[speaker001:] Okay, so what kind of cars are you looking at?
[speaker002:] Well, we've, uh, we've, we've test driven the Oldsmobile Delta Eighty-eight
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and a Cutlass Supreme and a used Cadillac, about three or four years old
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] because, uh, I get married in a couple of weeks and I have two kids and my fiancee has two kids
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] so we need a car that's big enough for six.
[speaker001:] Yeah [LAUGHTER] [pause].
[speaker002:] And so we went, I guess it was two weekends ago, we went, uh, car shopping
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and looked around. We found something interesting at Crest Oldsmobile Cadillac up there on Central Expressway
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] that, uh, [pause] in addition to getting a new car there, they can get you a car that's new but it's been, uh, a demonstrator model
[speaker001:] Oh, okay.
[speaker002:] for two or three thousand dollars even cheaper than the best deal they can give you for a new car.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] So, they call this program cars, and they come,
[speaker001:] [Cough].
[speaker002:] with a new car warranty, and it just seems to make sense to me to get the most car for your money to get something like that.
[speaker001:] Right. That's a real good deal. In fact my dad recently got a, um, a Pontiac, uh, believe six thousand
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] and he got a demo.
[speaker002:] Okay.
[speaker001:] And it's been a real good car
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] and it's, it's like new
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] and it only had, had very, very low mileage on it.
[speaker002:] Sure.
[speaker001:] And so I think he got a real good deal. Of course, they're fully loaded usually.
[speaker002:] Oh yeah.
[speaker001:] So it's, I think it's a pretty good option.
[speaker002:] Yeah, I think so too.
[speaker001:] Are the, uh, Oldsmobiles that you're looking at, are they the demos or they used, are they new [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Well, the ones that we were test driving were the, uh, were the new ones
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] there. Uh-huh. Well now, uh, [pause] now, they may be the demonstrator models that the sales reps drive around in.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. [pause] And then the Cadillac is, is definitely a used car or,
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] The guy said it'd been on the lot about thirty minutes. He says it'll probably be gone in a done, and it's probably gone by now.
[speaker001:] Oh no [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Those things go fast.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Uh, of course we're not, we can't consider getting a brand new Cadillac, because those are twenty-five to thirty thousand dollars.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] But when they're three years old they're, the price already drops in half.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] So then it becomes, uh, more realistic.
[speaker001:] Right. That's what I'm thinking about on my next car is do I want to get another brand new car because last two cars are brand new
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] or do I look for a used car that's maybe two, three years old that
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] but that's, you know, low mileage and in good shape. But I just, I kind of worry about getting a car that's that new with low mileage on it because you wonder why did the person that owned it want to get rid of it. Is it a lemon, or [LAUGHTER],
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] or is something wrong with it but
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] I guess that's a risk you have to take.
[speaker002:] Well, you can reduce that risk by, uh, having the car checked out, I mean, you know, if you're going to look at fifty different cars you don't want to do this
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] but if you've narrowed it down to one or two
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] you can have the car, uh, uh, checked at, uh, an independent service station
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and have them go through it from top to bottom and tell you if they can find anything wrong, because they don't have any financial interest in it.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] And then you'll have a realistic assessment of what you're getting.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. About how much do they charge to do something like that, do you know?
[speaker002:] Oh, I'm thinking around twenty or twenty-five dollars.
[speaker001:] Yeah, that's not bad.
[speaker002:] No, huh-uh.
[speaker001:] It'd be well worth it if you're considering buying a car [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] I would, I would think so.
[speaker001:] to find out.
[speaker002:] I would think so.
[speaker001:] Yeah, yeah. Well, it's kind of hard for me to talk about buying cars because I just got mine paid off about a month ago, and I,
[speaker002:] Isn't that a good feeling.
[speaker001:] Yes, I don't want to think about buying a car for a while. I just want to enjoy [hum] not having any car payments for a while
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] and enjoy watching my savings account get larger and, uh, you know, hang on to the one I've got for a few years because it's, it's, it's almost four years old, but it's still in great shape. I have a Mazda R X seven.
[speaker002:] Well, what you can do is take your car payment and put it in the bank for three or four years
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and when you're ready to get another car just pay cash for it.
[speaker001:] Yeah, I just about could really
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] because I think my car, if I continue taking good care of it, it's going to hold a pretty good resale value
[speaker002:] Oh yeah.
[speaker001:] and, uh, if I consider going the used car route and save up some money, I shouldn't have too much trouble at all.
[speaker002:] Yeah, I, I would think that's true.
[speaker001:] Could you hold on for just a moment?
[speaker002:] Sure.
[speaker001:] [Clicking] [beep] [on phone] [hum] Okay. I'm on a cordless phone, and I was picking up, uh, some background noise, so I just switched the channel up on it. I didn't want to interfere with whatever they're trying to record.
[speaker002:] Right, right, that's fine.
[speaker001:] Anyway. [pause] But, uh, I really, I really enjoy the car I have now, and I do want to hold onto it and, and you know, enjoy it while it's not having any mechanical problems whatsoever,
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] in fact it never has
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] and, uh, it's been kind of nice, and I, surprisingly enough after four years, I'm not tired of the car at all and
[speaker002:] Well.
[speaker001:] I want to hang on to it while it's still being a good car and while I'm not tired of it and while I'm single
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] and can handle a two seater for now [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] and get that out of my system.
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] Because one of these days I'll be getting a six seater probably too.
[speaker002:] Eventually.
[speaker001:] So [LAUGHTER],
[speaker002:] Yeah, the first two cars I ever bought, well, uh, uh, I've bought three cars, and I've always bought them new.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] The first car I kept for thirteen and a half years
[speaker001:] Wow.
[speaker002:] and got a hundred and sixty-one thousand out of it.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] The second car I ever bought I drive to work now. That just turned ten years old, and I've got a hundred and twenty-two thousand miles on that.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] So that, that's kind of in the way I've done things is to get things that are new and then keep them forever.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] [Pause] But, uh, [pause] my car is using two quarts of oil a week now.
[speaker001:] Oh my gosh [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] About, about a quart every hundred miles.
[speaker001:] Oh, no.
[speaker002:] So, but, uh, it runs fine, all you hav-, it's just very thirsty.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] If I just keep the oil in, it seems to be okay. But, you know, that's a sign that I'm going to have to do something sooner or later.
[speaker001:] Right. What kind of car is it?
[speaker002:] It's a, a Buick Century.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. Are you going to trade it in on this new one or,
[speaker002:] No, my fiance is selling, uh, a nineteen seventy-eight Cutlass Supreme that she has. It's actually,
[speaker001:] Okay.
[speaker002:] in better condition than my car.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] [Pause] And so she's going to get some money for that and take some money from the bank and then try to make as much down payment as possible
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] to keep the monthly payment low.
[speaker001:] So she's going to sell it rather than trade it in.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] That's probably the best thing.
[speaker002:] You lose four to six hundred dollars a trade in.
[speaker001:] Or maybe more than that, as I've learned.
[speaker002:] Oh really.
[speaker001:] Yeah. When I bought my R X seven, I, uh, best offer I got for my other car was twenty-five hundred. Well I turned around and sold it myself for forty-two hundred. So,
[speaker002:] Oh there you go.
[speaker001:] You can do much better. I'm glad you're, you're taking care of it yourself. I, I think trading it in, they just use that as additional, they may give you supposedly a better deal on your new car you're buying, but they just, are going to give you that much less for your trade in.
[speaker002:] Well that's fact.
[speaker001:] What I think. So,
[speaker002:] I think you're right.
[speaker001:] But strangely enough, the best off-, I mean, the best bargaining I had made with a dealer on my car was also the same place I got the best price
[speaker002:] Interesting.
[speaker001:] trade in, but it's a place in Arlington, and I think, maybe, as you get outside the Dallas area, I kind of, I bet you it's kind of what I decided. Well, maybe because it's outside of Dallas they are giving a little bit better prices, plus I was going through that T I fleet discount program.
[speaker002:] Okay, did, did you use it at the car shop place.
[speaker001:] Well, it's before they had that.
[speaker002:] Oh, okay.
[speaker001:] I had gone over to Texins and they had a little file where they said which dealers participated in the, in the fleet program,
[speaker002:] That's right, yeah.
[speaker001:] and what you could expect, they said, you know, a five percent over cost
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] and then options at cost and everything.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] So, I figured out a price based on that.
[speaker002:] Yeah, that's good.
[speaker001:] But I, I guess I got a pretty good deal, because I went back to the Town North Mazda right off Central
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] and offered them the same price as what I knew I was going to be able to get it for in Arlington
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] and they said there is no way you can get this car for that price, especially if we add on the equalizer
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] and the cruise control.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] He said, You're going to get a car that's got flood damage or hail damage. And they just laughed at me. And I went the next morning to Arlington, and they gave it to me for that price. And what's so funny, they took the car, they, I knew they were going to pull it from Town North because that's where the white one was.
[speaker002:] Is that right.
[speaker001:] And they had already told me, We located one at Town North. So it was that same car.
[speaker002:] My gosh.
[speaker001:] Yeah, well, unless you're selling car with hail damage and flood damage [LAUGHTER], I got the car off your lot for that price [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] And you laughed all the way to the bank.
[speaker001:] Oh I did. And I laughed real hard when I took it in for the two thousand mile checkup
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] and, uh, that they required you to do. And I took it to Town North, and sure enough I saw that guy, and he recognized me.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] He said, Oh, hi, Dana, and he kind of looked down and saw that car, and I'm sure he probably knew what was going on the very next day
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] of course, when the place in Arlington went and took the car
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] because I told him there's a place in Arlington that's going to give it to me for that price. He said, No they're not.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] And the next day they pulled the white car and took it to Arlington. So I'm sure he knew [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Such a deal.
[speaker001:] So I loved it. I sat there, and I just had the biggest grin on my face.
[speaker002:] I'll bet you did.
[speaker001:] It was kind of nice.
[speaker002:] Well, Dana, it's been really interesting, I appreciate talking with you.
[speaker001:] Yeah. Good talking to you too, Don.
[speaker002:] Okay have a good evening.
[speaker001:] Okay, good luck in your car hunting.
[speaker002:] Thank you much.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. Bye-bye.
[speaker002:] Bye-bye.