How do "the dumb" buy an automobile?

Everyone just needs to listen to this guy when looking for a car:

KyAllroad wrote: In reply to curtis73: Exactly. For a short time in 96-97 I sold dodges at a small dealership. I tried so hard to engage the customer about their needs and what they could afford. And all they cared about was "is that the truck from Twister?" "Yes sir but you earn $8 an hour and have 5 kids, can I interst you in this nice used minivan......." "HELL NO! Gimme that truck, I'll lease it for $199 a month and be upside down for the rest of my life but I'll have the Twister truck!" Customers are stupid. OTOH, my step father once walked out of a dealership because they wouldn't NOT stamp their logo into the back bumper of a truck. Dealers are stupid too.

Yup. I'm a dealer's nightmare as a buyer. I know what I want, what its worth, and I make sure they know I'll walk.

The only car I bought new was my 96 Impala SS (which is what got me the job selling cars.) I wanted one. I saw one on the trailer at the local dealer. I didn't even know if it was being delivered there. I happened to be in slacks and a polo having just left a job interview. I walked up to the driver (pretending to be a salesman) and said, "my customer who bought this is super picky... let me take it off the trailer." I pulled it down off the trailer, drove it around back, took the delivery papers into the managers office with $200 and said I'd be back to figure out how much more to bring. Sticker was something like $26k. I ended up paying $21,200 cash which was just under invoice. Not bad for a car that usually sold for MSRP. The manager offered me a job on the spot.

The truck I just bought this past January was on a used lot for $7995. I bought it for $4500 after a 5 minute test drive and 15 minutes of negotiation. From when I showed up to when the title was signed was 24 minutes.

My used travel trailer was listed for $13,900. I bought it for $9800. (but that one took an hour and a half of negotiation)

My ex wife's Scion xB was listed for $9800 at a Scion dealer 250 miles away. I negotiated $7200 over the phone and when it was all over they didn't even ask me for a deposit. That was a funny transaction because I paid in 20s, and the F&I guy had to use that counterfeit test marker on almost 400 bills.

Its rare that I toot my own horn, but when it comes to negotiating stuff, I kinda rock.

Chadeux wrote:

BrokenYugo wrote:

Streetwiseguy wrote: I completely don't understand the truck love for people who don't need a truck, but, hey, its a free country.

Best I can figure it's the closest you can get to a big squishy V8 RWD cruiser anymore unless you want/can afford a Chrysler 300.

The problem with that theory is that everyone buys a crew cab 4wd. That's probably why I like trucks outside of their intended purpose though.

Crew cab/short box plays into my theory, the 4x4 is just because people like the false sense of security they get by having it and/or the bulk of the decently optioned trucks on the lot are probably 4x4 (do normal people ever order cars?).

Or like my girlfriend who got screwed by the dealer and her parents Bought her truck in her stepdads name and she cosigned for him at 18% on a used rental $3k over KBB value.

She helped them fix their credit, all while paying enough to buy that truck 3 times over. I don't have the heart to tell her how horrible her parents are for letting her sign for that loan.

DirtyBird222 wrote: Then you have computer engineers/IT. One of them buys a fancy luxury car. And in keeping up with the Jones, the next one goes and buys something similar, then the next one has to one up the other two and buys a German luxury car instead of a Japanese. Then the 4th one buys a luxury SUV, then the next guy buys a luxury performance car, then the cycle starts over again.

I'm a computer engineer (not IT though). My experience is the exact opposite. All my engineering coworkers are cheapskates who have spreadsheets to calculate the lowest cost per mile that carries their family around.

One guy has a net worth in the millions and drives a 5 year old base Mazda5. He also wears shorts to work on the east coast (Pittsburgh)! LOL

I like that my Golf R blends in with all the appliances around here. Nobody knows or cares what it is.

One thing that struck me is that car judgement fires in a lot of directions every day.

In this thread people are "dumb" for paying too much or for driving a car that doesn't fit their physical needs.

Among my coworkers people are dumb for driving sports/lux cars or owning more than 1 car or playing with cars in general. "What a waste of money, materials, energy, etc... just for a status symbol..."

I'm sure in some circles people are judged "dumb" for not using efficient public transportation or for not riding a bike to work.

I personally think it's dumb to call others dumb... DOH just got caught doing it myself

Trackmouse wrote: I should clarify. by "dumb" I don't mean disrespect. Simply that these are "uninformed". Does that make ppl happy?

This is how I read the OP. I think uninformed sums it up well.

I've realized that many folks aren't interested in cars like I am, and that's fine.

Case in point my coworker recently leased a Ford Edge for his wife. The list of vehicle requirements were solely hers. They found the vehicle that had those options and drove away happy.

I asked him if it had a V6 or four cylinder engine. He replied "I don't know. But the car is red." That's my cue to stop asking questions.

Beige camry

paranoid_android74 wrote: I asked him if it had a V6 or four cylinder engine. He replied "I don't know. But the car is red." That's my queue to stop asking questions.

slinging parts for so long, you'd be amazed at how many people thought that was pertinent information for ordering parts.

Years ago my wife told me she wanted a green car. I asked what kind and she didn't care as long as she liked the particular shade of green. I found a green Blazer that I liked and she approved of the colour. Done.

I'm confused......a guy in L.A. is dumb or uninformed if his Tahoe doesn't have bling or a ski rack? A mother of 5 is uninformed if she's driving a Prius?

Hmmm.....I guess I'm dumb and uninformed because I'm a single guy with no kids and I drove my minivan to work today.

Or maybe some people buy what they want and need, regardless of what other people think.

And lets play nicely together people. Margie doesn't need another patio.

I can certainly think of back stories about why some of the people with "inappropriate" cars came to own them. Perhaps the guy with the Tahoe needs it to tow his race car and doesn't have the parking space for a separate economy car. The mother of five kids with the Prius probably didn't have five kids when she bought it. And so on.

I fall into this line of thinking all the time.

When people ask me what car they should buy, I always ask: "What do you need it to do?". I always get blank stares.

When they say they need seating for 2 adults, 2 kids, and 2 dogs, I always recommend a minivan. If they also live on a crappy road, or camp a lot, or need to tow anything, I go SUV.

Nobody ever listens. They always buy the SUV that is WAY smaller inside than the minivan.

I never understand the small SUV craze. Can somebody tell me what the small SUVs offer that you cant get in either a sedan or a minivan?

My mom buys cars based on how they look. It drives me crazy...

wvumtnbkr wrote: I never understand the small SUV craze. Can somebody tell me what the small SUVs offer that you cant get in either a sedan or a minivan?

In reality no one needs any more than a base Fiesta or Focus 99% of the time so 99% of buying decisions are made on emotion, wants and perceived needs.

That being said lots of people like to be up high compared to a sedan and most of them wouldn't be seen dead in a minivan, that's the equivalent of saying they've completely given up on life. None of those opinions are right or wrong, they just are.

wvumtnbkr wrote: I never understand the small SUV craze. Can somebody tell me what the small SUVs offer that you cant get in either a sedan or a minivan?

In most cases, the simple fact that they're not a minivan. But we've covered this territory. Most people care about style far more than substance. Never mind the fact that in 15 years nobody will want an SUV because "that's what my parents drove."

Trackmouse wrote: Young guy with a Porsche or vette always makes me chuckle. (How'd he afford that? He's younger than me!)

Define young...

Want to buy a Porsche?

Most people don't give a crap about cars. When my wife bought her first car (before we were together) they asked her what color she wanted. She had never even thought about the fact you could choose a color. She told them she didn't care and ended up with a silver Corolla. Last spring she finally traded in the Rolla on a new fully optioned Mazda 3. It had to be transferred from a different dealership to get the colors and options she wanted.

I love the influence I have had on her. LOL

irish44j wrote: Sometimes I think to myself "WTF?" until I realize that those F350 dually diesels probably get better fuel economy commuting than my damn WRX does......

Plus they are safer to drive in the traffic in that area. Just got back from there and even afternoon traffic on a Friday had me wishing my Outback was larger and more intimidating.

You'd be surprised how many people who call into a dealer to get their car serviced don't know what year or model their car is.

wvumtnbkr wrote: My mom buys cars based on how they look. It drives me crazy...

I bought an FD largely based on how it looks! Well, also based on how it drives. I certainly didn't buy it for the reliability or the 10.5 mpg fuel economy. :)

wvumtnbkr wrote: When people ask me what car they should buy, I always ask: "What do you need it to do?". I always get blank stares. Nobody ever listens.

Yep. The past 2 or 3 folks that have asked my opinion on what significant item they should buy and and why, my response was, "whatever you want, you've already made up your mind, and won't heed my advice anyway." Though I have been called an shiny happy person a few times. My sister was actually surprised by my response, you'd think if anyone expected me to be an shiny happy person, it'd be her.

In reply to bigdaddylee82:

We may have the same sister. Mine has asked me for advice about what car to buy the last 5 times and every time gone with what she had already decided to buy (and against my advice). I called her an askhole and she stopped asking for advice to ignore.

My Wife. .. . . Wanted an H2. . .. . . She now has an H2.. . ..

Granted I paid less than half the wholesale value of it so I will not loose on this vehicle but do we need an H2? Is there a rational job that this vehicle does for us? Does a barely 5' tall Asian woman look like she should be driving a H2?

Happy Wife Happy life. .. . . . Nuf said.

I own my own Architectural firm and DD a 1997 Corolla now (still looking for an STR to replace the X-type). We have a weird dichotomy of vehicles in our driveway.

I refuse to recommend cars to anyone that I know. I stopped doing this because I got sick of hearing about every single little problem they have with said vehicle for the next however long they have it. And the problem is always your fault. Lets see. . .. . You did not change the oil in your car for 5 years and it finally tossed a rod and that is some how my fault because I suggested that you get that car.

I don't know if I qualify under the "dumb" category, but I am in the market for a used car that is, unfortunately, plentiful at used car lots. Only reason why I think I fall into the category is because I barely have any credit to my name (I have one line of credit with SnapOn and just got my very first credit card at the age of 30!!).

I am looking for a used Lexus IS250/350 or an Audi A3. Yes, I have done plenty of research into both platforms and know what issues to look for and all the deferred maintenance.

I am afraid I will be another one of those who will be able to be put into a car, but would have the $300/month payment for 72 months and will end up paying the car off effectively 3 times before I receive a title. Because of this, I continue to drive my Mazda Protegay5!

dean1484 wrote: I own my own Architectural firm and DD a 1997 Corolla now.

That's because only people who aren't architects think architects make a lot of money.