Mom Gets a New Car

Some of you know that my Mom's car went in the shop a few weeks ago for a checkup. The short story is the car is about to die.. just fall over and Die.  Well, Mom called me that afternoon pretty upset. Ray's truck was JUST getting out of the shop the day my Mom's car was diagnosed with terminal rust and obsolescence. That's just a lot of money for a family to put out in the period of a week, considering Ray's repairs  cost almost $1500.00 if I remember correctly.

 

We were both pretty bummed about it for a few days. I was wishing I could help and Mom was looking for a way to remedy the car situation in any manner that wouldn't leave them in a huge financial crunch. Well, a few days later, having made no progress on my end, Mom called me up sounding lots more chipper than she had when I spoke to her prior. She'd just gotten 100% approved for a loan that would take care of the car problem.  Cool. Now she can affford one. Now we just need to FIND one worth a lick.

 

You have to understand my Mom. My mom turns 60 years old this year and has spent all her adult life making sacrifices so her boys could have a good life, have good clothes to wear, be able to go to School, etc. So when she called me and told me she had been down to RD Sawyer's on the beach and was looking for cars and had found a few she thought OK, I was less than elated. The prices she was getting for the cars she wanted were all right, but certain nothing spectacular. It was an issue where the dealer knew she had to have something and from the descriptions of what he was offering, I felt like he was trying to get her in something he wanted to get off his lot. A 2001 Taurus for 9K isn't what I call a spectacular deal.

 

Well, she asked me to look around up here since I know a couple of dealers from my previous life. I was thrilled at the idea and I went straight to the dealership where I've bought the last 8 cars over the years.  (Two of mine, one of my ex's, and 5 for her family.) After walking through the Kia of Greenville lot, and their sister dealership, Suzuki of Greenville, I wasn't feeling as elated as I had earlier in the day. The prices were good on their used cars but the mileage was a little high for what I had hoped to find and the selection wasn't as good as it has been in years past.

 

About halfway through my visit the manager, Sterling, came out and shook my hand. I've known Sterling through the Turner family for a few years now and he's always treated me well. After a few seconds of introduction he asked me who the car was for.  When I told him my Mom, he literally almost threw me off the lot! He told me nothing I had looked at that day was worth putting my Mom into and told me to go wait by the phone... he'd call me within an hour and have something for me to look at that he'd feel comfortable selling to my Mom.  Semi-flabbergasted, I said ok and mosied back to my office to wait.

 

About an hour later my phone rang and they told me to come down to the dealership and see what they had for me. Well, the Turner family, and Sterling, came through for me again. What he had pulled up to the lot for me was still fresh off the auction block. It still had the marker paint on the bumper where a blemish had been marked out at the auction. Sitting there for us was a Silver-ish, V6, 3.0 Liter, 2005 Mercury Sable. Loaded! Sunroof, leather, full electronic controls, JBL audio system, huge trunk space, 4 doors, plenty of power and good gas mileage, and WAY low miles (27,208). And the price was almost where I wanted it to be, from the first offer.

 

Wanting to sit and think it over, I told Sterling I wanted to pull a NADA on it, and pull a Carfax on it before I made a recommendation to my mom. Without a moment's hesitation he passed me the NADA sheet, the carfax sheet, and the keys and told me to bring it back when I'd made a decision.. just like that. No headaches, no problems.

 

Well, you know me. I had to try it out for myself. I called Mom from the highway telling her about it and the more I talked the more excited she became. She asked me once what in the world that noise was she heard over the phone... oops. "Umm, that was your car. I wanted to see if it would lay rubber from a dead stop at the stoplight on hot dry pavement. (I peeled from first through third gear, so I was impressed.)

 

Well, long story semi-shortened; Mom got the newest car she's ever had, got it at a great price, traded in her clunker, and now she's pimpin' around in her new ride that she calls  "so, NOT a mom-car."

 

So, Thanks Michael, Sterling, and Bobby. You guys came through for me again, and helped my mom get a car she really likes for a good price. Heck, the finance company told her that even with the financing, by the time she's over halfway through the payments the car will still out-value the loan amount!

 

 

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