After we decided to buy Honda Accord, the bargain process was just painful. We asked for quotes from different dealers, and tried to get an "acceptable" price from them. The challenge was that we didn't know what was "acceptable": who knows how much we should pay for a car! I checked several online auto forums where people shared their quotes. Some good negotiators got low prices and posted information about the dealer. However, as more people requested quotes from the same dealer, the price was pushed up consequently. And for buyers who knew other people getting the same car at a low price, it was difficult to accept a higher one. Therefore the negotiation became a race of patience.
Even if we got a good sale price, all the other operational costs, registration and documentary fees just made out-the-door price ridiculously high. What's worse, different dealers have different ways of calculating the final price, making the whole issue even messy. Some dealership, usually those with high ratings, made it crystal clear about what fees they were charging; but most dealers always added mysterious costs to the final price, ranging from $500 to $1,500. Induced by several cheap "sale prices" and ended with high OTD price, I finally learned how to deal with these salesmen, and asked straight for the final price.
Yesterday when Gang and I were waiting to watch the Olympic closing ceremony, I got an email from one of previous dealer saying they were offering an extra discount. After a few phone calls, we locked a price, which was not the lowest one I knew, but within our budget. Then we decided to skip the closure and fetch our new car.
It took us an hour to arrive in the dealership in Santa Rosa. We both realized it was our last time sitting in the old Nissan together. Since its purchase four years ago, Gang and I have been on several road trips with it: to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Seattle, Crater Laker, etc. We call it "Strongy" for its great performance in climbing up hills, crossing deserts and long-hour operation given its immense age. In spite of all the joy we had together, we did not hesitate much in finding a replacement. Ah what humanity!
On our arrival, we met the salesman, who showed us the car and did a test-drive with us. It didn't take us too long to decide to buy, but it took hours to finish all the purchase procedures. Even we chose to pay cash, they asked for a lot of personal information and did a credit check, claiming it to be required after 9/11. Well, a Honda Accord doesn't look like a massive destruction weapon to me. Anyway, after filling all the lengthy forms, listening to promotion of unnecessary products and waiting for vehicle cleaning, two hours were gone. Whiling waiting in the lobby, we found an old Honda with a sign saying "the first Honda sold in the US". Staff there told me the first Honda was sold by this dealership in 1970. The car is in an outdated shape, but still good condition with shining windows and neat seats. By the grand-car, there is a latest electronic car, which replaces engine with a huge battery under the front cover and has a MPG as high as 118. It's interesting to see the evolution of Honda in the last forty years, and equally impressive for Honda to transfer from a motorcycle manufacturer to an automaker and occupy such a big market share in the US today.
After the intolerable wait, we went home. Good to have a new car! The next step is to find a good owner for our Strongy.
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