, but years ago, 1988 i think,  I was looking at getting a toyota dyna, twin cab about a 2.0L engine for my business.
Great vehicle, it has a 2.4L motor now.
Dealer who was a customer said I will organise a good deal, his staff said best price is X, I went somewhere else, without haggle that dealer said x mnus y.
The original chap saw my new truck and mentioned he had not seen the order go through,
I mentioned what happened and added that the price was so keen I got two.
He choked and later mentioned I had taught him a lesson!

For whatever it is worth, I am regularly pulling over 50 mpg out of the Trax. Yesterday I got over 53 on a 30 mile drive. I mention  this because the pro reviews list much lower mpg.

On the negative side, the seats were designed by a sadist. Yep, the pro reviews praise them.  My experience is they are great for 30 miles.  At 60 miles I a need of a lumbar support pillow.  At 80 miles the seat feels hard as a rock. Fortunately, when I bought the car, I planned to use it 30 mile one way drives. Also, I am 6’3” and 230 lb.   So, I might be taking the seats to their limit.  My wife has no problem with them.

Having a vehicle with comfortable seats is a must.

My outback has comfortable seats and so did my Toyota corolla.

For some reason the drivers seat of the outback is programmed to fold back when getting into the car.

Anne Miller wrote:Having a vehicle with comfortable seats is a must.

My outback has comfortable seats and so did my Toyota corolla.

For some reason the drivers seat of the outback is programmed to fold back when getting into the car.

Because of chronic back ailments and having read some years ago that Toyota had worked extensively with orthopedic professionals in seat design, I've tended to use these as rentals for long trips.  Personal comparison between Toyotas and other cars largely has born out this notion.  Glad to hear that Subaru does a decent job as well with comfort as I'm looking into a possible EV purchase in that brand that would complement our other vehicles. Waiting for the bugs to be worked out of the software which has been noted on owner forums.