The Search for a New Car

About 2 months ago I finally convinced Shawn we needed a third car.  I LOVE my Expedition but feel so guilty when I'm driving in my square mile of comfort and getting 8-12 miles per gallon.  Mondays are the worst because I pick up Kennedy and Reagan from school and take them to voice.  Then I go back to get McKinley and take her.  (Snow days added extra time to our day and for some reason high school had 17 extra instead of 5.  I never figured out why.)  Tuesdays during the musical were bad too because of Reagan's gymnastics.  I was just burning through gas.  Up to $300 a month.  Sometimes more.  And with a soon to be 16 year old it only made since to start looking.

When we were discussing what kind of car to get I wanted a convertible.  If we were going to get a third car, I felt like it should be fun.  I settled on a VW Beetle.  I wanted an old one and quickly found a '73 in a nearby town.  I thought it was meant to be since I am also a '73.  But Shawn didn't want an old car.  The Corvair of my dreams was crushed.  So I started the search for a new VW Beetle.  Craigslist was full of them.  I spent an hour and found about 20 to choose from in 3 states.  Shawn was pretty fired up about a few and I was giddy with the thought of getting a car.  We were trying to decide which one to go see when Shawn (always the voice of reason) suggested we go to our local VW dealership and actually drive one.  I married a smart man I tell you.  As we were approaching the dealership I was getting more and more excited.  He though was thinking it all through.  With taxes to pay and property taxes also, he just didn't think it was a good time.  So we pulled in to the lot...and right back out.  My day of a natural high was crushed. 

About a month later he brought it up again.  I tried not to get excited.  But I got on Craigslist just to look.  All the fun Bugs from the month before?  They were gone.  I guess when the weather starts getting warmer people start buying.  Sigh.  I still managed to track a few down.  He was using our bank website to find them.  In searching for a Bug he came across a couple of EOS's.  He knew a co-worker that had one and sent her a Facebook message to ask a few questions.  With her glowing report and locating one in the Dallas area we started getting excited about getting a convertible.  We found the same one at the dealership right down the road and tonight we went to look at it.  We met the corny salesman also.  Ugh.

About 10 seconds after getting into it, I was in total love.  When Shawn put the top down, I wanted it.  Badly.  I didn't even want to get out of the driver's seat when we got back to the dealership.  We walked into the Joe's office and said we wanted it.  But for the monthly payment our bank had approved us for.  Oh, and also for the price of the one in Texas.  $3,000 less.  After some number crunching Joe told us he could get us a better interest rate with VW financing.  We told him we were open to that but we wouldn't go above our set monthly payment.  I left Shawn there to do all the paperwork so I could fix dinner.  He said he'd call me when it was time to sign everything.  Almost 2 hours later I headed up there to get our car!  I met Shawn in the finance office and started signing.  As I was the finance guy was telling me about the service package they'd decided on.  The platinum one.  That made me think...how much was our monthly payment?  I had to be picked up off the floor when he told me.  In defense, the finance guy told us, VW parts cost 3 times as much as others so we needed that plan.  Um...was he trying to make a sale?  I turned to Shawn, who was also surprised, and told him I wasn't comfortable with that.  So we walked.  Joe was not pleased.

We came home defeated to 3 girls who were told to expect a surprise.  After explaining everything they were upset.  I understood, so was I.

So here I sit, sad again but still searching.  Next up?  E-Bay!