Two weeks ago, I started a project: get a new car.
The Outback, as I’ve mentioned, was never my favorite, plus it needed a new catalytic converter. I did not want to put a thousand dollars into a car I didn’t like. I’d already dumped so much cash into that beast, goddammit.
And when I say a new car, I mean a new car. My very first new car. Yes. Nobody else’s miles. No major repairs for a few years. Low financing. (I’ve been paying 5.75% to my bank on the Outback for three years, and boy, has that chapped my ass.) So I read through the Consumer Reports magazine my dad bought me and test-drove a whole mess o’ cars:
- Mazda3 (My mom had driven a Mazda2 recently and said it didn’t accelerate.)
- Toyota Yaris
- Toyota Matrix
- Scion xD
- Honda Fit
- Honda Accord (I wasn’t planning on buying an Accord—too big—but the guy had a 5-speed on the lot that he was trying to get rid of, so I took it out for a spin.)
I had planned to drive a couple Kias and Hyundais too, but CR gave them an open black circle for reliability, and after all the intimacy with my mechanic lately, it was an orange circle or nothing for me.
Mazda3 was my fave out of all of them. Good gas mileage, SIX (6!) speeds, and cute as the dickens. I might’ve dug the Honda Fit too if they’d had a manual transmission, but apparently those are pretty hard to snag. Folks in Japan have been replacing a lot of the vehicles swept away in the tsunami with 5-speed Fits, so I couldn’t get too mad at being put on a waitlist.
But I couldn’t really wait. My inspection was coming due, and I needed to get ‘er done before spring break was over. I went back to a couple of dealerships and got some numbers. And of course they wanted to give me chump change for the trade—Mazda twice as much as Honda, but as my boss in New York used to say, double bupkis is still bupkis.
So I put up a warts-and-all ad for the Outback on Craig’s List. I noted that I had dogs with whom I had traveled in the vehicle, that one of them had chewed the inside of the hatch door, that the catalytic converter needed replacing. I priced it accordingly, listing the Kelley Blue Book value and subtracting for cosmetic damage and projected repairs. I got five or six bites, one lowball offer, and one solid, but when I took it to the solid offer’s mechanic, his machine spat out “all kinds of electrical codes” in addition to the cat con one, and the guy rescinded. Another dude lived two hours away and wanted me to meet him halfway so he could look at the car. No thanks. I decided to trade it.
Meanwhile, I talked to my friend, Z—actually, you know him already. Remember the ridiculous specimen of male beauty?; yeah, he’s my buddy now. He had recently traded his car. When I asked if they gave him a good deal, Z said, “I made them give me a good deal.” As I’ve stated, he cuts kind of an imposing figure, what with the tattoos and the muscles. I wondered aloud if he might go with me to a dealership or two. He consented gladly.
Just knowing that gave me a boost of confidence. I wasn’t going to take any bullshit. I went back to the Durham Mazda dealer by myself, and the guy upped his offer by 25%. Now we were getting somewhere, but I wasn’t sure about the color. He had only silver on the lot, and meh. I looked online and thought I liked a hue they called dolphin gray. Durham Guy said he had one coming in “any day”.
I scoped out other Mazda dealers in the area and saw that the place in Cary had a six-speed manual transmission 3 in dolphin gray, so I set up an appointment to go check it out and hauled Z along with me.
Upon in-person observation, the dolphin gray lay well on the School Marm end of the spectrum, but the graphite gray which they also had, well, that shore was purdy. The salesman was an odd combination of pushy and pansy. He tried to offer me 800 less than what Durham Guy was willing to pay, and that was after I told him what the number was! I said, “Uh, no.” Z mostly sat in silence with just one hazy emasculation of the salesman when he intimated that the guy drove a girl-colored car. Perfect.
When Pushy-Pansy scurried back to his manager, Z straightened me out on a couple things: (1) it’s worth something to have your dealer near your house, so unless Pushy-Pansy could beat, not just match, Durham Guy in the price department, you shouldn’t do it, and (2) if you’re financing at 0.9%, it doesn’t make sense to put any money down. Oh, yeah. (“Math is hard,” Barbie said.)
Pushy-Pansy was gone for a long time. I told Z my theory: they make you sit there forever, so when they finally come back, you go, “Well, I’ve already invested so much time, I might as well buy it.” I was thinking of walking out, and Z said good plan. Meanwhile, Durham Guy called to let me know he’d gotten a black one delivered, and I set the scene for him: I was at the Cary dealership, and I was really liking the graphite—ooooh.
Pushy-Pansy came back and gave the final verdict: 300 more than Durham Guy. I told him I’d think about it, and we left. Z instructed me to call Durham Guy and gave me some pointers on what to say.
So I did. I called and said, “Look, I like the graphite best, which Pushy-Pansy has, but it’s also worth something to me to have my dealership close to my house, so if you come up with another 300 bucks on the trade, I’ll come take one off your hands today.” (I actually used those words: I’ll come take one off your hands today. Ha!)
He replied without hesitation, “I can do that.”
I pulled into the lot a half-hour later, compared the silver and the black, filled out a bunch of paperwork, and voilà!
So my car payment is more than my mortgage payment. Which is not that much. (When the finance officer asked what my mortgage was and I told him, he looked startled, and then when he saw I was serious, he laughed. He laughed out loud.)
But still, it’s a lot of money for me.
And I’m totally paranoid that something’s going to happen to WHAT IS THAT LEAF DOING ON MY CAR? WHY IS EVERYBODY DRIVING LIKE A FUCKING MANIAC?
But it’s new. And I love it. And it’s mine mine mine.
(Thanks, Z!)
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely
well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it
and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post.
I’ll certainly comeback.
Awesome website you have here but I was curious if you knew of any discussion boards that cover the same topics discussed in this article?
I’d really love to be a part of online community where I can get comments from other knowledgeable people that share the same interest.
If you have any recommendations, please let me know.
Appreciate it!
Fantastic goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too wonderful.
I actually like what you have acquired here, certainly like what you’re saying and the way in which you say it.
You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it smart.
I cant wait to read much more from you. This is actually a terrific site.
If you are going for most excellent contents like myself, simply
pay a visit this website everyday for the reason that it presents
feature contents, thanks
This is a very informative post about online casinos
and betting platforms. I especially liked how
it explains the importance of choosing a secure site before signing up.
Many players often ask where they can find reliable gaming platforms with fair odds and smooth payouts.
From what I’ve seen, checking platforms like vn22vip helps
users compare features, bonuses, and overall experience.
Thanks for sharing these insights — they’re helpful for both beginners and experienced bettors.
Its such as you read my thoughts! You seem to understand so much about this, such as
you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could
do with some percent to power the message home a little bit, but other than that, that is wonderful blog.
An excellent read. I will certainly be back.
Why people still use to read news papers when in this
technological world the whole thing is existing on web?
Do you have any video of that? I’d love to find out some
additional information.
There is definately a great deal to learn about this issue.
I love all the points you have made.
My homepage; ????????????????
Excelente conteúdo! Obrigado por escrever. Mantenha publicando.
Já favoritei!
?ood day! I couhld have sworn I’ve been to this we?s?te
before buut after reading through som? off the
post I realized it’s nnew to me. Anyways, I’m definitely ha?py I found it and I’ll ?e ?ook-marking and checking back frequently!
St?p by m? blog – ???? ??????
Have you ever considered about adding a little bit more
than just your articles? I mean, what you say is important and all.
But think about if you added some great images or
video clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent
but with images and videos, this blog could certainly be one of the best in its field.
Fantastic blog!
Thank you for sharing your info. I really appreciate your efforts and I
am waiting for your further post thank you
once again.
?ith simulated exams ?ith encouraging comments, OMT develops strength ?n mathematics, cultivating love ?nd motivation for
Singapore students’ examination triumphs.
Join ?ur small-group on-site classes ?n Singapore forr tailored guidance ?n a nurturing environment that develops strong foundational mathematics abilities.
?ith students ?n Singapore ?eginning formal mathematics
education f?om d?y one and dealing with ?igh-stakes evaluations, math tuition ?rovides t?e extra edge nee?e? to achieve t?p efficiency ?n this crucial subject.
?or PSLE success, tuition p?ovides individualized assistance
t? weak a?eas, like ratio and percentage issues, avoiding typical risks t?roughout
th? exam.
Structure confidence w?th consistent tuition assistance ?s vital, as O
Levels can ?e difficult, ?nd positive students d?
fa? bett?r under stress.
Preparing fo? the changability of ? Level concerns, tuition develops
adaptive ?roblem-solving ap?roaches for real-t?me exam situations.
Distinctly, OMT enhances t?e MOE syllabus w?th a customized program including diagnostic
analyses t? customize material t? e?ch student’s
staminas.
OMT’? on the internet quizzes provide ?mmediate comments sia, ??
you can repair errors ?uickly ?nd ?ee your qualities
enhance ?ike magic.
Tuition fosters independent analytical, ?n ability extremely valued ?n Singapore’s application-based mathematics examinations.
m? web pag?: math tuition kovan
Hello there, I discovered your web site by the use of Google even as
looking for a similar matter, your website got here up, it appears to be like good.
I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hello there, simply became aware of your blog through Google,
and found that it’s really informative. I am
going to watch out for brussels. I will be grateful when you continue this in future.
A lot of people might be benefited out of your writing.
Cheers!
wonderful points altogether, you simply received a logo new reader.
What could you suggest in regards to your post that
you simply made some days in the past? Any sure?
Pretty! This has been an extremely wonderful post.
Many thanks for providing these details.
This design is incredible! You most certainly know how to keep a reader entertained.
Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well,
almost…HaHa!) Wonderful job. I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it.
Too cool!
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great.
I do not know who you are but definitely you’re going to a famous blogger if you aren’t
already ;) Cheers!
Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme of this site.
It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s difficult to
get that “perfect balance” between user friendliness and visual appearance.
I must say you have done a superb job with this.
Additionally, the blog loads super quick for me on Opera. Excellent Blog!
This is the perfect site for anyone who would like to understand this topic.
You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually
would want to…HaHa). You certainly put
a new spin on a topic that’s been discussed for a long time.
Great stuff, just wonderful!
I don’t even understand how I finished up here, however I assumed this post was great.
I do not realize who you’re but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you
happen to aren’t already. Cheers!
I am not sure where you are getting your information, but good topic.
I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more.
Thanks for magnificent info I was looking for this info for my mission.
It’s difficult to find knowledgeable people in this particular subject, but you seem like you know what you’re talking about!
Thanks
Outstanding post but I was wondering if you
could write a litte more on this topic? I’d be very grateful
if you could elaborate a little bit further. Bless you! https://lga2011narrow.blogspot.com
I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your weblog.
Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility issues?
A couple of my blog audience have complained about my blog not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Opera.
Do you have any solutions to help fix this problem?
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest
but your sites really nice, keep it up! I’ll go
ahead and bookmark your website to come back down the road.
Cheers
?? ???????? ?? ?????? ?????? — https://kizdar-vhod.online/ ?????? ???????? ???????.
????????? ???????? ?? ???????: ?????? — ???????? ????? https://kizdar-vhod.online/ ?????? ?? ???????? !
You can certainly see your enthusiasm in the work you write.
The sector hopes for more passionate writers such as you who are not
afraid to mention how they believe. All the time go after your heart.
Great beat ! I would like to apprentice even as you amend your website, how
could i subscribe for a blog web site? The account helped me a appropriate deal.
I were a little bit familiar of this your broadcast provided vibrant clear concept
Hi there I am so thrilled I found your site, I really found you by error, while I
was browsing on Yahoo for something else, Anyways
I am here now and would just like to say
cheers for a marvelous post and a all round thrilling blog
(I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read through it all
at the minute but I have book-marked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have
time I will be back to read a lot more, Please do keep up the fantastic job.
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter
updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was
hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like
this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading
your blog and I look forward to your new updates.
Great article! That is the type of information that are meant
to be shared around the web. Shame on Google for now not positioning this
put up upper! Come on over and talk over with my website .
Thank you =)
What a material of un-ambiguity and preserveness of valuable know-how concerning unpredicted emotions.
What’s up to every , as I am actually keen of reading this blog’s post to be updated
daily. It includes good material.
hello there and thank you for your info – I have definitely picked up something new from right here.
I did however expertise a few technical points using this site, since I experienced to reload the site many times previous to I could get it to load correctly.
I had been wondering if your web hosting is OK? Not that I am
complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will sometimes affect your placement in google and could damage
your high-quality score if ads and marketing with Adwords.
Well I am adding this RSS to my email and could look out for much more of your respective intriguing content.
Ensure that you update this again very soon.
This is my first time visit at here and i am really pleassant to read everthing at
alone place.
Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and
I am impressed! Extremely helpful info specially the final part
:) I take care of such information much. I used to be looking for this particular information for
a very long time. Thanks and best of luck.
Pretty! This was an incredibly wonderful article. Thanks for supplying this
info.
I have been browsing online more than 2 hours today,
yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me.
In my opinion, if all web owners and bloggers made good content as you did,
the internet will be much more useful than ever before.
I am not sure where you’re getting your information, but
good topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more.
Thanks for excellent info I was looking for this info for my mission.
I got this website from my pal who told me concerning this site and now
this time I am browsing this website and reading very informative content at this place.
Excellent blog here! Additionally your web site
lots up fast! What host are you the use
of? Can I am getting your affiliate hyperlink in your host?
I wish my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
For hottest information you have to visit the web and on world-wide-web
I found this web page as a most excellent site for most up-to-date
updates.
Discover efficient solutions designed for users who want to sell bitcoin in india.
Check out Kaizenaire.c?m, hailed as Singapore’? leading s?stem for compiling
t?e most popular deals and promotions from t?p
business.
In th? shopper’s place of Singapore, locals’ love f?r promotions tu?ns e?ery deal into a popular victory.
Joining publication ?lubs cultivates conversations ?mongst literary Singaporeans, and kee? in mind t? stay upgraded ?n Singapore’?
newest promotions ?nd shopping deals.
Guardian ?ffers pharmacy ?nd individual care items, valued ?y Singaporeans f?r their practical wellness services ?nd
promotions.
JTC produces commercial ?reas and organization parks
lor, appreciated ?y Singaporeans f?r fostering development
and economic centers leh.
Heap Seng Leong preserves vintage kopitiam vibes ?ith butter kopi, favored ?? nostalgics fo? unchanged practices.
Why wait lor, ?ump ont? Kaizenaire.com si?.
my pag? :: promo singapore
Kaizenaire.com curates promotions f?om Singapore’s cherished brands easily.
Singaporeans’ deal-savvy nature radiates ?n Singapore, t?e shopping heaven offering promotions
?t e?ery turn.
Video gaming online ?ith global buddies ?s a contemporary
pastime f?r tech-savvy Singaporeans, and keep in mind
to ?emain updated on Singapore’s newest promotions and shopping deals.
SP ?roup takes care ?f electrical power ?nd gas utilities,
valued ?y Singaporeans f?r thei sustainable energy options ?nd efficient solution distribution.
Decathlon ?ffers economical sports devices ?nd garments
mah, favored ?? Singaporeans fo? their selection ?n exterior ?nd fitness items ?ia.
Nanyang ?ld Coffee liven ?p w?th durable Nanyang kopi, loved f?r heritage brews ?nd straightforward
kaya toast.
Wah, confirm ?ia, ideal promotions ?n Kaizenaire.com lor.
Ha?? a l??k ?t my website – amazonia promotions
I have been surfing on-line greater than 3 hours nowadays, yet I by no means
found any attention-grabbing article like yours. It
is lovely value enough for me. In my opinion, if all website owners
and bloggers made good content material as you did, the net
will probably be much more helpful than ever before.
What’s Going down i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve discovered It positively useful and it has helped me out loads.
I hope to contribute & aid other users like its helped me.
Good job.