I just went through the process of buying a used car from a local dealership – twice! I thought I’d share what happened in case you are considering getting yourself something new or used to drive.
The Realization
Last summer I came to a point in the proverbial road where a choice had to be made – spend some money fixing up my older car, or look for something newer. Both options had pros and cons.
Keeping the 2007 Mazda 3 could be good. I know it well. It’s a stick shift, has cool controls for the radio on the steering wheel, doesn’t have any screens, and carries a nice size load if necessary, but could use a bit of work.
Getting something newer, but still used, could mean something in better shape and maybe a bit bigger, and perhaps 4WD. It would be unfamiliar to me though, and might have more computers to fail in various ways or other unknown issues.
I decided to wait and think about it. The more I drove around, the more small SUVs I started to see on the road – Honda CRVs, Subaru Crosstreks, Mazda CX5s, Toyota RAV4s, Nissan Rogues, and other similar vehicles. How about tiny cars? There were EV incentives to think about. I also saw some other interesting hatchbacks, and paused for a moment to remember a nice red ’65 Mustang I wanted when I was 17. Lots of options.
Getting a newer vehicle was starting to win out, mostly for the novelty of something new.
Visit One
I had the good fortune of accompanying someone who wanted a new (used) vehicle on a car shopping expedition. She had done her research and we set out with the goal of visiting as many dealerships in Brattleboro or Keene as was necessary to find her what she was looking for within her budget. I hadn’t been to a car dealership since my parents bought an orange Datsun in the 1970s, and I was curious to see what we’d find.
First stop was Brattleboro Subaru, since a friend had recommended a salesperson to her. The recommended person had the day off, but we were there to shop and Tom McFeeley invited us in. He took a few notes as she described the type of car she was looking for and how much she hoped to spend.
He said he thought he might have the perfect option, which seemed a bit like salesperson-speak, but damn if he wasn’t correct. He spun his computer around and showed her a picture of a candy apple red Mazda CX-5 precisely at her price point, with low miles.
I went along for her test drive to Putney, and it was a great vehicle. Before long she was making a down payment. I poked around the showroom and looked at the 2024 Crosstrek in the lobby. Mmmm. Nice. New car smell. Perfect condition.
A few days later, after a lesson on how to set the mirrors, adjust the seats, and use the levers and switches, she was ready to drive her Mazda home. While she was doing some of the final paperwork, I told Tom that I would be looking for something similar in the next few months. I was in no hurry, but a small used SUV in good shape with low miles would be perfect. He made a few notes on a card.
Research
I decided to do my detailed research and get ready to pounce on something good if it came along. That Mazda was nice.
I made a grid with my four favorites – the RAV4, Rogue, CRV and CX-5 – and guessed that I’d end up somewhere between 2010 and 2018. I researched each of those models in each of those years at multiple trim levels. I made note of what Kelly Blue Book, Carfax, cars.com, Car & Driver, Consumer Reports, and other reviewers had to say.
I also watched the regional car sites to see how often cars I liked came up, what they were selling for and where they were located. A few area dealership had good prices and regular inventory. A place in Athol looked promising, as did a few others. Bratt Subaru did well, too. Some other places I had heard advertising for seemed a bit pricey.
My head was filling up with car information. One model was good in this year but is a clunker in that year. The hybrid versions are better than the all-gas version, but only starting after this date. That sort of stuff.
As I drove around in my current car, different vehicles would tease me on different days. I’d go to the store and the parking lot would be filled with Honda CRVs. I’d go a week later and just see Toyotas around me. I was never surrounded by ’65 Mustangs for some reason.
I started to ask people as they were getting in or out of their cars if they liked them, and got lots of reviews from friendly people. You may have been one of them, and if so, thanks for the information!
A Bolt owner gave a rousing endorsement. Most people raved about their CRVs. A couple of young guys told me that they had driven their RAV4 across the country and back a few times with no problems. Hybrid owners were very happy. One person with a VW said they liked it but when things went wrong, it was always a big hassle. Another woman told me her story of super-luck stumbling on to a perfect older RAV4 with only 20k miles on it. She told me the older models were better than the new ones.
There came a day when I decided that I knew enough and could confidently start looking for either a RAV4 or CX-5. I knew that I’d need $500 ready for a deposit to swoop on something, so I juggled some accounts and got ready to be able to write that check.
That day, no joke, there was a message from Tom at Brattleboro Subaru. He had a couple of things he thought I might want to see. I was ready to go and said I’d drop in.
Return Visit
The first vehicle Tom wanted to show me was a brown 2011 RAV4 with about 86k miles. One owner, well maintained. I took it for a test drive into Brattleboro (city), out Rt 30 (highway), and over Black Mountain (hills) back to the dealership. Drove nice. The tire light was on, but I liked that it was simple and there wasn’t a distracting screen of any sort. This model and year had been high on my list of candidates, and driving it confirmed the research.
Second one was an orange 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. This would be super-cool if I were in my 20’s or had a job as a spy. It was comfortable, like sitting in a big baseball glove. Buttons seemed to be everywhere – on the dash, on the steering wheel, on the armrest, on the center console – like an airplane cockpit. The seats heated up, the mirror showed the compass direction, and the “radio” looked like a giant iPad. There were super safety features to warn you if you drifted out of your lane or faced other potential dangers. I’m not certain, but this car may have turned into a boat or plane with one of the other buttons. I repeated my test drive loop.
Third vehicle was the one I thought I’d like best – a bright blue 2016 RAV4 Hybrid. Driving it, though, I realized I liked the first one much better. It was little things. There were some little edges/wings on the sides of the boxy hood that distracted a bit. (The older model had a rounded hood that didn’t block off as much of the view.) The hybrid mode displays were a bit distracting as well, with lots of little dashboard blinking as power shifted from gas to electric and back. And there was a kind of old looking screen where the radio would be. Not a shiny iPad like screen, but more of an amber, DOS-type thingie. Eh.
I was leaning toward the first one, but made offers on both RAV4s. After a bit of negotiating, I was making my down payment on the 2011.
Before I could drive it away, I needed to shift some funds around, and they were going to do a bit of work to fix the tire light, put new tires on, give it a new battery, and some other things. About a week went by, then we were all ready on both sides.
One of the nice features of buying used from a dealership is that they made it easy. Included in what the customer pays, the dealership inspects it, pays the tax for you, handles the title and registration, put your new plates on, charges up the keys, and so on.
When you are ready to pay, you visit another office to go over the paperwork, financing or cash payment, and offers for service contracts. You can even get referred for insurance if you’d like a complete package.
Driving it off the lot felt a lot like renting a new vehicle -a bit strange and different, with different buttons and controls to figure out. A few days later, you get the feeling that you kind of like this rental. Finally, after a week, you feel bad that you need to return the rental but realize it isn’t a rental, and you can keep it. : )
You Can Do It
If you are about to go through this process and considering a local dealership, I suggest:
– figure out your budget
– research the cars you like; make notes
– have a friend help you
– stop in a dealership and tell them what you are looking for
– wait for something you like
I heard good things about most of our local dealerships, by the way. It depends on what you are looking for as to where you are most likely to find it. If you want a Ford F150, you go to where the Fords are. : )
If you happen to end up at Brattleboro Subaru, tell Tom I recommended you drop in. And if you see me out and about, feel free to ask me if I like what I’m driving. : )
