My husband, Paul, and I just went car shopping for the first time in 11 years. It was interesting.
We’d survived with just one car for four years. In 2014, our 2002 Toyota Rav4 had reached the point that it was going to cost too much to keep it going. That left us with our 2007 Prius. Since Paul is retired, and I work in the same community in which we live, we thought we could get by with one car.
Car shopping is always such a hassle, and we didn’t feel like being burdened with a car loan. We live in a small city. The market, pharmacy, post office and various restaurants are all within walking distance.
For the most part, it worked. I’m a school librarian, so I’m generally home by 3:30. That left Paul with time to do his errands, or go to the gym or library. If he had appointments during the day, he would bring me in to work. No big deal.
But then there were the more complicated days. If I was going from one school in my district to another, and Paul had the car, he’d have to come get me, and then I’d drop him off at home en route to my destination. Paul has semi-annual medical appointments in a town 30 miles away. This posed an issue when I had a meeting to attend—outside the school district—that started the exact same time as his appointment. I couldn’t very well go to the meeting place 40 minutes early.
There were times when I needed to go out of town for conferences. Last August, I went to a wedding in Vermont. I couldn’t leave Paul home with two dogs, four cats and no car. So I rented a vehicle. That was still cheaper than a car payment.
Still, despite these, um, speed bumps, we persevered with our plan. Then came a very hot day this month.
The Prius needed some repairs. The garage we use is about two miles from the house. Paul left the car there and then walked home. This was early in the morning and the route was mostly downhill. However, when the car was ready to be picked up, it was 2 p.m. and scorching. Paul put on a hat and I filled a water bottle for him. He never likes to drink water while out and about, but I insisted. He was going on an expedition!
Let’s just say Paul survived the ordeal. It did get us thinking, though.
That Sunday, we went to the dealership to scout out used cars. We’d actually never bought a “pre-owned” model before. But having made it four years without a second vehicle, we really didn’t think we needed a brand-new one.
We went looking at Toyotas. Except for a Jeep and a Chrysler minivan, we have driven Toyotas all of our married life. In fact, Paul had one when we met.
At first, we were thinking about a truck. It would come in handy at certain points in the year, such as in the spring, when Paul goes to the landfill to pick up wood chips for landscaping our yard. I guess my notion of “small truck” was completely outdated, because both of Toyota’s truck models looked huge to me. I found myself drawn, instead, to a Rav4.
I pointed out to Paul that the back seats in the SUV now can be folded down flat; in our previous vehicle, they could only be pushed forward. This new arrangement provides a large space for transporting items.
We went to our credit union the next day and were pre-approved for a sizable loan. This was another first for us. For previous purchases, we had only borrowed small amounts through the dealer.
The three of us had a laugh when the loan officer discovered that Paul has no credit rating. Our mortgage has been paid off for quite a few years, and I am the first name on all three of our credit cards. At least I have a great credit score!
Then came the part we were dreading—shopping for the “new” car. We were lucky to be matched with a friendly, easygoing salesman. We had our criteria in place—we wanted a Rav4 no more than three years old, with no more than 30,000 miles on it.
Amazingly, there was a 2015 model on the lot that fit the bill. It was even red, the color of our previous Rav4. More importantly, it was pristine. Oh, yes, the price was right, too.
Our first surprise came when we got ready to take it for a test drive. The salesman hopped in back. This was new and different for us. He also told us where to drive—the dealership obviously had a pre-planned route. I wonder if anyone actually ever drove off with a car while unaccompanied? Maybe people have gotten into accidents on their own.
Since we had gone in knowing what we wanted and were lucky enough to find it, we were ready to buy. We started off with the salesman, then the sales manager came over for a bit of negotiating, and finally the financial guy to iron out the details and give us our buyer’s agreement.
The loan officer at the credit union who had pre-approved us was out for the day, and we played cat-and-mouse with her colleague to set up an appointment. We dealt with the insurance company, and finally, at 4 p.m., finalized the deal at the credit union.
Since it was another very hot day, we decided to postpone our return to the dealership until the next day.
And then we were a two-car family once again. And just in time, because the next day, I was off to a two-day conference out of town. But I let Paul keep the Rav. He’d barely had time to try it out.
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