My first "American" car
Yes, as we all know, I've been having some car trouble lately! My trusty Mazda has been with me for almost seven years. We've been on many an adventure together and seen each other through many fun and challenging trips - most notably the horrible blizzard and 17hr drive from Ottawa to DC in 2007. Sadly, my little Canadian car didn't take too well to the heat of the south and has decided that it was her time to go and my time to look for a new companion for my next series of adventures and road trips. So this weekend I bought a new car.
People have asked me how I could decide on Thursday that it was time to buy a new car, and then drive exactly what I wanted off the lot two days later. I don't know that there is any specific answer that I could give. I knew what I needed (a new car), I knew what I wanted (the Nissan Versa) and I went and got it. That's pretty much it. Getting it is the interesting part.
Friday night I went to the dealership and test drove the car I wanted (although it wasn't my first time driving the Versa - I had rented one a few weeks ago in Ottawa). After the drive I talked to the salesman (my new BFF) but told him I wasn't ready to buy and that I wanted to come back Saturday and drive a different model. I went back on Saturday and drove the fully tricked out model they had on the lot and then asked him if he had the one I really wanted (not the fully tricked out one) in his inventory - he did. With the help of a good friend playing 'bad cop' and the new BFF (Mr. Nissan Sales Guy) running to the manager a few times a pretty good deal was reached. Next step - into the business managers office to settle up. The mountains of paperwork were going pretty smoothly until it was time to determine the interest rate of the loan. Apparently it takes more than 3 years to build up good enough credit history here to get a decent interest rate. You'd think that credit history would cross the border with you - it does not.
Despite the astronomical interest rate (which I will be re-financing within the year at another bank) I got the car I wanted and my trusty little Mazda can rest in peace knowing I am in good hands with my new sporty little Nissan.
Let the new adventures begin!
People have asked me how I could decide on Thursday that it was time to buy a new car, and then drive exactly what I wanted off the lot two days later. I don't know that there is any specific answer that I could give. I knew what I needed (a new car), I knew what I wanted (the Nissan Versa) and I went and got it. That's pretty much it. Getting it is the interesting part.Friday night I went to the dealership and test drove the car I wanted (although it wasn't my first time driving the Versa - I had rented one a few weeks ago in Ottawa). After the drive I talked to the salesman (my new BFF) but told him I wasn't ready to buy and that I wanted to come back Saturday and drive a different model. I went back on Saturday and drove the fully tricked out model they had on the lot and then asked him if he had the one I really wanted (not the fully tricked out one) in his inventory - he did. With the help of a good friend playing 'bad cop' and the new BFF (Mr. Nissan Sales Guy) running to the manager a few times a pretty good deal was reached. Next step - into the business managers office to settle up. The mountains of paperwork were going pretty smoothly until it was time to determine the interest rate of the loan. Apparently it takes more than 3 years to build up good enough credit history here to get a decent interest rate. You'd think that credit history would cross the border with you - it does not.
Despite the astronomical interest rate (which I will be re-financing within the year at another bank) I got the car I wanted and my trusty little Mazda can rest in peace knowing I am in good hands with my new sporty little Nissan.
Let the new adventures begin!
posted by Jo | 9:05 PM
1 Comments:
YAY!!!!!!!! I'm SOOO happy you won't be having car trouble anymore!!!
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