"As I Understand It" New Car, Insurance and Tags Oh My
Many of us who have been married for decades don't understand the art of car buying. When I was married my husband bartered for the new car, arranged the needed insurance and necessary tags. All things car-related just seemed to come naturally to him and so he just did it. Now being on my own I have to figure out car-related issues and I plan to do just that.
My Acura 2009 has been having a lot of issues. The major one being the electrical system. A few years ago I found myself stranded in Upstate New York and then again in Winston Salem NC not to mention several times at home. The issue was the electrical system draining the battery and leaving me with an unusable vehicle. They said they have fixed it but it still does not seem right to me. I get all types of unreliable alerts that leave me not trusting my car. There are other problems too that have a high price tag to repair and so I thought "it is time for a new car".
Over the years I have loved my Acura but now I decided that I would step down to a lower price point to get Honda Pilot which looks very similar to my Acura. I test drove the Pilot and the CRV. I felt that the size of the Pilot is perfect for me. I need the space because I am typically taking my two grandkids on "adventures" and I take them to and from school on many occasions. I now have another grandbaby on the way so space for me is a good thing.
Who can you trust in a car dealership you ask? I honestly don't know. I guess I would advise you to be hesitant to trust anyone, sadly. Once I was given an estimate of the price I immediately consulted with my son-in-law who is a Honda enthusiast. He returned to the dealership with me to make a counteroffer. He and my salesperson talked, we made an offer expecting to barter, but no our salesperson came back with the attitude of "take it or leave it" that was given to him by his manager. It felt like a slap in the face. We left and headed to another dealership.
I was told that if you have a Costco membership you can get a nice discount on a new car.
I called the original dealership and asked about that. The manager that "slapped me in the face" was not available so I was transferred to another one. I asked him about the Costco discount. He said that the Pilot is excluded from the Costco discount. I asked him if he could get the original quote down for me. He looked at the offer and right away took $600.00 off and said he could probably get more. In the end, he gave me $1000.00 off. I am so thankful I talked to him but also I was left wondering how he so kindly gave me a huge discount while the person in the next office gave me nothing. It just felt dishonest and dirty somehow. My advice is to talk to every manager in the place because they are not on the same page.
So I am picking up the new car this week. I have been reading about car insurance and it leaves my head spinning. I am not crazy about my insurance carrier but I have decided to stick with them during this transition. They insure my home and car. I am going to call them and tell them when I will be picking up my new car and dropping off my old one. I have decided I will consult with an insurance broker in the near future to make sure I am getting the best deal on home and car insurance. For me, it is best to go with someone who can give me an educated opinion.
As far as the tags the dealership said they would transfer the tag from my Accura to the Pilot. I hope it is that easy.
The inspection is due on my Acura in Nov. At least I won't have to worry about that.
What I have learned about buying a new car.
Do your research online.
Test drive several different cars.
Don't trust everyone.
Get multiple quotes. If they don't want to barter find someone who does.
As far as warranties go I would consult the Clark Howard website. After reading several articles I have decided not to get any extra warranties at this point. It sounds like when the new car warranty is nearly up I will need to do more research into the world of warranties.
Happy Car Shopping Everyone!
I hope your car is running well.
KathieyV
My Acura 2009 has been having a lot of issues. The major one being the electrical system. A few years ago I found myself stranded in Upstate New York and then again in Winston Salem NC not to mention several times at home. The issue was the electrical system draining the battery and leaving me with an unusable vehicle. They said they have fixed it but it still does not seem right to me. I get all types of unreliable alerts that leave me not trusting my car. There are other problems too that have a high price tag to repair and so I thought "it is time for a new car".
Over the years I have loved my Acura but now I decided that I would step down to a lower price point to get Honda Pilot which looks very similar to my Acura. I test drove the Pilot and the CRV. I felt that the size of the Pilot is perfect for me. I need the space because I am typically taking my two grandkids on "adventures" and I take them to and from school on many occasions. I now have another grandbaby on the way so space for me is a good thing.
Who can you trust in a car dealership you ask? I honestly don't know. I guess I would advise you to be hesitant to trust anyone, sadly. Once I was given an estimate of the price I immediately consulted with my son-in-law who is a Honda enthusiast. He returned to the dealership with me to make a counteroffer. He and my salesperson talked, we made an offer expecting to barter, but no our salesperson came back with the attitude of "take it or leave it" that was given to him by his manager. It felt like a slap in the face. We left and headed to another dealership.
I was told that if you have a Costco membership you can get a nice discount on a new car.
I called the original dealership and asked about that. The manager that "slapped me in the face" was not available so I was transferred to another one. I asked him about the Costco discount. He said that the Pilot is excluded from the Costco discount. I asked him if he could get the original quote down for me. He looked at the offer and right away took $600.00 off and said he could probably get more. In the end, he gave me $1000.00 off. I am so thankful I talked to him but also I was left wondering how he so kindly gave me a huge discount while the person in the next office gave me nothing. It just felt dishonest and dirty somehow. My advice is to talk to every manager in the place because they are not on the same page.
So I am picking up the new car this week. I have been reading about car insurance and it leaves my head spinning. I am not crazy about my insurance carrier but I have decided to stick with them during this transition. They insure my home and car. I am going to call them and tell them when I will be picking up my new car and dropping off my old one. I have decided I will consult with an insurance broker in the near future to make sure I am getting the best deal on home and car insurance. For me, it is best to go with someone who can give me an educated opinion.
As far as the tags the dealership said they would transfer the tag from my Accura to the Pilot. I hope it is that easy.
The inspection is due on my Acura in Nov. At least I won't have to worry about that.
What I have learned about buying a new car.
Do your research online.
Test drive several different cars.
Don't trust everyone.
Get multiple quotes. If they don't want to barter find someone who does.
As far as warranties go I would consult the Clark Howard website. After reading several articles I have decided not to get any extra warranties at this point. It sounds like when the new car warranty is nearly up I will need to do more research into the world of warranties.
Happy Car Shopping Everyone!
I hope your car is running well.
KathieyV
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