2002-01-17
I bought a new car!, posted at 7:47 a.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com Last night, I made the biggest purchase of my life and bought a new car. I bought that beautiful 2000 Pontiac Grand Am that I'd been eyeing earlier, and am very happy and confident with the purchase.I got a really good deal on it, paying $13,200 for a loaded 2000 car with only 25,000 miles. It was a personal lease car, which is a good thing. It wasn't on the road until August 2000. It has a CD player, a tape player, a sun roof, and all this other stuff that isn't that fancy but is fancy compared with what I've driven before (automatic windows, headlights that turn off automatically, air conditioning). The style is sporty and sleek, yet its four doors and considerable leg room make it a fine candidate for a road trip. You can see a picture of it here. However, the picture does not do justice to the best part of the car - its beautifully rich royal/electric blue color, which is what drew me to it. The blue is striking yet understated, with a gorgeous red pinstripe along the side. It's a really nice looking car.
Can you tell I'm a bit excited?
I played hardball with the dealer last night, and was able to get a good price. They tried to sell me a Lumina, but it looked like an old man's car to me. I suddenly have developed picky taste in automobiles, apparently. I only had to put $500 down, the insurance is about what I expected living in the city (full coverage for $135 a month, which is only $30 more than what my old car cost to insure out in the country), and I'm just really happy with the purchase.
I loved my car salesman. When Josh and I pulled into the parking lot, he recognized us through the window and waved wildly at us. He set me all up with insurance and a low downpayment. He talked his manager into letting me get this car (list price: $16,000; blue book value: app $15,000) for a couple thousand less. I was acutely aware the entire time that I was being romanced and perhaps played a little by the salespeople, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It's their job to make me feel like I got a great deal leaving the place, and they accomplished their goal. And the numbers don't lie, so I really do feel like I do.
My financing sucks right now, but I expect to get refinanced in a couple of payments through my credit union. And I also saw my credit report; it's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I'm just a few points under the what is considered a trouble rating, which is much better than I thought I was. I should be able to improve that soon.
No more bumming rides, no more being all stressed out about being denied the loan. Now I'm only going to be stressed out about paying my bills every month. But I'll be able to do it.
Life is good.