TRYING TO BUY A MUCH NEEDED NEW CAR

 Here's another kind of organizing.  We need to buy a new car.  Our old car has a problem that develops with this model car and we want to get rid of it before it is too late.  We keep looking at what is available.  Problem is that cars have changed too much for us since we bought our current car and we want to avoid as much as we can of the changes – such as – we would really like a REAL KEY to the car.  

Husband has it down to one particular car and we keep hemming and hawing over it.  In addition to not being comfortable with the new cars and the changes in them (our most current car was purchased in early 2013 and the car world has, apparently changed since then) we also have financial limitations on the purchase.  In the past when we were both working this was not a problem – as matter of fact we customarily paid for our new cars in full when we purchased them – did not take out a loan.  But with our current car and this new car (and our RV) a loan has been needed for convenience of not needing to get out of other assets the money to pay for the car as it would result in income taxes being due on the money taken from same.   (Not wealthy, just very prudent at socking away savings from our incomes over the decades before spending was done.)   

We had figured that between our trade in (based on values husband saw online) and what we could manage to take out of the bank we would owe about half of the cost of the car.  

Since when this model year is over there will be no more key – we went today to a dealer who had the car we wanted.  We had a test drive – well husband did, I just rode along with him and the salesman.  He liked how it drove – I was a bit concerned that hood sat too high for him, but he said it did not.  So we moved along to the messy part – negotiating for the car.  

Actually same was rather simple – Dealer employee “This is the cost.”  Husband “Okay, how much can you lower that price  - it is the full price.”  Dealer employee “That is the price – we are  “only” charging the MSRP  not charging you more than it – charging over same has apparently become the norm (well, it is a suggested retail price from the manufacturer I guess).  “Discussion” went on.  He can't give us anything lower in price  - and the US$1000 plus in extras we don't can't be removed from the car/price.  Oh, and our current car which husband had looked up the value of – is only worth half according to them.  Price now too high for us.   I should explain that we have not technically had “a car” in several decades as we have had what are considered “light trucks”.  

The manager came over and would not give us anything at all.  We DID not buy the car and will be checking out some of the other local dealers to see what their story is.  

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
One can plan all one wants – but that does not mean that when one needs to buy something – it will be anything like it was in the past or that the process today will make ANY sense at all.  I wonder if we were paying all cash it would be less expensive and an easier process.