So, I got Pam fixed again. It was a painful penny. Many pennies, in fact. After my mechanic broke the news to me about the bill, he had some other news to break. I love my mechanic. I am so lucky to have found him. He doesn't try to give me services I don't need, he's never overcharged me for anything, and he is kind enough to level with me, despite the fact that I'm female.
And so he dispensed his advice to me a couple days ago. In summation, he said, "Sharon, for the kind of driving you do, you need to get rid of this car. You need a Honda CR-V or something like it that can handle the canyon every day. Trade Pam in at a dealership and get a new 2007 so you get a slightly cheaper, new car. And then you'll have a warranty for a couple years, should anything come up. And buy at the end of this month."
WHAT!?!?! Do you KNOW that that Honda CR-V costs over $20,000? Because I've been looking, and they cost AT LEAST that much. And the one that I want, which would have leather seats, would undoubtedly cost a lot more than that. Hello!
But, you know he's right. I just keep thinking that it would be more affordable if I could wait even 8 months. In actuality, that's not true, because I'm not going to be any richer in 8 months. I'll probably be poorer and Pam will be a few thousand miles farther along on her death march. AH! Besides, I could probably get a $0 down for 12 months deal, which would make the amount of money I have today compared to 8 months from now very inconsequential.
But I really don't want to go into debt for a car. I could foot a good chunk of the bill, but not all. And I really wasn't saving my money for a car. It was for the studio! I don't want to use it for a car! I have a hard enough time as it is catering to my expensive taste on a nonprofit manager's budget without having to buy new cars all the time. Honestly!
What a quandary. Any advice? Car preferences? I also thought about a Toyota RAV4. Male keeps telling me they're both small cars. And he makes it sound like a bad thing. Can anyone recommend a better option?
Taking into consideration I've been driving a VW Beetle for the last 5+ years, which is slightly larger than my VW Rabbit I drove before that, I have a hard time understanding what Male means my "small". To me, that's a WHOLE LOT OF ROOM! I'd have four whole doors! Four! Count 'em! And I could seat 5 whole people, as opposed to 2 people and two mini-people without heads in the back.
To be honest, I've wanted to have a roomier, more substantial car for a while (and I wouldn't mind if it had leather seats... that were heated.... and a moonroof.:)) So, I start to get all excited about it at first. But the cost involved in getting it just makes me sick to my stomach. So does working with a car dealer. So does the thought of selling Pam. And so does a monthly payment. Maybe April would be a better time.....
3 comments:
That's great that you have a mechanic who you can trust and will tell it to you straight. I agree that you need a more substantial car that can handle your driving needs but since I've been out of the car market for a few years now I have no car advice. But I do think getting out of a sinking ship sooner than later is always the best course of action. Good luck!
Do it sooner rather than later...I am a HUGE Honda Element fan (the green one), if I could afford a new car, it would be that. My SIL bought a Scion xb and they are fans of it - apparently it is highly rated in Consumer Reports and costs around $14,000. Just some ideas...good luck!
check out Transwest Auto. We have bought at least two cars from them and have always been very satisfied. My car is from there. They take totaled cars, fix them up and sell them. They are always having different cars, but if you lucked out and they had just what you needed, you'd be sure to have a deal on a good car. Just look on line, they list all their cars on their site. Call me if you have other questions.
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