On the Road Again

We'd like to announce a new member of our family. We are the proud owners of a 2006 Gray Toyota Sienna minivan. After 3 hours at the Toyota Dealership where we purchased our other minivan (a mere 9 months ago), we ended up with the exact same van as before, down to the paint color. The good news is that after *much* negotiation, we spent $1500 less than nine months ago.

The experience does beg a question. What's more annoying in this world than buying a car from a car dealership? The first dealership experience we ever had was awesome - we bought a Saturn. There was no dickering, per their policy. They were helpful, friendly, and even threw us a party when we took our car home. If the Saturn minivan got better reviews, we would be there in an instant. We were seriously spoiled by a "different kind of car company."

Every other dealership operates in approximately the same annoying way. The salesperson assigned to you gives the appearance of having absolutely no power. Every decision needs to be approved by their manager, in some secret little room far far away. Every time they leave to "run something by their manager" they are gone for 20 minutes. When you ask for a reduction in price, they come back with what you didn't ask for... an ambiguous monthly payment amount instead of the total price, or a list of prices for a different model that you aren't even interested in. Their "absolute bottom line" is never as far as they're willing to go --- they can always "do you a favor" and give up some commission (a bargaining ploy, I'm sure). The whole experience of the dealership is like sitting in the dentist chair for me.

Once you agree to buy, the finance person spends 30 minutes trying to sell you every kind of ridiculous insurance under the sun. Like life insurance, in case of Mark's death, so that I can keep his vehicle. But, if Mark is dead, I won't need his car. Wouldn't I just sell it?? At a dealership a few years ago, the finance guy was feeding us a line about how some stupid insurance would only cost 35 cents a day, and I piped up with, "and for the price of a cup of coffee, I could feed starving children in Africa." At least Mark laughed.

Despite the agony of the experience, we did make it through and should be back to two automobiles today. Which is good, because we are tired of getting kicked in the back by two active toddlers stuck in a sardine tin called a Saturn SL1.