I’m finally getting back to my blog. I’ve missed being here, but lately my life has been so chaotic. There just never seems to be enough time.
There I go again, with that time thing. I do believe there is a story or a poem in me somewhere that deals with time. One of these days. . .
Well, I think I’ve finally bought a vehicle. A 2010 Ford Edge. After a couple of months of checking used vehicles out, it boiled down to paying a few thousand more for new over a couple of years old and getting full warranty coverage.
I HATE buying vehicles. I find the process so stressful. All the fancy dancing around over price just about drives me nuts. I know the salesman is going to try to get the most of me that he can, and he knows I’m going to try to pay as little as I can and yet, we still have to waste hours arguing over the bottom line. It’s such an unsatisfying experience, all around.
Other than I’ve got a new vehicle, of course. Well, I don’t physically have it yet. It’s on order. But hopefully in 5 or 6 weeks I’ll be driving my nice, new Edge.
We test drove quite a lot of smaller and midsize SUV’s and crossovers (glorified station wagons, you ask me) and in the end we just liked the size and the feel of the Edge. Just like all the reviews we read, it’s not an exceptionally exciting vehicle, but it’s got nice styling, a roomy interior and I felt confident driving it. the other nice thing is, I’ve got plenty of room for my grandchildren.
I’ve driven a small, 4 cyl Sunfire for the past 10 years, I think driving this bigger, 6 cyl is going to be a treat. This morning though, I’m going through the post-purchase jitters. You know — I can’t believe we spent that much money, did we get a good enough deal, is the dealer still going to try and take us for a ride — all that kind of stuff. But, really, in the end, I think we made out okay. Despite how much you bargain and wrangle you know they’re still making money off you if they accepted your deal. And, they’ve got to make a living, so it’s believe you did the best you could for yourself and move on.
I have to say, though, that for all the talk about the economic downturn and being able to pick up a vehicle for a song — that’s just not the case, at least here in Canada. Used vehicle prices — for vehicles one or two years old — are ridiculously high. So high in fact, that it makes no sense, really, to buy them used — not when you can get brand new for a couple of thousand more.
And, considering that I’ll probably drive this vehicle for ten years or so, I’ll get my value out of it in the end. Still, I wonder, wouldn’t I have been smarter to buy something about 5 years old that I could have paid about $10 000 for, driven for 3 or 4 years, and then bought another one? I just don’t know. Cars, they drive me nuts, but unfortunately they’re entirely essential to my life.
So, I guess I’m working for a few more years — LOL!
All That Matters 