San Diego has a lot of quirky public art downtown. This is part of a tribute to Bob Hope and his USO work. Don't pay attention to that woman in the orange sweater. She kept sneaking into my pictures.
Part of the crowd of soldiers in the Bob Hope tribute. The artist really screwed up one of the statues.
Merle Wayne Sneed would like to buy a Honda Fit. I'm thinking of replacing the Sneed Family Junkster, my 2001 pickup. I realize that regular readers will find the idea that Merle Wayne Sneed would actually buy a new car incredible, but allow me to assure you that I have several reasons.
1. I'm sick to death of the Junkster. After driving my former Civic for a year+, I have grown accustomed to the comforts of a regular car. I have given the Civic back to Son Sneed.
The Junkster just turned 56,000 miles, so if I don't ditch it, it may outlive me. Plus, and this is no sound economic reason to buy a new car, but the Junkster is a gas hog.
2. I'm tired of people, and they know who they are, calling me a tightwad, so I intend to prove them wrong through the awesome power of my stupidity.
3. Something else.
I never said I have a good reason.
Long time readers will recall that several months ago I had a notion that I wanted a Honda Civic GX. This is a Honda Civic that runs completely on natural gas. The weasels at Honda will only let you lease one, not buy one. Apparently, should the experiment with natural gas go bad, like a car exploding or something, they can just cancel the leases and take the cars back. I don't wish to lease anything, much less an exploding Honda.
So I decided upon a Honda Fit instead, the smallest car in the Honda line, but a great little five passenger car. Small outside, but very roomy inside.
I have been waiting for the 2009 Fit to hit the showrooms before buying, because the car is redesigned for 2009 and why own an old model new car, if you can get the new model new car for nearly the same money? The 2009 Fit will have a MSRP of about $16,400, plus $800 if you want an automatic transmission.
Anyway, when I say I'm going to buy a new car, you have to understand that I might buy a new car, if the conditions are right and I don't chicken out.
That brings me to today. I was driving home after having lunch with my buddy Lonnie and as I passed a car lot a couple of blocks from the house, I spied a red Honda Fit sitting prominently in front of the lot. I went around the block and pulled into the lot to see what was what.
The car turned out to be a 2007 model that only has 11,500 miles on it. Being a savvy consumer, I know that this car originally sold in late-2006 for around $15,500. I've been thinking aboout this for awhile.
A nice enough guy named Chris greeted me and the game was on. Chris let me test drive the Fit and it was just a delight. It has obviously been well taken care of.
Chris pulled up the CarFax report on the car and it is a one-owner car that belonged to someone in Green Valley, AZ, which is a retirement community south of Hooterville. The people who owned it took it to one of our local Honda dealers every three thousand miles, like clockwork, according to CarFax. It is the proverbial car that a little old lady only drove to church.
When we got to price, Chris told me that they wanted $17,999 for it, but they would cut me a deal for $17,300. I pointed out the fact that it originally cost about $15,500 and Chris excused himself to talk to "the boss".
When he reappeared, he said that they could go down to $16,500, but that was it. I reminded him of the original price. He asked me to come up with a number, so I said $13,000. He left again and returned with bad news. "The boss", said no. Oh, well.
I asked Chris who in their right mind would pay more for a two-year-old car than it cost new? He explained that they are in demand now. That may be true, but if so, why is the current new MSRP lower than he was asking for his 2007 car? That turned out to be, I'm quoting here, "a good question".
And lest I forget, Chris said they would take the Junkster off my hands for only two thousand less than Kelly Blue Book trade -in value. What a sport.
So, it was back home for me and the Junkster. We will see what develops.
Things in this blog represented to be fact, may or may not actually be true. The writer is frequently wrong, sometimes just full of it, but always judgmental and cranky
San Diego has a lot of quirky public art downtown. This is part of a tribute to Bob Hope and his USO work. Don't pay attention to that woman in the orange sweater. She kept sneaking into my pictures.
Part of the crowd of soldiers in the Bob Hope tribute. The artist really screwed up one of the statues.
Merle Wayne Sneed would like to buy a Honda Fit. I'm thinking of replacing the Sneed Family Junkster, my 2001 pickup. I realize that regular readers will find the idea that Merle Wayne Sneed would actually buy a new car incredible, but allow me to assure you that I have several reasons.
1. I'm sick to death of the Junkster. After driving my former Civic for a year+, I have grown accustomed to the comforts of a regular car. I have given the Civic back to Son Sneed.
The Junkster just turned 56,000 miles, so if I don't ditch it, it may outlive me. Plus, and this is no sound economic reason to buy a new car, but the Junkster is a gas hog.
2. I'm tired of people, and they know who they are, calling me a tightwad, so I intend to prove them wrong through the awesome power of my stupidity.
3. Something else.
I never said I have a good reason.
Long time readers will recall that several months ago I had a notion that I wanted a Honda Civic GX. This is a Honda Civic that runs completely on natural gas. The weasels at Honda will only let you lease one, not buy one. Apparently, should the experiment with natural gas go bad, like a car exploding or something, they can just cancel the leases and take the cars back. I don't wish to lease anything, much less an exploding Honda.
So I decided upon a Honda Fit instead, the smallest car in the Honda line, but a great little five passenger car. Small outside, but very roomy inside.
I have been waiting for the 2009 Fit to hit the showrooms before buying, because the car is redesigned for 2009 and why own an old model new car, if you can get the new model new car for nearly the same money? The 2009 Fit will have a MSRP of about $16,400, plus $800 if you want an automatic transmission.
Anyway, when I say I'm going to buy a new car, you have to understand that I might buy a new car, if the conditions are right and I don't chicken out.
That brings me to today. I was driving home after having lunch with my buddy Lonnie and as I passed a car lot a couple of blocks from the house, I spied a red Honda Fit sitting prominently in front of the lot. I went around the block and pulled into the lot to see what was what.
The car turned out to be a 2007 model that only has 11,500 miles on it. Being a savvy consumer, I know that this car originally sold in late-2006 for around $15,500. I've been thinking aboout this for awhile.
A nice enough guy named Chris greeted me and the game was on. Chris let me test drive the Fit and it was just a delight. It has obviously been well taken care of.
Chris pulled up the CarFax report on the car and it is a one-owner car that belonged to someone in Green Valley, AZ, which is a retirement community south of Hooterville. The people who owned it took it to one of our local Honda dealers every three thousand miles, like clockwork, according to CarFax. It is the proverbial car that a little old lady only drove to church.
When we got to price, Chris told me that they wanted $17,999 for it, but they would cut me a deal for $17,300. I pointed out the fact that it originally cost about $15,500 and Chris excused himself to talk to "the boss".
When he reappeared, he said that they could go down to $16,500, but that was it. I reminded him of the original price. He asked me to come up with a number, so I said $13,000. He left again and returned with bad news. "The boss", said no. Oh, well.
I asked Chris who in their right mind would pay more for a two-year-old car than it cost new? He explained that they are in demand now. That may be true, but if so, why is the current new MSRP lower than he was asking for his 2007 car? That turned out to be, I'm quoting here, "a good question".
And lest I forget, Chris said they would take the Junkster off my hands for only two thousand less than Kelly Blue Book trade -in value. What a sport.
So, it was back home for me and the Junkster. We will see what develops.
Things in this blog represented to be fact, may or may not actually be true. The writer is frequently wrong, sometimes just full of it, but always judgmental and cranky
13 comments:
My brother just bought a Fit. I know someone else who tried to get a Fit, but because of the price gouging, bought a Toyota Yaris instead, But that was two years ago.
56,000 miles isnt that much. I have 137,000 on my 2001 kia sportage. Great car, and even though im out of my warranty I havent had anything major happen. HAve you thought about a Kia?? (sorry i try to sell everyone on a little known car)
Car salesman, you gotta love 'em!
; (
Add 100,000 and you have our Windstar. A great traveling house for a teenager. Lots of room between her and the outside world. But she covets a Fit, she does.
Everything they say about used car salespeople is true! Did the salesman have bad hair? Oh - never mind.
I drove a Honda Accord for many years. Just like an old lady (and I wasn't one then) I took it in for servicing every 3,000 miles. I drove it till it literally rusted and fell apart, and had 200,000 miles on it.
I am a Honda fan - but paying more than the original asking price? No way!
Oh Merle, A new car when you already have a 2001 model? I wait for my cars to be at death's door (which means they have rusted a door away or something.) If I don't get at least a dozen years out of a car
Don't get me wrong, I'd be OK with a brand new car every few years, but have always refused to have a car payment to worry about, and haven't really saved up enough dough to buy a 'new' car as yet.
Love those Honda Fits.... Honda is also coming out with a new hybrid Insight in 2009 so I'm holding out for that.
I can't believe that used-car guy! Geez.
That said, I agree with Marcia -- 56,000 miles isn't all that much. I drove my last Honda about 120,000 before selling it. (Of course, those were mostly highway miles, which supposedly makes them better somehow.)
I love Hondas. If I had a car, that's what I'd have.
the lady in orange was trying to approach you re: the gift of a sno cone machine. Luckily she eventually got through to us.
yaris? fit? what's with these car names?
Windstar sounds pretty though.
Good luck with your search.
We musn't have a long lunch with beverages and do car shopping on the way home.
that statue Looks like Bob Hope impersonating Ike. but then you'd have to view it from the side. profiles are very different. who is that weird guy standing in the statues?
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