Quote:
Originally Posted by crystalworks
Has to be the purchase experience....
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I tend to keep all my vehicles way past their reasonable service lives, simply because I both hate losing them (they're like family to me...not my flesh & blood family that caused me so much grief over the years, but like a trusted sibling...as if I actually had one that was trustworthy), and I just don't want to have to go through the purchasing experience (or ordeal, depending on when & where I was buying a vehicle).
I only remember a few purchase experiences that were quick, sweet, and made me happy, without any run-arounds or the salesman or sales manager trying to screw me with add-ons, or hidden charges. My experiences were from buying both new and used, including project vehicles, and include dealing with dealerships, small used-car shops, and individuals at their homes, over a 57+ year timespan.
Pertaining to the X5: it was my only car-for-car (including trailer-for-trailer) straight-up swap, with no cash money exchanged. Totally painless, since we both got what we wanted, and we had planned for it for almost 4 years.
True,
as pointed out by my wife, I lost my shirt on what my Chevelle race car was worth in parts I had used in building it, alone (plus the car-hauler for mini-utility trailer swap, not to mention all the specialty tools & spare/expensive spare parts I threw in) as compared to the apparent low value of the high-mileage, quite used appearing (carpets & seats worn, paint faded) old truck I was getting, but I wanted it and wanted for my friend/neighbor to have my Chevelle, and to put it back on the street again. He spent money to purchase, repair & restore the running gear (for 3.5 years) before the swap, and I didn't even start or check the Chevelle for driveability, for 10 years before we pulled it out of my garage. Still, I think, overall, the swap was fair.
I did have three good purchase experiences over a 23-year period, at a local Chevy new-car dealership: first, buying my '86 S-10 from a personal friend working there, and the last two times from a young salesman, when I bought an '08 Cobalt, and seven months later, my '09 HHR Panel. Each time, I was treated well, no surprises, and in & out in a couple of hours, buying vehicles already in inventory. If I was in the market for another new Chevy, that's where I'd go first, even today.
I bought a '73 VW SuperBeetle brand-new off the showroom floor, and drove it off the floor myself, after only 45 minutes. I did have my Dad with me, so he probably kept the salesman honest (it was my first new-car purchase, so I wouldn't have known if they were trying to pull a fast one on me). I paid half-down in cash, so that probably helped.
Other new-car buying experiences weren't so memorable/favorable, as I bought a new '81 Ford Courier pickup from another friend (at a highly-advertised mega-dealership), but the sales manager was a add-on hidden fee adding son-of-a-b***h, and my friend was embarassed by subjecting me to him (he left the dealership shortly thereafter). I still bought it, but after similar bad experiences with their parts & service departments (and with another Ford dealership closer to home, later) I swore never to buy Ford again. Same with a Nissan dealership, buying a '87 Nissan Sentra for my first wife, same results, don't even mention Nissan where I can hear you, please.
I've bought mostly used cars/trucks from individuals (and five or so from side of the road used car shops); they were mostly fair, negotiable, and semi-honest about the car's condition, and I got what I paid for, mostly. One notable exception was when I was hunting for a '66 Chevelle in '94-95, I saw an ad in the paper about one I couldn't bypass, 150+ miles away. I withdrew from the bank the exact amount he wanted for it, and after confirming that that price was stiil the same, I drove there with my wife (so I could drive the Chevelle home, no trailer yet). After I examined the car (not exactly as advertised, but almost) I was about to get the bill of sale when he doubled the price, and refused to reduce it. Then he laughed, and said "if you want it, then you'll pay for it", and I knocked him out and left. Later, he called me at home, wanting his money and threatening retaliation, but I offered to meet him, but he never showed. Screw him. I used to have a temper.
Otherwise, except for the time I bought my '04 Chevy 2500HD, used, from a Hummer/Chevy dealer, I got everything I expected. The dealership swapped/stole the alloy wheels for steel ones with chrome covers, and also stole the spare tire before I picked it up, at night. The next day, when I went over it and noticed the disparities, I called a friend who did a lot of business with them, and we went up there (75 miles north) and we got them to put on 5 new tires, and the spare wheel of course, new wiper blades, oil change, detailing, full tank of gas (36 gallons), etc. in exchange (after I decided I wanted to keep the steelies, but never told them that). It pays to know someone with influence.
Overall, I like to buy cheap used vehicles for cash, possibly getting the seller to make concessions or throw in new tires (done so on five or so vehicles, to sweeten the deal), then do my own work to improve the vehicle, avoiding dealerships (stealerships is a good name, for most).
Though my wife just bought her low-mileage '14 Lexus ES350 from a retired judge (it was exactly as promised, for a good price, with brand new Michelins thrown in), I don't see any new or new-ish car purchases in my future, at 73 and retired, and with two trucks, two SUV's (one a SAV?), and a sedan for two drivers, we probably don't need/want to experience the questionably enjoyable? purchasing experience, anytime soon.