The Shrekmobile got new tires today for our President's Day Camping Extravaganza this weekend. Of course they told us everything else that was wrong with Shrek and since he is getting up there in years and miles - we decided to go and look at new cars. Pft. Every time we go and look we end up with a new car.

Initially we were looking at downsizing from the Grand Caravan to a small SUV. Which I can't type. I always type in SVU - where's Stabler? We test drove a few - a Dodge Journey and a Durango. But man - they had these Challengers on the lot too. The whole idea about getting a SUV was so we would have enough room to put all of our camping junk. But - the SVU...dang...SUV would be too small for that and we would always have to take the truck with us as well.

The theory goes that if we have to take two cars camping then why not actually get a car instead of a SUV. So. We did.

And friends - I really dislike car salesman. We decided to trade in Shrek - he's an '05 with barely 74,000 miles with one little dink in the back. I had already checked the Kelley resale on the van and it was right around 10k. Tobey said we would only get half that. Ha. I told him there was no way I was going to trade the van in for that. No. Way.

Wouldn't you know that is exactly what they offered us. 5k. And the $800 we put into the van today for tires and new shocks? *vaporized* The salesman said, "Well, the Challenger has new tires on it as well!" Hardee har har.

I was so beyond twerked. And I finally said as much. I told him I was insulted by their offer since they were going to detail it at no cost to them and sell it for 10k and make a $5,000 profit because we took good care of the van. He said it had high mileage. Er. Nope. At seven years old and an average of 12k a year in mileage would equal 84,000 miles on most trade ins of that age. I told Tobey the way they are working it was for every two years we owned the van we lost 25% of what we paid for it. 5k my butt.

So the 5k they offered became 6. Still not good enough. I wanted 8 and not a penny less. 6250? Um. Nope.

We ended up with $7200 for the van and $2600 off the sticker price.

Now the problem is that this car is like wayyyyyy to cool for me. I had to call my brother Matt Damon and share the pics with him. Matt loves Challengers and has been working on restoring one of his own for the last few years. I told him that car was too cool for me - people would laugh when they see this fat, middle aged woman driving her around. He said, "That is why the windows are tinted!" - but upon closer inspection - they aren't!

So after work on Thursday we go to pick her up and trade off the van. And you know what I kept thinking - we bought the van brand spankin' new the Christmas after Mom died. She never got to see it. And now we are trading the van in. That much time has passed. She has been dead long enough for us to go through the life of an automobile. I know. It's weird to think that - but there you have it.

The best part - she would have loved it!

~ames

on Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Labels: Life