Nightmares in car buying:
We headed to the dealer Hubby's sister had recommended, to look at the Rav4 the dealer was putting a new motor in. We pull in, he says, "I'm sorry, the motor's still in Salt Lake! But I can probably have it done by Tuesday." We told him that we had to find a car today, because the next couple of months were going to be buy with medical stuff. So we took the Honda CRV he had out for a test drive.
It didn't even make it to the repair shop where we had an appointment for an inspection. It lost power three-quarters of the way there, then nearly all the warning lights came on. We pulled into a grocery store parking lot, called the dealer, and told him to have someone come pick us up. So we finally get back to him and to our car, and he says with a sickly smile, "So I guess I lost that sale, huh?" We politely told him we might get back with him later, then went to one of the bigger used car dealers in the state.
Sure, there's a nice building with lots of salesfolk around, all of which has to be paid for, but there was also paperwork to show legal responsibility for things, and we had to sign some stuff to say we wouldn't get stupid with the car on the test drive, as opposed to a smiling person just handing us keys and saying "Go have fun." Perhaps there is a markup to pay for the building and sales force and all that, but there's also the fact that they don't want to have junk sold under their name. They're only as big as they are because they have a reputation.
The guy at the inspection shop pointed out that the little dealerships get the cars that the big dealers don't want to handle, the dregs of the stuff out of the car auctions.
So we're currently looking at a '96 Jeep Cherokee that drives pretty well and carries the marks of honest wear instead of being suspiciously well polished.
I just want a car that will get me to work and won't leave me stranded somewhere and that I can trust to get Hubby to a doctor when needs be.