My new car

We bought a car yesterday!  After doing some test driving this week, we narrowed it down to one car that we thought would be worth making an offer on.  At the last minute we decided to make our starting offer lower than what we had planned and in the end we ended up paying about $250 less than what we expected to pay if the dealership was willing to work with us.

The car we bought is a 2005 Nissan Altima 3.5S.  I have to say that it is not exactly what I expected to end up getting, but we are hoping that it will be a good, long lasting, reliable car.  Last week I drove an Altima, a Malibu, a Sonata, an Equinox and a Mazda 6.  After that, I decided that the Altima, Malibu and Sonata were worth a second look.  The Sonata was ruled out when we found out it had been in an accident, and on second look there were a lot more body dings than we realized at first, plus my father-in-law spotted some oil leaks which caused a definite end to our interest in that car.  I have to say that I did really like the Malibu.  I really like the look of the car, and the interior was really nice, and it had some fun options.  However, it would have needed new tires within a year, had some pretty noticeable dings on the body as well as some 'bubbling' on the rims that looked like rust that had been painted over (though I am not sure why aluminum rims would be rusting....), so in the end we had to say no to that car.

The Altima that we ended up buying has the 3.5L V6 engine that you don't see much in these cars.  I think you might see them more in the sporty Altima coupes that you see on occasion, but most of the sedans are 2.5 4cyl which I read were definitely powerful enough, but I have never driven a car with power like this Altima.  It has a few pretty minor body dings, the interior is in beautiful shape and the tires should last at least a couple more years.  The only two down sides to the car, that are fairly minor in the scheme of things, are the colour (a light metallic green and a tan interior) and the lack of fun options.  It has the basic air/tilt/cruise, power windows/locks but beyond that, there is not much to speak of.  However, I have to say I am happy that it has auto headlights.  My last two cars have had that, and I REALLY appreciate not having to think about turning my headlights on or off, and you don't have to worry about leaving them on by accident.

Since I feel a little bit like it looks like an old lady's car, we might try to dress it up with a bit of window tint and some inexpensive aluminum wheels.  But we'll see!  :)

That was easy

After spending the afternoon on Wednesday washing and cleaning the inside of my car, I posted an ad for it on Kijiji Wednesday evening and it was sold last night.  I have to say I feel a little bit sad to say goodbye to my car.  I am breathing a sigh of relief, as the rust was a real concern, and I know it was the right decision.  I think why I feel sad has more to do with the fact that I am sure it is going to be driven into the ground by the person who purchased it.  I had to cringe a little when I handed over the key last night for him to start it, and they cranked it and held it a little too long so there was some grinding/squealing.  Then they revved the heck out of the engine, which seemed unnecessary.  I let them take it for a test drive, and who knows what they were doing with it while they were gone.  However, since they paid me, I need to not care how it is driven.

Now comes the task to get out and do a bunch of test driving and figure out what I would like to drive.  Then try to find something that falls within our price range.  I am really not sure what I would like, but am hoping to narrow it down with some test drives in the next week.  I hope to find a car that we will keep for years to come.

What to do?

I am back to feeling confused as to what to do about this whole car thing.  I haven't put my car up for sale yet because I still need to clean it (inside and out) and every time I drive past the car wash, since the roads have been dry enough, there are at least ten cars waiting and I don't feel like waiting in line for an hour.  I notice that it looks like the rust is spreading.  I know that we aren't in some huge rush to get rid of it, but if it's disintegrating before our eyes, I would prefer not to be left with a heap of rusted metal and whatnot that is worth nothing.  

I still plan to clean it up and post an ad.  I am planning to be honest in the ad.  At least mention the fact that the car came from Ontario and that it has some rust.  I think I would rather mention it than have people show up and not be prepared for it.  I hope that we can pawn it off on some young person who doesn't know any better, but has a little bit of money...mwahaha.  I have a feeling that if we tried to trade it in that we wouldn't get much because of the rust.  Looking on Canadian Black Book's website, the price range for a trade in, not taking the rust into account is $6300-7500.  

I know that I can't keep the car.  I think that even if we invested money into fixing it that we would do our best to get rid of it ASAP because the rust would likely come back.  I have also read that cars from places like Ontario tend to start rusting in pretty dangerous places on the undercarriage, so we haven't even looked at that at all.  Who knows what is going on under there.  

So I guess at this point we cut our losses and try to get rid of it, whether it's a private sale, or a trade in.  I have literally spent hours looking at used cars online in the last couple of months.  I have not found anything that felt right just yet.  I can't believe how many kilometers some cars have and yet they still have really high prices.  These are not set in stone, but I would like to find something that it is newer than 2007 with a low number of kms (no more than 10-15,000/year) for around $15,000.  I think I would like something a bit bigger than what I have now, maybe a full size sedan instead of a compact.  It has to have an automatic transmission with a minimum of air/tilt/cruise, ABS and maybe power windows/locks.  I am always open to more fun options, but I certainly don't need them.  I think the only thing that would make me really second guess a great vehicle, and maybe this seems silly, is colour.  I REALLY don't want a silver or a gold/tan coloured vehicle.  I am not too picky otherwise.  And I would take silver over gold/tan.  I think I would have to say absolutely no to a gold/tan vehicle.  Maybe unless it was free...but my money is not going to pay for a gold car!  

Two more weeks!

Tomorrow it will be two weeks until I am done at Pacific Avenue!  I don't think it has all sunk in entirely yet.  I still wonder what it will feel like to welcome my clients into my home and work here.  My office is pretty well ready to go.  I am planning to send out letters to my clients next week.  I have the envelopes addressed and ready to go, all 85 of them.  Just need to buy some stamps!  I already have 4 clients booked in at home for my first week!

I called today to apply for a debit/credit machine.  It is with a company called Elavon and it is through Costco.  You have to be a Costco member to access this service and it is significantly less expensive than some of the other companies that provide card processing.  One of my former classmates uses a terminal from them in her home office and said it's very convenient.

I don't feel like I have a ton of other stuff to do right now.  However, I will be heading down to Regina on February 24-26 for a course and the MTAS AGM.  I am hoping that it will look after the rest of the continuing education credits I need to get before the end of October this year.  Then the weekend after that, Jay and I are heading to Edmonton for a four day weekend.  I am really looking forward to going to Ikea and maybe shopping for some clothes as well as eating at some fun restaurants that we don't have in Saskatoon.  I have a feeling that the weekend after that I will be so happy to be at home, and relax and take it easy :)

I have also been trying to educate myself and research what sort of vehicle I would like to get if we can sell my car.  I am really coming up empty.  There is a certain price range that we are wanting to stick with and I have just changed my mind so many times already.  I thought I wanted a small SUV, but I just think they are pretty much out of that price range.  I had thought about different cars, but I don't necessarily want to end up with something that is almost identical to what I have now.  I think I wouldn't mind something a little bigger with maybe a little more Oooomph.  I think I would like to have a vehicle that is a step up from what I have now.  Something that rides a little smoother and has comfy seats.  But I really don't know what would be best.  I find myself feeling biased against domestic vehicles after driving a Mazda and occasionally the Toyota.  I am sure there are some great domestic vehicles, it just seems like anything that is sort of youthful and fun are imports.  But maybe, now that I am 31 I don't need to drive something youthful.  It's good that we aren't in a rush, because I just don't think there is much out there right now that thrills me.  

Decision

I have decided that I am going to put my car up for sale at the beginning of March once I am working at home and it won't be as pressing if I don't have a car for a little while.  I have been keeping an eye on used vehicles in the last couple of weeks and have come away feeling more confused.  At first I was thinking I might like a small SUV, but apparently small SUVs are rather out of my price range.  The only thing I have found that seems like it might be doable is a 2006 Honda CR-V that is for sale in Swift Current.  I am not going to rush into anything, but possibly if it is still for sale once my car has sold, we might consider going to take a closer look at it.  Other than that, I like the idea of a Subaru, but again, I think most of them are out of my price range.

So if you know anyone who is looking for a small car that is good on gas with low kms send them my way!

Dilemma

I like my car.  It is good on gas, and it typically gets me where I am going with a minimal amount of hassle.  I even think my car is nice looking.  I like it's pretty blue colour.

About a year ago I noticed a small spot of rust just behind the rear wheel well on the driver's side.  Over the last year it has grown quite a bit.  Now the rust has bubbled up from underneath and it is starting on the other side as well.  A few months ago I went to an auto body shop just to ask about the cost of having it fixed.  I was told that because the rust was all the way through the metal, that the rust would have to be cut out and they would have to weld in a new piece of metal and paint, etc.  All to the tune of about $2500.  That sounded crazy at the time! 

So after a quick trip to the Mazda dealership today, we found out that our used car came from Ontario (though we were both pretty sure that we were told Alberta when we bought it...).  So basically we are stuck with a prematurely rusting car due to the fact that they like to use a lot of salt on the roads in Ontario.

So here's the dilemma.  Do we sell the car and get what we can for it while the rust is still fairly minimal.  Or do I drive it until it won't go anymore and it is worth nothing, then start over?  I am not sure what we could get for a trade in value for it.  I don't know how much this bit of rust would be a detriment to the value.  Or would we be able to get a decent dollar for it if we try to sell it privately.  I know that if I were looking to buy a car I don't think I would be too thrilled with a car that is showing signs of rust.  Especially a car that is only 7 years old.  Ugh!  I had also thought about fixing the rust then getting rid of the car, because then we might be able to get a decent value.  Though I am not sure we would regain the value lost because of the rust, if we were to fix it.  *sigh*  Any thoughts?

A New (used) Car!

Just about a week after we made the deal on this car, it is ours. I didn't drive much today, just to work and home then out to get some gas. I am still getting a feel for the car but so far it feels good to drive. I have been browsing through the owner's manual just looking to see if I can learn about the features the car offers. The driver's seat has a few more adjustments than I am used to, but I think I have them figured out now. I also learned that the car has a telescoping steering wheel and rain sensing windshield wipers. I look forward to driving this car around the city and hopefully taking Jay for some cruises. I am interested to see how far it will go on a tank of gas. My hope is at least fifty kilometers more than the Grand Am did. I am so glad that I have a husband who likes to do funky photography. No boring snapshots for this car! :)

Fare Thee Well Grand Am

Last night Jay and I headed over to a nearby parking lot to immortalize the car that we have owned for a little over four years. It is a 1998 Pontiac Grand Am GT that we purchased in 2005 for me. It has been a good car. Until now, it has not required any major repairs (just one frustrating water leak, and one ABS sensor). We always said we would keep it until it started costing us money. So now it is time to say goodbye to a car that has served me well in the last four years. Fare thee well Grand Am. I hope that your next owner will treat you well and that you will be cruising around Saskatoon for years to come.

Newest Addition

We bought a car today! It was quite an easy process and in the end we paid only a hundred dollars more than we had potentially envisioned spending. We did decide to trade in my Grand Am and even did pretty well with the value we got for it. We dealt with Rob Paterson over at Ens Toyota and he was a decent guy. He has been selling cars for 21 years and he made everything feel quite smooth. I can only imagine some of the people he deals with. It reminds me of when we were trying to sell our condo privately and this older woman came in and had a thorough look around then I could totally see a change her in demeanor and she put on her 'bargaining face'. She started throwing numbers around and all we could say was "If you would like to make an offer you have to fill out an offer form." She never made an offer. I can only imagine the demeanor of some people who go onto car lots, though I am sure there are still a number of the car salesmen out there who have given the entire profession a bad reputation.

Anyway, getting back to the important part... My new car is a 2005 Mazda 3 GT. It has 33,000kms on it. It is a pretty blue. Automatic transmission (though it has a manual mode on the shifter). CD Player. ABS. Keyless entry. Sunroof. Air/Tilt/Cruise. 2.3L 4-cylinder engine with DOHC (very peppy!). Tinted windows. I am sure there are more specs I could give, but it's a pretty car, and once I actually get it (next Tuesday or Wednesday, I was told) I am sure Jay will take some pictures, or I can take some snapshots at least to post. I think it will be a fun car to drive and I am getting pretty excited to get it.

Buying a Car

It is an interesting process. So much psychology involved, or so it seems. I have been looking up some articles online about the best way to negotiate a good price on a car you want. Most of the websites I have found will say, no matter what happens, don't be afraid to walk away from a car. As soon as the dealer knows that you want a car REALLY bad, they will use it to their advantage. Do not become emotionally attached to a vehicle that you want.

That is what I am telling myself tonight. I found a car I REALLY like today. It has low mileage on it, not a bad price (a bit higher than we were hoping to spend), and it felt very nice today on the test drive. I took Jay back tonight to show him the car, and he agreed that it is a nice looking car. We are hoping to go back to the dealership tomorrow evening and hopefully hammer out a deal that is to our liking. That is the part that scares me. Maybe not scares me, but intimidates me. I am pretty sure if I wasn't married and wanting to buy a car I would find a trusted male friend/family member to take along and do the haggling for me. I have never been good at dickering. Even when I go to a garage sale, I see a price tag on something and expect to pay that price. I know that car dealerships expect people to dicker. I know that the asking price is the most they expect to get for the car. It is not actually the value of the car. Of course they need to make some money on the deal, but I believe they have a lot more wiggle room than they like us to believe.

One of my coworkers was telling me the other day that she has gone as far as to take a car for a test drive and drive it on to a different car lot and tell the sales man there that the other guys would give her this car for $xxxx, how much are you willing to drop your price on a comparable car? I think that takes more guts than I have. One of the tactics that I read about for negotiating was shopping around at other lots and finding comparable cars with lower prices. The problem I am having is that most cars I have found while shopping have significantly higher kms than this one does or fewer options. It is hard to find something entirely comparable with a lower price than what this car is set at. The other thing they said is to make sure you find out what the actual value of the vehicle is. I managed to find a site called VMR Canadian Used Car Prices. When I entered the particular car I am looking at, with the features that it has, it was only about $700 more at the dealership than that website said it should be worth at this point. So I hope we are able to talk them down a little bit at least. I don't want to walk away from this car, but it is just a car, and there are other cars.

Test Drive

I went for some test drives this morning. I went back to Wheaton and decided to test drive a 2005 Chev Cobalt SS, a 2005 Chev Malibu Maxx, and a 2006 Pontiac G6 Base. I have only ever test driven my current car, so it was an interesting experience. The car salesman that we talked to briefly yesterday asked me if I wanted to go by myself or if I wanted him to come along. I figured, he might as well come along because he might be able to point out some features that I was unaware of.

When I test drove my Grand Am, the salesman was a young very chatty guy. I don't know if I even really had the chance to learn too much about the car. It seemed like the drive route was very short, and I felt very nervous. This morning things felt much more laid back. Maybe it's because I am four years older and wiser. I think it also helped that the salesman was about my parents age and was fairly quiet during the drive. Only pointing out a few different things in the cars.

I took the Cobalt out first. The Cobalt SS is the version with the most bells and whistles. I have to say I wasn't that thrilled. I didn't expect to be, I had a bit of prejudice against them to begin with, but wanted to give them an honest try. Someone we know drives one and swears it's an awesome car, and maybe for her it is. I found in the 10 minute or so test drive that the seat got quite uncomfortable fairly quickly. I found that I am used to a V6 engine, and though the 2.4L 4-cylinder engine was quite peppy it just felt like it was straining a bit to get up to freeway speed. I also found that the suspension felt very stiff and we hit some bumpy places along the way that felt pretty rough in that car. I don't think it's a terrible car, but for the cost I would not choose it. Maybe in a few years once the price drops it would make a good starter car for a young person.

Second I took the Malibu Maxx. The Maxx is their higher end version with a good number of options. I right away felt that the seat was quite a bit more comfortable. The acceleration with the 3.5L V6 was very nice. It was a smooth ride. I have never driven a hatchback before and I felt like I was driving a very large car (even though it's not much bigger than my Grand Am) because the back window was so much further back. The back window was quite small and the rear visibility felt a little limited. One of the options that this particular one comes with is a built in DVD player in the back seat. I guess I would have to start going on road trips with more kids if I got that one ;) It was an interesting shade of green, sort of a silvery, mossy green. I don't love it, but I don't think I can afford to be picky about colours.

Last, I took the Pontiac G6 Base. When I heard it was a base model I was sort of skeptical. However it had a good number of options for a base model. The one thing it didn't have that concerned me a fair bit was ABS. I thought that they were as standard as daytime running lights, apparently not. I would say that right away it felt quite comfortable. The G6 was Pontiac's replacement for the Grand Am. It definitely felt much newer, but it felt a lot more similar to my car. It has the 2.4L 4-cylinder engine, which is not my preference but like in the Cobalt it was quite peppy. The suspension felt much smoother. I noticed when I went to get out of the car that I really had to duck my head to avoid hitting it on the door frame. Good thing I am not taller or I don't know if I would fit in that car. It's not that it's so small, it just seemed like I was sitting up fairly tall in that car.

I did not buy a car today. I do however like both the Malibu and the G6. I would be interested to try test driving a G6 with a V6 engine to compare how it feels. I was VERY impressed with the amount of cargo space in the Malibu Maxx. I think I could probably put Jay's wheelchair in the back without taking the wheels off. Also the back seats fold down and I am sure there is enough room in there to put a queen sized mattress. Haha, maybe not quite, but it is very spacious. Not sure how easily Jason could get into the passenger seat of that car, but if he could we could pack a month's worth of stuff and drive to Hawaii. Okay maybe not, but maybe we could drive to Vancouver at least ;)