So the other day I went to the Saturn Dealer to find out about a USED 2008 Saturn Outlook that had 18,000 miles on it. We have a 2005 Saturn Relay that we purchased in November 2004. We had to buy a vehicle because my mini van was totalled in an accident a week before. Because we were not prepared to have to make such a major purchase we ended up doing the worst thing we could have done at the time. We bought a NEW vehicle and finacned it for 6 years. What were we thinking? Well, I did really like Relay. It was most definately the base model but came with power windows, locks, ABS and DVD that my old 1998 minivan didn't have any of. So we made it work. The kids loved it, I loved it, and still really enjoy it.
Well, now that the Relay has over 70,000 miles and is over 3 years old we thought we would look at a newer vehicle. My husband said as long as our monthly payments stay about the same AND the vehicle is the same size or larger then go for it. I personally wanted it to be the same gas milage as the van or better. We really like Saturns. Besides the Relay, we also are the original owners of a 1996 Saturn SL, that has over 250,000 miles on it and still gets my husband to the bus stop every morning (3.4 miles round trip) with the occasional drive into work (about 40 miles round trip). The AC doesn't work and it is power NOTHING, not even power steering or power breaks. But it still works pretty good considering it is 12 yrs old and has a lot of miles.
So I took myself and the kids to the Saturn dealer. My husband absolutely hates dealing with car dealers and I personally like doing it. I have no problem walking away from a deal and I don't mind haggling with them. I am open and honest from the begining. So, I make the deal and he signs the papers. I get to the dealer and get out of my van and look at the Outlook. Of course someone comes out to "help" me. She tells me she is going to get the key and then takes it to a shady part of the lot (it was only 100 degrees outside at the time). I am not the kind of person that dilly-dallies. She starts to tell me about the "special features" like the "Onstar" I immediately stopped her and let her know that my van had FREE Onstar for the first year and I personally find it USELESS. I never even used the free 100 satellite minutes I got, never knew the vans phone number. It was just completely useless. I actually let her know how annoyed I was that Onstar would call me twice a month for over the first year trying to get me to subscribe.
Then she says "well it has airbags"
My reply "EVERY CAR HAS AIRBAGS NOW!"
She started to laugh.
I told her "Lets just cut to the chase. I will pay $22,000 out the door for this Outlook and give you my van in trade but you have to pay it off."
And then it starts. She says she has to ask her manager blah blah blah. So then she has me sign some papers and we take the Outlook for a test drive. While we are doing that they look at my van.
Did I mention I have 3 destructive boys? I have scratches down the side of my van from where my son has taken his bike and scrapped it along side of it with his metal handlebars. I have a crack in the windsheild (which I can ge get fixed for free), there are plastic pieces missing from the back seats (not hampering the seat at all, they just covered metal pieces), one seat is removed and all the accessories are not in it-though I still have them. But the one thing that really kind of started all this is a dial that broke off. This dial is actually the dial that controls where the heat/air is going. Like defrost, at your feet, in your face, whatever that controller is called. The dial can not be fixed it has to be replaced. You can't just replace this dial the whole controller display has to be replaced. Replacment will cost $500 FOR A FREAKIN DIAL! If I could find a used one that would be great. But of course I have a vehicle that there are not that many of and I can't find a used AC/Heater Display console for my 2005 Saturn Relay!
So after we come back from the test drive I go in and sit down. Now we play the "waiting game" of course before they were in a meeting so no one could do diddly. I am now forced to just sit there. Well, little do they know, I have absolutely no problem just sitting there staring at the ceiling with just my thoughts. About 15 minutes later they come out and ask my down payment. I told her I don't know if he really wanted to put anything down. Well as it turns out my van is only worth $6000 and the pay off is over $11,200, so of course they want me to come up with $5000 for "down payment" which is really -payoff of the van. I let her know that that is not going to work. SO then after some more debating that takes another 10 minutes they are willing to give me $7500 but I have to come up with $6000 for the down payment, and for some reason they think I will pay LIST on the USED vehicle! Then I was encouraged to find out what my down payment could be. Which I knew it was ZERO! So I told them sorry, no deal and left.
There isn't really anything "wrong" with the van engine wise. I have no problem driving it around. Of course she tried to call me that night...then I got an email 2 days later. I let her know, about 30 seconds after I left the place I figured out that I would actually be paying $1000 MORE than list after all was said and done (no that doesn't include interest or anything).
So I guess the car dealers around here are not "desperate" to sell an SUV like I had heard on the radio and TV. They certainly were not making me any kind of a deal.
Well, now that the Relay has over 70,000 miles and is over 3 years old we thought we would look at a newer vehicle. My husband said as long as our monthly payments stay about the same AND the vehicle is the same size or larger then go for it. I personally wanted it to be the same gas milage as the van or better. We really like Saturns. Besides the Relay, we also are the original owners of a 1996 Saturn SL, that has over 250,000 miles on it and still gets my husband to the bus stop every morning (3.4 miles round trip) with the occasional drive into work (about 40 miles round trip). The AC doesn't work and it is power NOTHING, not even power steering or power breaks. But it still works pretty good considering it is 12 yrs old and has a lot of miles.
So I took myself and the kids to the Saturn dealer. My husband absolutely hates dealing with car dealers and I personally like doing it. I have no problem walking away from a deal and I don't mind haggling with them. I am open and honest from the begining. So, I make the deal and he signs the papers. I get to the dealer and get out of my van and look at the Outlook. Of course someone comes out to "help" me. She tells me she is going to get the key and then takes it to a shady part of the lot (it was only 100 degrees outside at the time). I am not the kind of person that dilly-dallies. She starts to tell me about the "special features" like the "Onstar" I immediately stopped her and let her know that my van had FREE Onstar for the first year and I personally find it USELESS. I never even used the free 100 satellite minutes I got, never knew the vans phone number. It was just completely useless. I actually let her know how annoyed I was that Onstar would call me twice a month for over the first year trying to get me to subscribe.
Then she says "well it has airbags"
My reply "EVERY CAR HAS AIRBAGS NOW!"
She started to laugh.
I told her "Lets just cut to the chase. I will pay $22,000 out the door for this Outlook and give you my van in trade but you have to pay it off."
And then it starts. She says she has to ask her manager blah blah blah. So then she has me sign some papers and we take the Outlook for a test drive. While we are doing that they look at my van.
Did I mention I have 3 destructive boys? I have scratches down the side of my van from where my son has taken his bike and scrapped it along side of it with his metal handlebars. I have a crack in the windsheild (which I can ge get fixed for free), there are plastic pieces missing from the back seats (not hampering the seat at all, they just covered metal pieces), one seat is removed and all the accessories are not in it-though I still have them. But the one thing that really kind of started all this is a dial that broke off. This dial is actually the dial that controls where the heat/air is going. Like defrost, at your feet, in your face, whatever that controller is called. The dial can not be fixed it has to be replaced. You can't just replace this dial the whole controller display has to be replaced. Replacment will cost $500 FOR A FREAKIN DIAL! If I could find a used one that would be great. But of course I have a vehicle that there are not that many of and I can't find a used AC/Heater Display console for my 2005 Saturn Relay!
So after we come back from the test drive I go in and sit down. Now we play the "waiting game" of course before they were in a meeting so no one could do diddly. I am now forced to just sit there. Well, little do they know, I have absolutely no problem just sitting there staring at the ceiling with just my thoughts. About 15 minutes later they come out and ask my down payment. I told her I don't know if he really wanted to put anything down. Well as it turns out my van is only worth $6000 and the pay off is over $11,200, so of course they want me to come up with $5000 for "down payment" which is really -payoff of the van. I let her know that that is not going to work. SO then after some more debating that takes another 10 minutes they are willing to give me $7500 but I have to come up with $6000 for the down payment, and for some reason they think I will pay LIST on the USED vehicle! Then I was encouraged to find out what my down payment could be. Which I knew it was ZERO! So I told them sorry, no deal and left.
There isn't really anything "wrong" with the van engine wise. I have no problem driving it around. Of course she tried to call me that night...then I got an email 2 days later. I let her know, about 30 seconds after I left the place I figured out that I would actually be paying $1000 MORE than list after all was said and done (no that doesn't include interest or anything).
So I guess the car dealers around here are not "desperate" to sell an SUV like I had heard on the radio and TV. They certainly were not making me any kind of a deal.
1 comment:
I am going to need you to go with me when I buy a new car. I think you will be a better wingman in this regard than my husband-to-be.
Post a Comment