“She wants something bigger for the dogs. So a micro car like the Sonic would be no good”
I disagree. littleoldlady can put the dogs in the way-back; put the rear seats down if need be. There was no mention of having 4 seats and dog room, although a dog carrier probably would fit in the cargo area even with the rear seats up.
“As for fantasy cars I’ll never own–a Porsche Carrera (no space for dog and high performance would be wasted on me)”
But you haven’t looked at the Porsche Panamera. There’s room behind the rear seats for The Boss.
Triedaq has good taste in autos,“Nuff said”-Kevin
The Acura will probably be more reliable and less expensive to maintain in the long run, but the VW’s will probably be more fun to drive. It’s a compromise. Look up the Consumer Reports blurbs, do a test drive, and go with your instincts.
So I test drove all four finalist cars today (most for the second time). I like them all, liked both VWs better the second time around. But both times I really liked how driving the Acura felt right out of the parking lot–a bit of a “wow” factor–indefinable as all cars had lovely pickup to my staid sensibilities. So even though there are things I don’t like about the Acura rationally, it is the only one that I had a visceral experience in.
I have read three reviews of each of these cars and done a side by side analysis on Consumer Reports and Edmunds.
I totally agree with poster above.
Almost made the deal on the Acura but lost my nerve (distracted too, by rude couple who made a nasty comment about mixed breed dogs).
In the end, I am almost sure that any of these cars will be perfectly fine for me. I am leaning towards eliminating the Saab.
Thanks to everyone!
An appropriate vehicle for a Latin teacher would be a Ford Focus. To have something unique, you could purchase two of these for what the cars on the list would cost. You would then have Ford Foci.
This is especially so for an aged Latin teacher who needs much help with her “focus.”
What does Midnite say? I know he already has a girlfriend but I need his opinion on what would be an appropriate ride for Roxy–she has some German and French heritage mixed with American (Am. Staff. Terrier, Daschund, Doberman, and Poodle according to her genetics test). Lots of German here!
But, unlike her guardian, Roxy is athletic and thin (she looks like a little Greyhound) so I think the Acura is the best car for her.
The plan is to try to make the deal I want for the Acura tomorrow and proceed from there. At this point the availability on the VWs is a rather large issue.
Please send good thoughts about my negotiating skills!
As always, thanks for the help!
The key to negotiating is to know a good deal when you see one. I use the Edmunds True Market Value to see what dealers are getting for a car I’m interested in. For instance, the 2012 TSX Sport Wagon (base, no technology pkg) with Ebony interior and Basque Red Pearl paint would sell for $30,308; almost $2000 less than MSRP. Check it out in your zip code and with the colors you like.
@littleoldlady–Midnite says that one important consideration is the quality of the dealer. If you are having to wait for the car, are there dog biscuits in the waiting area? Is there coffee for the people types?
Now Midnite might not have his priorities straight on choosing a car, but I agree with him that the quality of the dealer is important. I have had two experiences with dealers whose service departments left something to be desired. I shop for the dealer as well as the car.
I think Midnite would approve of the Acura TSX Sport Wagon. He does have a bias in favor the Toyota Sienna minivan. The minivan has power sliding doors and his cage is between the front passenger’s seat and the second seat. When I push the button to open the sliding door, he jumps right in.
Thanks to all for the excellent advice. I had actually checked out the Edmund’s site already and had even gotten a great Internet quote from another dealer (not nearly as convenient). So I am going to try to use the Internet quote to bargain and cross my fingers to get them to throw in the spare tire and attendant stuff for a bit more.
VW called and looks like availability is less of an issue . . .
I appreciate all thoughts on the dealership–have not been impressed by sales staff but I am overly sensitive. Wish the Acura dealer with the great price were closer.
Thanks to everyone, especially Midnite, for all the opinions and ideas!
Have taken a deep breath and am off to get a car!
Post pictures!
There’s a TSX wagon at the Acura dealership down the street from where I work. Just showed up yesterday. It’s the first one I’ve seen in the wild. I wish more fun-wagons would become popular here, but I think station wagons have a bad image thanks to the Caprice wagon-boats of the past.
“…I think station wagons have a bad image thanks to the Caprice wagon-boats of the past.”
Didn’t the CTS-V wagon cure that image problem? That thing is just completely insane!
I went for it with the Acura! Edmund’s said in my preferred color in this area TMV (True Market Value) is 30,168–the original quote I got was 30,600. I got them down to 30,101 but had to pay the document fee (a very reasonable $179) and $795 for spare tire and spare tire set-up. I tried to play hardball–even started to walk out–but they were adamant.
Now I have to wait until they get it. Of course, I am second guessing myself about the overall choice and price.
I drove the Caprice boats of the past (my mom had one)–took my driving test in a Dodge wagon that I think was bigger than my current apartment. I agree the CTS is very cool but that was beyond the budget.
Thanks so much everyone.
Oops, I just re-did Edmunds and it came out to 30168 in my color . . .oh well, I guess I did not do so well with the fee and all . . .
You did well to beat the average price for your car. Congratulations! The CTS-V is out of my price range, too. And I couldn’t afford the driving classes I would need to keep myself alive with a monster like that. But it’s fun to daydream.
Thanks for encouragement about price–I feel like maybe I should have pushed harder on the tire. Maybe should have gone to VW to work on best price and availability.
Ah, alea iacta est . . .will have to live with my decision.
The tire is probably why you beat the average price - the dealership doesn’t care whether their profit comes from the car itself, or from the things you add to it. So if you had talked them down to $0 on the spare tire, the price of the car itself would not have been as low as you bargained for. I think you did OK, really. You talked them down $600 on the “price of the car,” or in other words, you got the spare tire package for $195.
Well, I got the price first and then added the spare tire . . .I guess they were overjoyed to get their profit back . . .it is hard not to second guess myself.
Thanks for all the support everyone. I think I may have the car by Monday . . .
The whole deal isn’t over until they have a check and you are leaving the dealer in your new car. They will try to get more profit with extended warranties, add on’s like VIN # etching in the window glass, interor “protectant”, exterior “protectant”, undercarriage treatment, etc.
Be ready for all these items and only say yes to any you really want. Make sure they don’t do any of these things until you approve them. Some dealers claim to do all these add on’s for everyone and add it into their “delivery” fees. Most dealers will have you sit down with the “delivery” manager to go over paperwork and this is really another salesman looking to sell you these extras. They are good at it, so you need to know your answers and expect this tactic.
Very true - they will try every trick in the book to get you to buy these high profit last minute items. Be assured, NONE of them are worth the price they’ll be asking. Just say “No”. Repeatedly, if necessary.