NEW ESPERANZAAlex McKinney sat in the passenger seat of his car case workers, his case was employed by Mrs Breaks chatting but Alex was not listening to anything she said, she had lost in his thoughts and trying to hide tears that threatened to fall. Just a month ago who had lost their parents in a car accident, could not understand why he died and lived “I was in the same accident” thought “They died and I was about to die myself so why do I live and did not! “He was taken to hospital with four broken ribs, a broken wrist and a leg in a bad state. She was covered with deep cuts and bruises, but he overcame. She had an older brother but could not take it for a while she had been in state care and was being placed in foster care until his brother could llevarla.El buggy pulled by a small, quiet road that was lined with huge trees of leaves, Alex looked elpaso by the houses and the spinning motion made the visit of the horrible accident flash before his eyes, she winced as the sound of the painful cries of his parents, a tear slid down the face, but she quickly walked away. “Alex, are you listening?” Mrs. voice came Breaks, without looking at Alex said: “No, sorry, was not” sighed Mrs. switch “he was saying you have to overcome this shyness of yours if you do then people will think you is just not interested in them and even more so to arrive at your new home you want to put all the new clothes you just bought for your luggage “Alex, he glanced into the back seat and saw that the bags were piled ropa.sintió buying a twinge of fear at the thought of living with strangers. She was very shy and found it very hard to get to know people and now his head was submerged in a sea of people who could not, she cried all night because I was so scared, but there was nothing I could do so she just put on his face was white and silent with él.Ella was trying now to stop hands from shaking because she was so nervous, but every time I went to loosen your muscles she starts to tremble nuevo.Sacaron a long paved road with a large yard, there was a white two-story house with a big porch swing. In the garage was a van of mine and a blue car. The knot in the stomach of Alex clenched her feel bad. She looked in the mirror that was on the visor, black once your long black hair was already short boy, it had to be cut after the accident and had a deep scratch in his right eye to the chin and around it was yellowing bruise. His deep black eyes were red around the edge of tears and her skin was white normally cheerful lady screamed with excitement nieve.La Breaks “We are here, is not it a beautiful home?” Alex has not responded to it just go out and went to the back and began to push their new clothes and shoes to their bags, being careful not to put too much pressure on his cast on his wrist was broken. His leg was still hurt pretty bad, but was lucky that was not broken, but had a knee brace that made him cojeando.Escapadas the lady got out and approached the house, returned with a man and a woman The man was half the average weight and height, had blue eyes a nice smile and laughter, with a loud booming voice. The woman was slim with dark hair and eyes, had a quiet voice and a smile amable.-Alex, these are the Forester “The man held out his hand and said with a smile” Call me Ben, Alex, shook hand lightly, “And this is my wife Jasmin,” smiled Alex. “We will let you put things in order,” said Mrs. Breaker two distancia.Alex leader, saw them leave after we go back to I was doing, a few minutes someone leaned against the car door, Alex looked up and saw it was a girl with golden blonde hair and beautiful green eyes, which had a nice tan with a wonderful smile, “Hi, Beth Danes “” Alex murmured Alex McKinney, who finished with their bags and pulled out of the car, he did not expect to be so heavy, stumbled a bit and Beth reached up to take the plaster hand bag, not wanting to Alex avoided to play Beth. After her parents died she was afraid that everything felt so avoiding contact as he could. Beth was stunned for a second, but then smiled “Let me help you” She took the bag and took Alex to Alex’s house casa.En saw that there was a large room with two sofas and a recliner with a coffee table front of the sofa and big screen TV in the corner was a short corridor leading to the kitchen and stairs case leading to the second planta.En the sofa was a boy Alex’s age and another girl sitting on reclinable.Ben chair smiled as he left a room next to the doorway, the door was a sign that said “Office, asking permission before entering.” Breaker Mrs. handed a file with him stood in front of Alex “I have to go now but I’ll be back in a week to see you,” Alex shook his head, his hands started shaking again and had she was doing a headache dolorosos.La lady gave him a smile then switch to the left, Ben cleared his throat to draw attention to “Come and meet other” Beth sat beside the boy and one girl leaned forward “I’m Trish udders and the way things work here is like this, high and why we are here and our goals, then you tell us about” Ben tried to break, but continued “I’m here because my parents could control me and my goal is to get out of here, there is Beth and she was taken away from her parents and is not meant to be a do good, “Before I could speak for the boy who took the word” I’m Gabe and I I’m here because my parents run the house and my goal is to get the new car you want for Christmas “Beth laughed and stared with eyes Trish Gabe error. Trish had curly brown hair and dull blue, which had a dark tan that was for her and grinned, his blue and white stripped shirt was difficult for her and so were his jeans desteñidos.Alex saw that Gabe was high then his natural brown hair splashed with blonde high lights, had a light tan and seemed to work a bit, had a beautiful smile with mischievous eyes and a silence verdes.Hubo each was her eyes, she hoped her face did not was as red as it seemed “Well, you will not tell us why you’re here?” said Trish abruptly, Alex turned his angry eyes dark now Trish “No, I’m not” Trish stood up and looked at Alex mockingly “All told you why we were here, so I think it’s fair to notify us, “Alex smiled slightly” So far the only voice I hear is yours “Trish face turned red and was about to say something, but Ben broke in, “she has to say if she does not want Beth to show him his room please” “Sure,” said Beth, got up and grabbed one of the sacks and led the way to the eyes, spent a quarter of three bedrooms bathroom and then came to another one at the end of the room “This is going to be yours, mine and Trish are on the other side and Gabe is right next to you. Oh and by the way I have 16 Gabe is 17 and is almost 17 Trish “Beth opened the door and walked in. Alex was a nice room with only a bed and a toilet in it, had a window overlooking the front yard. Beth put the bag beside the bed and sat down “How old are you?” “I am… I have 16-Alex, said in a voice off, there was an awkward silence, then Beth got up and said,” Dinner will be soon, “the izquierda.Después then closed the door and she was over Alex sat on the bed and moved right, whatever his nervousness and fear made her tremble all the more difficult. After a while, got a hold of his car and began to slowly put the clothes and things in the closet, a closet that she had put all their coats and shoes in. In the bottom of her purse was found the large yellow envelope was holding things parents of the accident, she looked for a minute and then put the bag in the back of the cupboard, leaving the envelope in it. He put all his stuff and after a while there was a light knock on the door and stuck the head of Beth in “Dinner’s ready” Alex sat on the bed facing the wall “I have hunger” Beth shrugged “You have to eat. . . the rules of their “Alex glanced over his shoulder at Beth turned” As I said, no thank you I have no hunger “After Beth left, Alex, went to sit with his back against the door, she knew there would be another coup. “Alex, its me Ben” His head shot up and knocked on the door. His room was dark and stiff knees, she was scared for a minute, because they knew what was happening, but then realized he had asleep “Need something?” Preguntó.Ella not respond, he grabbed his shorts and pajama top and slid into them. He heard Ben foot, then went to bed and bit by bit and unfortunately fell asleep. Not finished, but its about a girl I try to lose everything she loves and she is immersed in a whole new world without a voice in the matter. She is forced to confront their fears and problems… so that their truth about their journey through their grief and sadness.. but what could I do next… a bit stuck with it =) any comments on what should happen next would be awesome!

There is an old story – maybe you’ve heard – about a young princess who is driving to work in his car bit of confidence (perhaps a used Honda would be a more accurate description). Unfortunately, before you reach your destination, your car falls dead on the road and must be towed to the nearest repair shop car. Instead of a knight in shining armor, our princess, is received by a car mechanic who tells you that an engine must have its oil changed regularly – or will stall and stop working forever. Then our heroine hands a repair bill of $ 3,000. The good news is that our heroine does not have to be you! If you are unfamiliar with the basics of car maintenance, take a few minutes to read these tips. They will help you keep your car running and the time for work. Oil changes are a must (but not as often as you may think). You vaguely remember his father telling him that a car needs an oil change every three months? While it is true that oil changes are essential for long-term motor welfare, you can not visit as often as Jiffy Lube would have you believe. Outside maintenance manual for your car (probably still in the glove box where he was the day he took his new car off the lot) and check what the manufacturer recommended for oil changes. You may find that every 6,000 to 7.000 miles is enough to make your car and model. But if you are unsure, do not skimp. And since we’re talking about oil changes, you can forget the rule every three months also. The mileage is a much bigger effect on the condition of its oil which makes the calendar. If you are a senior citizen takes only a few thousand miles a year, you probably can get away with an oil change every six months. Which brings us to the tires. Be honest, have you had your tires once on tour? If not, you will end up replacing tires more often than necessary. With an average cost of $ 100 per tire, which can be a costly oversight. Tires should be rotated twice a year, so plan to have it done when you change the oil, or every other oil change if you do change the oil every three months. Your tires also last longer if you drive with tires properly inflated. But what is proper air pressure? It depends on the make and model of your car. You can check the label inside the door of the car to learn the proper tire inflation, measured by the ISP (or pounds per square inch). Driving on properly inflated tires will help your tires last longer, improve gas mileage and help avoid a breakdown on the road dangerous. You can easily find an auto shop to check inflation when tires are doing your oil change. If you do not offer that service, find another store that does. If you are using an oil change shop QUICKY for oil changes and tire checks is a good idea to take you car to the dealer for a more thorough check at least once a year. Your auto mechanic is more qualified to check the brakes, spark plugs, radiator coolant, transmission fluid and belts. We also know the history of the car and may recommend regular tuning as needed.

Do not forget to keep records and receipts for all your maintenance and repair of automobiles. In the event that you have to do a warranty claim, your records will help prove to the manufacturer that has a properly maintained vehicle. Your records also help you get the most money by selling the car, as the new buyer can prove that the car has been maintained. Remember that the princess at the beginning of this story? If he had kept only his car on a regular basis, could have saved money on costly repairs, it saved money to improve their gas mileage, and was saved the trouble and the danger of an unexpected break in the road. It would also have saved the embarrassment of becoming the cliché of an old story!

recent decision to buy a car was not really a volunteer. I had a small accident in which my almost 20 year old Honda Accord was quickly canceled. With the car of that age, even a small curve and broken headlight is already too expensive to repair, so the insurance decided they better give me $ 1,500, which was a really good deal. But he left me without a car.

So the car-buying was in order. This was certainly a commitment I have not been tracking vehicles around for about 8 years since I bought the Honda Accord. I like driving cars and not as good, I like fixing up cars, to some extent, but I’m not a real enthusiast. I do not read the articles in the cars, I do not buy car magazines or go to auto shows. They also usually do not start a conversation about the latest models and features. Similar to a presidential candidate who is seriously “on top of things” only during the campaign – once elected, the interests and priorities change a little.

Anyway, I knew I had to do extensive research in order to be happy with what I buy. So I did, and the amount of new information I gathered was even larger than I expected. You know, the cars of today are completely different things for 15 or more years. Features that did not exist before that became my main goal and motivation.

I spent several days in line, just read what I could find. The good news is that all car manufacturers have comprehensive websites where you can find all the information you need, including prices. In fact was that prices got out of these websites matched perfectly what I have in the dealers – and that is with all additions, such as taxes, rates of CA, the share of delivery, the rate of pre-delivery inspection (PDI) and such.

I also read other sources, especially for the experience of others. There are plenty of good resources on the Internet, just do a search and find what you’re looking for – there is so much out there. Some of them have proved useful are:

Car Buying Tips: http://www. carbuyingtips. com

An excellent site for the world of information about every aspect of car buying process. It will save you some headaches too.

Edmunds: http://www. Edmunds. com

A kind of portal “traditional” cars. It also covers all aspects of the subject – prices to safety. And I heard the dealers refer to this site.

MSN Autos: http://autos. msn. com

Another car portal in general. I used a lot when I was comparing features of different models – which has a very useful little tool for comparison.

Automotive. com: http://www. automotive. com

Car: http://www. Automobilemag. com

These two are also the sites in general, and mostly used to find the specifications of the older models like my ’89 Accord for comparison with the new models.

After a few days arrived at a set of features I would like to have:

new car NEWS

;
Or almost a new car. Before I had time to keep and work on a car myself, but now with the family and two young children, do not even have time to think about the car, much less do any work. And even having a good mechanic is not enough. With an old car, there is no mechanism that can guarantee anything – you have to simply accept that you have unexpected problems. Before I was able to take responsibility, but now with a family and no time, I can not. So I needed not only a problem free car, but also a worry free car.

NEWS Make

National drove the Japanese and German cars before, and thought I’m going with the Japanese once again. I thought I would give a better chance of a hassle free car for a good price. I questioned this decision during the investigation, but in the end I stuck to it.

NEWS security

With the recent car accident that I wanted, especially security. Even in a minor accident as I had, you get to experience very strong as we are all absolutely unprotected on the road. You do not need much to get killed or wounded. And nobody has to make a mistake, let alone error. A small, almost insignificant what happens, and not in a fire of events that ends with a crash.

The guy in front of me stopped and split-second late to react and kicked him a little. Not so – the car did not suffer almost no damage except some scratches and dirt on the bumper. But then I started thinking ‘what if … ” Thoughts. It was pretty steep downhill, and if it were to rain. . . ! If there was a bike ahead of me instead of a mini van. . . If I was going faster and for some reason, a spur of the moment, decided to avoid switch to another lane (full of cars). . . If all these things happened as well. . . Even now, when I think about these things, my stomach hurts.

And later while working at the crash test ratings crash test videos I saw officers on the Internet. Boy, I recommend everyone to see at least one or two of the videos – you’ll get much more realistic picture about driving a car. There are two organizations that perform crash tests on their websites and find the safety information for many models:

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA): http://www. safercar. gov

Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS): http://www. IIHS. org

The information on these websites is very educational and comprehensive. Contains the description of the tests, the results of many models and video clips. You can also find a wealth of general information accumulated in years of research in this area. For example: – What is the impact on the front, side and rear crashes, what impact different for front and rear passengers, how to protect their children, the consequences of increasing numbers of large vehicles (SUV in particular) on the road (better buy a bigger car yourself), etc.

The videos can also find evidence (although several of them) by doing a search on the web. Many of them are posted on YouTube.

So I thought I wanted air bags – not just the forwards, but also and especially the side curtain to protect rear seat passengers. The team side and curtain airbags are not mandatory and non-standard. Some models do not even have an option.

ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) was also a must – I hate sudden stops, and if it is raining or snowing, ABS can help a lot.

Other safety features as active stability control, traction control, active head restraints, car body designed to absorb impact were also very desirable.

At the end AWD (All Wheel Drive) is something to consider too.

NEWS Space

This was a difficult matter. I requirements at issue. Most times you need a small city car – the way to work, bring the children to school, shopping, etc. just that sometimes we go for a longer vacation trip when we need larger the trunk. Only sometimes we have parents, relatives or friends visit when you need at least enough space in the back for two car seats and one or more adults. Only sometimes I have to take a smaller piece of furniture or something. So I buy a van if 95% of time almost empty? Or should I buy a small car and not being able even to go on a picnic? This issue is in fact, even now, after buying the car, still unresolved. Time will tell how well I did on this topic.

NEWS Convenience

I did not need or even want things like sunroof, leather seats, neck and body with heated mirrors, spoilers and such. Even the power of this or that was not important to me but I have learned that these days a number of basic models include power options even for a good grade. So I thought, I will accept that if I do what I can do.

Fuel Economy NEWS

Very important. Gas prices are rising and oil wars are being – nothing more need be said. In the years that you own a car that sum. It is actually a good idea to calculate the total cost of the car for several years (including gas, insurance and other maintenance costs) and use that figure when making the decision. So I wanted the best possible fuel economy – another requirement at issue.

I was actually hoping I will find a good diesel car, but in Spain there are not many of these because we have fairly high emission standards for diesel cars, some of it does not qualify. And that’s too bad. Small rented VW Polo in Europe a few months ago, and drove 900 kilometers, with 1. 5 tanks! For specifications of what you spend 4L/100km! That’s a saving of money. And what really produces a feeling of independence so pleasant – the unity and the unity and unity, and then drive some more, and the tank is full. So sweet!

With all these conditions, the dealers I went to a nice weekend. I figured I go to an auto mall, and surf. I thought later this was not the best way to approach things. After a full day and see cars driving test they get very tired and all look the same at the end of the day. And after doing that for two days, I got sick of cars and would not buy one at all! But then I did collect a large amount of information, and obtained the first impressions of driving them. Then let it settle for awhile and, meanwhile, explore the options of buying a used car, buy one down south, in the U.S., or at a dealership not too far from town, where I could get a better price . Then, of course, I also had to figure out the best way to pay for the car. Boy, all this takes time. It is a full-time project. But in the end I had my choices of route and made a decision.

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Read the rest on the following pages:

Part Two: How?

Part Three: models and brands

Part Four: The Dealers < / p>

So how do I buy a car once I know what I like? There are several options, plus a few payment options as well. It can make quite difference both money-wise and regarding your own satisfaction. This is what I have considered:Buying a new car

This is the easiest option of course. It has many advantages, and a single disadvantage: you pay the price for all those conveniences. In the end this is what I did, for the following reasons:I don’t have to think how the previous owner maintained the car. New car should be problem free for a few years longer than a used car. Warranty is usually 3-5 years, or 60K-100K km, so you get to use it longer. Of course with the new car, there are less chances that you’ll actually use it, but you never know. If you’re financing, you get a better interest rate. It ranges from 0% to 4% (currently for this year’s models), while if you’re buying a used car and want to finance using bank loan, the best you can get is currently about 8%. If you’re buying replacement insurance — it’s usually too expensive for the car older than 5 years. With the new car you can get it for a fair price for the first 3-5 years. Once you decide what you want, it’s easy to buy it: you walk into the dealership and within couple of hours you have the car. And in my situation that was beneficial since I did not have the car. Otherwise, this convenience can actually work against you. You can get exactly the model you want, including color and other little things. Buying a new car in a rural area

This is something I’ve heard of but haven’t explored in full. The idea is to go out of the city to dealerships with smaller sales numbers, and try to negotiate better price with them. Now, I’m not the best negotiator, so I wasn’t really counting on this option, but I tried anyway. I went 150km away and spent a day talking to dealers and did almost nothing — I’ve got $250 reduction. I might have done better if I had more time and wanted to come back and spend it. But I gave up.

It can certainly benefit, but you have to be prepared to visit every dealer in your area. It’s definitely not a quick win. Buying a used car

This is certainly my favourite option, but it takes time and effort. And you can find an excellent car that is not really worse than a new one, for a low price. But you have to wait and search and negotiate. If you have a car to drive and you have the time to spend on looking for a new one, always do this. The depreciation of the new car is the biggest in the first years, so you save a bunch by buying 2-3 years old car. And sometimes those cars have very low mileage. Only beware of leased cars — sometimes they are not maintained too well since they are being leased and the owner knows it’ll be changed in a few years. Buying a car in US

Now this is an excellent way to buy a good car and save money. Cars are generally cheaper in US than in Canada, and the difference is bigger with more expensive cars. Nowadays, with the dollars being almost equal, you save on that price difference. Then you don’t pay US State tax, since you are from Canada, and you pay Canadian taxes just as if you were buying the car here. Of course, you’ll pay duty fee, which is currently 6. 1%. But I did the calculation, and with all the fees and taxes, for each car I looked at, you’re still better off at least $1,000. I looked at Civic (saves about $1,000), Accord (saves $4,000), CR-V (saves $6,000).

Then there is another interesting perk: US and Canadian models are not always the same. There are some model trims that exist in US, but not in Canada (I suppose the opposite is true as well). For example, I looked at Subaru models and I found out that the basic Outback model in US was much cheaper than the one in Canada. And the difference was only that the US model did not have some purely convenience features — those I did not care about. But it was $9,000 cheaper (31,000 vs. 22,000 MSRP)

Now, there are obstacles, of course. Nothing comes easy. Car makers don’t like you going to US to buy the car for less money. They have priced the cars differently for US and Canadian markets and don’t like you taking advantage of it. Honda and Toyota have actually told the dealers in US not to sell the cars to people from Canada. I called about 10 dealers and have been told exactly this. One guy told me that they’ve been doing that before but then been told that they may lose the sale authorization if they do that. So, I figured I should just try to find a dealership that hasn’t been warned yet. And I did — couple of them said they’ll sell it to me without a problem. With Subaru, it seems that there is no such issue — all of them said they sell cars to Canadians.

Then there is warranty. If you buy a new car in US, the warranty is not honoured in Canada. That means that for regular services or repairs you have to pay, or if you live close to the border, go to US every time some maintenance work is needed. This also depends on the maker: Honda and Toyota don’t honour it while VW does without problem. With Subaru, I heard both yes and no, so if I had decided to go for it, I would certainly first ask dealers about it.

As an interesting side note: I’ve found out that some time ago, the situation regarding car imports was opposite: it was very beneficial to buy a car in Canada and import it to US. Car makers have raised the same obstacles: told the dealers not to sell cars and did not honoured warranties across the border. However, seems that Americans are more agile in these situations, so they fairly quickly formed a few consumer organizations, made a class action and forced the dealers to drop the ridiculous rules.

The process itself is not trivial — there are a good number of steps you need to take, but it is straight forward. There are no surprises once you get all the preparation done or planned. There are good resources on the net that outline the whole process:Importing a vehicle into Canada: http://www. mr2. com/TEXT/Import. htmlForum discussion on car import: http://www. discovervancouver. com/forum/topic. asp?TOPIC_ID=6825Border costs: http://www. myborderpro. com/2006Website dedicated to importing cars to Canada: http://www. importcartocanada. infoInfo on taxes related to importing a car: http://www. importcartocanada. info/faq/do-i-have-to-pay-tax-on-a-car-i-import-to-canada-from-the-usa

You can also hire an agency to do everything for you, but I don’t really see a need for that.

Now, if you are looking for a used car (in US), you can save even more money, but you have to do more work. You have to find a way to inspect the car before buying it and you’ll perhaps have to travel further for that vehicle of choice. You have to be cautious and watch for problems that do not exist in Canada such as possibility that the car was flooded in one of the floods in the south (e. g. New Orleans). But if you go trough all of that you can find an excellent deal and happily bring it back to Canada. Paying for your car

Internet was a great help for this. First, all makers have good websites that let you calculate the prices, specific for your province, and they match exactly what the dealers tell you. Besides those, there are a lot of other useful resources on the web. Here are a few:

Canadian Black Book tells you the prices that the dealers pay you when you bring in a trade-in vehicle. Both of these links point to the same serviceToyota Black Book Link: http://www. toyota. ca/NWS/english/confighelp/appraise_tradein_vehicle. htmlGMC Black Book Link: http://www. gmcanada. com/NASApp/app/services/gmc/cbb?lang=en

There is also the Canadian Red Book, equivalent to US Blue Book, but I couldn’t find that online. But there are other websites that tell you used car prices, such as:VMR Canada: http://www. vmrcanada. com/canada_makes. htm

What I also did is picked up the prices from Auto Trader:Auto Trader Used Car Ads: http://www. canadatrader. com

I picked prices for the past 5 years. It’s a good way to figure out average depreciation as well.

There are also fee-based sites that will give you very comprehensive reports on new and used car values, but I did not use them.

A good way to get the realistic value for the car (even for a new one) is to go to several banks and ask them how much would they loan to you for that specific car. You give them the make, model, year and the rest (in some banks its enough o provide the VIN), and they tell you what is the maximum they’ll give you on a car loan. There are good chances this is less than what dealer asks you to pay. You can then use this figure to negotiate with the dealer.

To figure out the best loans options, you can use online calculators such as this one:Loan Calculator: http://www. canadiandriver. com/tools/loan. htm

All this is really fun to do, but again, it takes time — so don’t spare it. There are only two ways: you either put in your own effort or you pay money sooner or later.

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Read the rest on following pages:Part One: Why and What?Part Three: Models and MakesPart Four: The Dealers

Boy, these people are something special!

You know, while researching the cars, I read a lot about dealing with car dealers. People generally have a negative attitude towards them and the whole car buying experience, and you can find tons of information on how to avoid their scams, how to lower the price, how to negotiate with them, what to tell them, etc, etc. An excellent website to inform yourself on all aspects of car buying is Car Buying Tips: (http://www. carbuyingtips. com/). Now with all the great info and details I learned from various sources, I still thought that generally the prevailing attitude is not realistic. I mean, you almost get a feeling that if you pay anything more than a factory price, you made a bad deal. You can certainly succeed in lowering the price apparently to a large extent, but it is the fact that the dealers have to make money too. Ok, sometimes just selling the car, e. g. to meet their projected numbers, is beneficial to them, and they might give away even the whole of their profit for that sake. But come on, I can consider such situation just a crazy luck, not my goal! Anyway, I think that the current craze about “beating” those prices down to the floor is just as unrealistic and aggressive as the dealer’s craze to take as much money from you as possible.

However, after this buying experience, I lost pretty much any respect and sympathy for the dealers. And I will always advise anyone never to become one. Of course some of them were great examples of normal and pleasant behaviour, but unfortunately I must say that most of them have taken the activity of deceit and aggressiveness to such extent that for an honest and well meaning man the idea of going to a dealership must be repugnant. I very quickly got such a strong feeling of insecurity about everything I was told by them. I think everything was a lie, smaller or bigger. A lot of what I’ve heard I don’t believe, and none of it I trust.

Here are some of the examples, more or less funny, from my recent experience:Systematic approach

I enter a dealership, with the intention of exploring a car that really caught my attention simply by offering all of the basic features I wanted. So I wanted to see it, test drive it, and ask a couple of questions. So I ask the dealer: “I’ve read that the crash test scores for this model are not that good, most are graded 3 out of 5. Now, I know that there are different tests, and you can’t judge simply by the grade. Do you know more details about those tests and the scores? What is tested exactly, and how did they score the cars?”

The answer was: “Yes, yes I know, the scores are not the best possible. I know. But you know — what do they mean really? (And I’m thinking — yes, that is exactly what I asked) You see, a grade of 3 is really not that bad. It’s almost like 4. What is the difference? Almost nothing let me tell you. And also, all of that means something only in most severe crashes!!”

Well, no kidding!! What a thorough explanation. Now I understand and my worries are gone. And what a relief. So, if a car is simply parked on a lot, I shouldn’t worry that it will suddenly open the hood and hit me right in the face! Bonding

A question occurred to me about a car, and I decided to drop by a dealership to ask. My visit was about 10 minutes long — of course we exchanged numbers, I got the brochure and usual stuff. Tomorrow morning, my cell phone rings, I answer and I get this:

- “Hey Michael, Jord here from the dealership. ”

- “Hey Jord, how are you, what’s up?” (I thought he might have just gotten some good used car)

- “Nothing, nothing. . . just wanted to see how are you. ”

Huh. . . If this doesn’t sound as a start of a beautiful friendship I don’t know what does!

Then he goes on:

- “So have you made a decision on which car you want?”

- “No, not really, not yet. I told you I’ll need some time, and I’m not rushing really. ”

- “Ok, tell me, what’s blocking it? Can I help?”

Man, of course you can! Go do something else instead of asking me questions. . . Landing on all four whatever happens

I wasn’t sure about a size of a trunk of one of the models, so on my visit to the dealerships I brought couple of boxes and a cart that I use often to see how they fit into the trunk. Now this was one of the smaller cars, so I wasn’t sure about the trunk size. And I tell the dealer what I’d like to do and he says no problem. So I take out the stuff and he laughs:

- “C’mooon, how can you doubt it — that will fit without a problem. Don’t worry!!”

- “Wait, wait, let me try, I know what I’m talking about. ”

And then I try, and he tries, but it doesn’t go so easy — the cart is a bit long and the boxes a bit high. Separately they go in no problem, but together, not that easy. Finally, he laughs again and remarks:

- “And you really thought ALL OF THAT will fit into this trunk??!!”

Wha. . . ??Get all the money you can

I receive a long talk describing how I should buy the replacement insurance. And the more expensive one (“better” in the jargon), which covers you for a longer time and gives you the value of the new car, rather the amount that you paid. Ok, that is a fine product. Now I also get a long description on how I should absolutely buy a VIN engraving package where they engrave the VIN on all windshields so that the thieves are less likely to steal it (they can’t sell the windshields for parts). It’s about $300. Well, I gave both of these things a good thought, but tomorrow I realized a simple thing: Why do I need two protections? If I get the replacement insurance, and if they are going to give me a new car if mine is stolen, why would I then protect it even more?? Damn, I should also probably buy two cars in case one is stolen after all.

And on top of that, I found on the internet that the engraving kit, very simple to use and apply, can be bought for mere $20. Get all the money you can — again

This one is well-known, and usually titled as a “dealer scam”, but I decided I put it here anyways just as another example.

So I finally decide to buy the car and I arrive to the dealership at around 6:00pm. I expect the process to last about an hour. However, little thing here and there and I end up at the dealership for four hours. I think ok, nobody’s fault, there are simply a lot of things to do and a lot of people to involve — the dealer, finance guy, insurance girl, then the finance guy again, then the manager because there was an error, etc. So, I get the contract with all the figures there, and everything looks fine: all the figures match almost perfectly to mine that I calculated before. Except one thing — $900 of loan life insurance. So I ask:

- “Why is it there? Is that mandatory?”

- “Well, we made such an application to Company’s Finance. ”

- “Ok, but is it mandatory?”

- “We could reapply and see what happens — if you have life insurance elsewhere. ”

Now, you see, I am not too easy to confuse, but it was late and I didn’t want to repeat the whole process again, so I’m thinking: “Ok, I’m going to think about it tomorrow. ” And I let it by. Now good thing was that I had the contract with me (I had to take it home for my wife to sign), so I wasn’t too worried.

Anyhow, in the morning I realize that not only it is not mandatory to have the insurance and that I definitely do not need life insurance elsewhere, but another application without it will certainly go through. And, at that point I sincerely doubted that they need to make another application at all. So I get really angry and I go there and I get the exact same answer again. So I say:

- “Let’s apply again; I am sure the application will go trough. I simply don’t want it and I never wanted it and I never asked for it. And if it doesn’t we’ll see then what we do. ”

And she does the paperwork, and seeing me irritated remarks: “Don’t worry I’m sure it will go trough. ”

Of course it will — and it does. Get on customer’s side — even if you overdo it

One of the dealers was affirming every little thing I said. It got funny and a bit annoying:

He thought that the features I wanted are absolutely the only important features in the car.

He was also in computer business just a few years ago.

The funniest was when we discussed payment options. He told me that leasing is a better option if I want to change the car every couple of years. So I say:

- “You know, I am more the other type of buyer, at least so far. I drive one car for years before I buy a new one, so I probably won’t go with the lease. ”

- “I understand, I completely understand. You know, the worst part of the auto business for me is that you simply have to change the car every 1-2 years. I hate that. If I wasn’t selling cars, I would do the same as you. “

Well, this really made me feel like home. C’mon guys, we just met and will probably never see each other again; don’t do these things. Advertise what you have

This one was not really on the negative side, it was just funny. I went to Subaru and dealers there were actually very cool. They were very cooperative, and without the aggressive edge. And they never called me to push or ask whether I’ve made a decision. They also have a great program where you can take the car for 24hr test drive. I had really a good experience with them.

Anyhow, I told this dealer that I know that their cars use specific technology in their engine that is different from all other cars, and that repairs can be expensive. And he says:

- “Yeah, it’s so called Boxer engine where pistons are opposed horizontally instead of vertically. But we are not the only ones to use it. . . Porsche uses it — you know Porsche Boxster. . . . And some smaller planes. ”

Well, that much for the affordable repairs. . .

Then he also added that it’s an old technology that has been well perfected so far and that I shouldn’t worry really, which was a bit more reassuring. Always fish for customer’s weak spots — even in the dark

Honda was giving rebate and they advertised it everywhere: that was very important sales pitch. Now I come to a dealership, and one of the first things the guy tells me is:

“You know, I’ll tell you one thing: we will give you a good rebate, and it’s Honda’s rebate but most of the dealers won’t even mention it. “

He made it as if he is letting me know a secret, and not only that it isn’t, but it’s all over radio, their website, everywhere. But I might have been uninformed and careless and would think that I’m getting a special deal. Lie like there’s no tomorrow and hope you don’t get caught

I was quite close to buying a car so I called some dealerships inquiring whether they have a certain model and the color on the lot. I told them I don’t want the car to be brought from some other dealership. I want to see the car and get the one I saw. This is because I don’t want to get into whole new set of issues and questions. For example, one dealer told me that they charge extra delivery fee if they bring the car from other dealership, which is by the way ridiculous and perhaps deserves story on its own. It can also happen that the car that arrives is different in some detail than what you wanted, and you already signed the papers. Etc.

So I made sure they know what I want, and then came to one of the dealerships. We chat a bit and then I say:

- “So let me see the car. “

- “Oh, I was afraid you were gonna ask me that. I really don’t know exactly where the car is. “

I laugh: “But I told you I want to see the car before I buy it. “

- “Oh, don’t worry — it’s here, I’m just not sure where. “

- “Ok, I’ll go outside and look for it. “

- “But our lots are really big. “

- “I don’t mind, I have the time. “

- “But they are not really all here — we have two lots a few blocks away. “

I just don’t like arguing that much — in cases like these I give up and simply walk away. A good guy

The positive highlight was a young dealer for which I could quickly tell that he is not (yet) turned his abilities into a deceitful routine — he even gets confused a bit when I ask him a stupid question. To me that is the normal reaction. And when I asked him what he drives, he said: “an old Volvo, you know it’s a really good car. ” I am really sorry that cars he was selling were not suitable for me — I would have been very happy to buy one from him. And I didn’t even feel like negotiation with him at all.

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Read the rest on following pages:Part One: Why and What?Part Two: How?Part Three: Models and Makes