My NEW Car!!

I got a new car!! I am super excited about it too. I did my taxes and was getting back almost $12,000 ($7500 was basically a "loan" that is interest free. I have to pay back $500 each year for 15 years.) I decided that since it was so hard to get Zoie in and out of the back seat of my Mustang, it didn't do well on the ice, and it was getting close to 100,000 miles that it was about time to trade it in. This was the perfect opportunity to get something new, or at least different.

My boss has been looking at cars and I had kept my eyes open on ones that I liked. I really liked the Dodge Nitro. They were fairly new (came out in 2007 or 2008) so I didn't know if I'd be able to afford one. I had looked online for "pre-owned" aka "Used" and found a few I was interested in. One, in particular, was extremely nice. It was in Pauls Valley which was about an hour or so away, but it was silver with a sunroof, 20" wheels and only had 6700 miles on it. They were asking $16,988 which was more than I had wanted to spend, but I thought maybe they would come down a bit.

We drove out to Pauls Valley on Saturday after Sesame Street Live! and I went to go test drive the car. As soon as I opened the door I could tell someone had smoked in it. I was disappointed. I really liked the car, but I knew with Zoie's allergies and health there was no way we could get that smell out. I was looking at the car and the salesman took me to look at a brand new Jeep Liberty. While we were looking at it, a couple came in and bought the silver Nitro out from under me! I wasn't too upset, but a little disappointed. However, another salesman pulled up in a brand new black Dodge Nitro and told me I should take a look at it since it was cheaper than the silver one! I test drove it and loved it. It was a 2008 and only had 400 miles on it. I really loved the car.

It was negotiation time. I had a number in my head of how much I wanted to spend. The total amount of my tax refund was $11,462, so that was what I was willing to spend. I looked at the sticker price on the Nitro and it was $23,085, so I knew there was no way I would be able to get into it for that price. My dad offered them $10,500 and my trade-in, and they came back asking $13-something. I told them no, so we offered $11,500. They came back asking $12,500, but if I financed a portion of it, I could get a $1,000 rebate. I said no. I didn't want to finance any of it because I didn't think I could qualify and I really wanted to just pay cash.

We walked away.

As we were getting back into the Mustang, my heart just sank. I was really hoping I would have been able to get that car. They were offering me $4500 for my Mustang, which was more than we probably could have gotten out of it if we tried to sell it on our own. As we were driving away, mom and dad asked me if I was regretting it. I said yes. So dad told me to call back and offer $12,000. So I did, and unfortunately they wouldn't take it.

We stopped at two other dealerships afterwards, and neither one could match the price they were offering. I could get them for $12,500, but that was after financing. And neither one of them had one on the lot and they were going to have to "order" one and pay freight charges and what-not. At this point it was already past 9 p.m. on Saturday. The dealership in Pauls Valley closed at 8 p.m. and they weren't open on Sunday, so I had decided on Monday morning, I was going to call and buy that car.

I started calling at 7:30 a.m. I got the service department. They told me to call back at 8 a.m., but when I did I got the service department again. I am sure I probably drove them crazy calling, but I wanted that car. Dodge Nitros were hard to find around here, and I knew I had to jump on that offer. So at 8:10 a.m. I called again, and left a message for Ken, my salesman, to call me back. It seemed like I had to wait forever, but by 9 a.m. he had called back and the car was mine! He said he would even detail it and gas it up for me. I was stoked. I couldn't believe I was getting a new car!

The drive back down there was long and seemed like an eternity. When I pulled up, I just couldn't believe it. I had heard some rumors about the financing, so I was going to see if I could in fact get it for the price they said. They told me I would have to finance a minimum of $7500 and pay 6 months of payments. One of the other dealers I talked to told me no, that wasn't true. I had called 6 dealerships that afternoon trying to find out the "truth" about the financing, and every single one of them told me a different story with a different amount and a different time frame of paying it off. I finally called Chrysler Financial myself, and asked. They told me each dealership had a different amount they had to finance, but the loan could be paid off immediately. I wanted to make sure they weren't going to give me a hard time about it.

We had to wait for the financing department as there were two people in front of me. Finally it was my turn. My dad and I went back there and sat down and told him our plan. He told me I had to finance a minimum of 10,000 to get the 1,000 cash back. I was very hesitant since that was a LOT of money. However, he told me as soon as I got my booklet I could pay the whole thing off, and I would basically be pocketing about $900 since I was probably going to have to pay a little interest for those few days. Especially since my credit score was "emaculate" (I have an 809), so my interest was only 5-something. So I went ahead and did it. I am waiting to get my booklet in the mail so I can pay it off immediately.

After we finished all of the "dirty work" I was so relieved. I was a little sad to sign the title over to them for my Mustang. That was really a decent car, considering. It never gave me any problems really, so I was sad to let it go. However, I was very excited to be driving home in my brand new car!

We got everything out of the Mustang and turned over the keys. I drove home in the new Nitro and couldn't believe it was my car. My dad even told me he was really proud of me. He said he couldn't believe that at my age I had already purchased my first house and have a new car that is basically paid off.

I am really proud of myself too. Most people my age throw their money away, and I don't. I don't really have that option being a single mom with no child support. I am always scared that I won't be able to provide for me and Zoie and we will be trapped. I don't go shopping like most girls my age, and I am really frugal with my money. I guess it has paid off.

Another plus is my boss bought a car from the same place too, so I got a $200 referral! I told her I would split it with her of course, but still. That will at least pay for my gas down there and back. :)
Love,