“A brand new 1978 Dodge Monaco, ideally with a 360.” That was my honest, if unrealistic, answer to Mrs. Jason when she asked what I really wanted.
That’s how our automotive shopping adventure began. If you surmise we (Mrs. Jason and I) are less than enthralled with the current crop of automotive offerings, you would be correct.
So how do we navigate through the quagmire that is the market’s visually dull, and seemingly endless, models mixed with the likely inevitable verbal jousting with dealerships? Keep reading.
For the sake of protecting the guilty, I will (generally) refrain from naming the locations of these dealers. We visited dealerships stretching from St. Louis to Kansas City along with various others around the state.
We began tire kicking some time ago, aiming for new and careful about looking at used.
The prompting for this dealership jujitsu was three-fold. First, our “new” car is now eleven years old and is scratching the 100,000 mile mark. This Passat has been a great car, even recently taking us on a 2,559 mile road trip to Florida and back and yielding 35 to 36 mpg in the process (while loaded and running at hyper legal speeds). I would happily buy another, especially if a wagon were still offered in the United States, but VW eliminated that possibility.
We will be keeping it.
Second, our Ford Econoline is now 25 years old yet with only 142,000 miles on the odometer.
Mechanically it is great, but it’s all the ancillary components in which time is exerting itself. While the van is great for some trips, we don’t care to drive it as far and as frequently as we have in the past.
As an aside, prevailing speeds on US highways are seemingly a lot higher now than they were in 2010 when we bought this Ford. When we drove the van to Fort Worth, Texas, in June 2023, prevailing speeds were generally 10 or so mph above the posted speed limit. A section of I-44 between Tulsa and Oklahoma City was posted at 80 mph. This van does not like 80+ mph and I really don’t like driving it 80+ mph with others aboard. Handling is not on its list of priorities.
The third reason was this immaculate 1985 Chevrolet Caprice wagon. It has 65,000 miles but an unknown history.
For years I have spoken of our need to haul a harp. This Caprice would handily do so but, as I told Mrs. Jason, it’s even older than the Ford.
We were initially on the fence whether this new rig needed to carry a harp or not. We were, however, facing the harp direction. I mention this given a few wildcards mentioned below.
Ready?
Stellantis
Quite early in this endeavor I test drove a new, prior model year Jeep Compass. It was so (un)memorable this memory fragment was inserted during editing. The dealer was deserted on a Saturday morning and the salesman was quick to offer me the opportunity to take it home for Mrs. Jason to see. While price was not heavily discussed, there was no demonstration of willingness to come off the sticker price despite the unit being a year old.
Stellantis, like so many other manufacturers, seems to have a fixation with black interiors, a color we don’t care to have. Mrs. Jason asked a salesman at another dealer about a new Chrysler Pacifica and whether the interior could come in something, anything, other than black.
He stated they did not, but offered a remote start for cooling purposes. He earned an A for effort, but Mrs. Jason didn’t appreciate the encouragement to waste fuel simply because Chrysler is, in her words, “either too lazy or too cheap” to offer a lighter colored interior.
Toyota
It was a cold, dreary day when we stopped at the Toyota dealer.
The Camry did not excite Mrs. Jason. We looked at a Highlander, which was smaller inside than the exterior indicates. We also viewed a Corolla Cross, which was bigger inside than the exterior indicates. Mrs. Jason and I were intrigued with the Corolla Cross but not enough to discuss it again.
Ford
More often than not, we get ignored at Ford dealers. Such happened again.
Mrs. Jason was curious about the passenger version of a Transit Connect. It would be a smaller, more economical version of our Econoline. We walked all over the lot (they had no customers, it was the middle of the day, and this was one of the two largest Ford dealers in the state), we opened doors, we did not act meekly.
Then we saw the interior. Mrs. Jason observed it looked like the inside of a U-Haul van and her curiosity evaporated. We never did talk to a salesman despite having parked by the front door and not slithering around the place.
Soon thereafter I drove a new Transit Connect at work. It did not tempt me.
Volkswagen
Given the drama free experience of our Passat, we had been inclined toward Volkswagen, hoping for a repeat performance. Thus, they got some extra attention from us.
When visiting VW Dealer #1, I stated my interests were a Tiguan or a Taos; I was uncertain which. I was told that was not a problem, keys would be obtained so I could drive both – which I did. The Question was then uttered for the very first time: What color do you like? My response, which has become typical: Anything without a black interior.
It’s amazing how that response facilitates the same blank facial expression I might get if asking the salesman to yodel.
There are undoubtedly many predictions used when designing and building a car. The manufacturer must gaze into their often murky crystal ball and determine the prevailing winds of future market forces. It cannot be easy. However…
The color is richer than what it appears in this internet grabbed photo.
When a dealer has over 30 new Tiguans of all trims on the lot, but only one without a black interior, somebody somewhere has erred. The Tiguan I drove was the outlier, having a leatherette interior VW calls “Cinnamon”. It’s a very nice color VW should be proud of offering. But I guess they aren’t.
Volkswagen hedged their bets with the Taos; the example I drove had a patchwork of black and gray throughout the interior.
Fast forward to VW Dealer #2. The salesman was an arrogant person who, like the old saying goes, didn’t know shit from Shinola. Naturally, The Color Question came up. His response was how black interiors are what everybody wants.
Later, after he finally comprehended our absence of appetite for black interiors, he showed us an Atlas with a gray interior. It is amazing how much a lighter color can elevate interior ambiance.
He then stated anything with a gray interior sells as soon as it hits the lot.
So, let me get this straight…you have several dozen Jettas, Tiguans, and Taos with black interiors stacked up like cord wood, and gray sells immediately, yet black is what everybody wants? Right.
As another aside, one of the Atlases (Atlii?) he showed us (with a black interior, what else?) was an utter mess inside. It seems a few mice found their way inside and had destroyed the headliner with the underlying sound insulation with the mess having cascaded down throughout the interior. It made me wonder if the repairs would be disclosed to the new owner.
At VW Dealer #3, we test drove a Jetta SE. The sales pressure at this dealer was overtly bad. Before we even looked at a car, we were asked what we wanted our payment to be (I’m only concerned about an out-the-door price, buddy), what we would change with our Passat (fewer miles and less age), what brought us to this dealer (you are close to some other dealers I have already talked to), and what it would it take to “rock-and-roll and make a deal today” (seeing Elvis sing “Proud Mary” with Patsy Cline, although I gave a different answer).
The Jetta looked nice. It was white and had a very light gray interior. Getting in I noticed the fuel gauge was flashing and a warning light said “Zero Miles To Empty”.
As soon as we were on the street, the salesman, who was sitting behind Mrs. Jason and had just pulled the car up to the door for us, said “Uh, do you mind stopping at the gas station up the street? I see we need some fuel.” We do? Really?
Thus began a fifteen minute ordeal with inoperable pumps and other ridiculousness. This allowed Mrs. Jason and I ample time to explore the Jetta and discover a few things. When vacating the rear seat I heard a weird thump. Sure enough, a brand new Jetta with 9 miles on the odometer had a rear seat cushion that had not been fastened into place.
Upon returning to the dealer the sales manager asked if I was ready to buy. I responded by politely asking if he had married the first woman he had dated. Sheepishly, he admitted he had.
Dealership experience aside, the Jetta is off the list.
Mercedes
After finding the Caprice wagon, Mrs. Jason discovered the E-Series wagon. They are indeed quite nice.
Now, if you want to unicorn hunt, try finding a late model Mercedes E-Series wagon in the Midwest. Looking at certified used examples on the Mercedes website showed them mostly near New York City or around Los Angeles. Go figure.
One day Mrs. Jason and I stopped at a Mercedes dealer. The lot was packed with new iron, from C-Series sedans to G-Wagens and a few Maybach S-Series. When asked about a used E-Series wagon the salesman displayed the same blank reaction we see upon saying “no black interiors”. We didn’t even mention interior color.
When stating he had no E-Series wagons, he directed us toward a new GLS450 then added there were more new cars on the lot than at any point in the ten years he’d been working at this dealer. An interesting observation I did not exploit.
Calling another Mercedes dealer later that day, I was greeted with the same silence as when stating our opposition to black interiors. After his painful pause, the salesman told me he’d been there over a year and seen all of one come through.
For various unique reasons we ruled out any wagon from Mercedes (and Audi and Volvo).
Honda
I work with a guy who missed his true calling in life. He is able to extract information from people in such a disarming manner they never know what happened. This Honda salesman had not yet developed that ability. Before looking at anything, he sat us down and went through a scripted series of questions, writing down answers to each. Yes, I understand the purpose, and I don’t begrudge him doing his job, but when I am anticipating his next question to be my mother’s blood type, the questions are a bit much.
He asked about my Honda experience. I disclosed my having owned a Honda powered lawnmower for about twenty years. He then asked about my experience with Honda automobiles. I stated I had never owned one yet disclosed how a good friend of my wife had a late model Pilot (or Passport) she bought new. I then disclosed how one of its connecting rods recently sought to exit the engine immediately upon the warranty lapsing.
This was yet another instance of someone not appreciating an honest answer.
That said, this young salesman gave an noble effort to find us something on the lot meeting our criteria for floor space. We then showed us an HRV, a CRV, a UTV, and an APB. Oh wait, Honda doesn’t sell at least one of those. Honda is either good at names (Civic, Accord) or not. Acronyms seem to be the BFF for some but are really a PITA.
YMMV.
We really liked the HRV and particularly the CRV, knowing they aren’t an automotive STD. My wife and I both appreciate buttons on the IP and Honda has kept buttons – at least on what we saw. However, both were insufficient in floor space.
The valiant young salesman did not suggest a Pilot or Passport. Not suffering from ADD, he knew he was SOL as that option was DOA due to my wife’s friend’s POS Honda and we then left PDQ.
Subaru
Okay, so Subaru calls the Outback an SUV despite it being a station wagon. Whatever.
While such sales hyperbole can be overlooked, what cannot be overlooked is the ascendency of Subaru in the United States.
During this ongoing process my wife has observed how most of the current crop of automotive offerings look too much like a hiking boot in both profile and cladding. The Outback is what inspired this observation. She isn’t wrong.
With the unpainted frontal cladding added for the 2023 facelift of the Outback, I said the black line running down from the headlights makes it look like Tammy Faye Bakker, especially on the lighter colored examples.
Remember her? She was married to televangelist Jim Bakker and she loved her mascara. Miss Tammy generally cried a lot on their show, with her mascara streaking down her face. The Bakker’s late 1980s downfall involved Jim’s extracurricular sexual escapades. It was also during this time the world learned about air-conditioned dog houses.
Since we wanted to look at a hiking boot, er, Outback, Mrs. Jason and I stopped by a Subaru dealer since it was down the street from the Mercedes dealer mentioned earlier. Accompanying us was our female offspring, Mrs. Jason Jr.
The young salesman was exceptionally helpful and attentive…particularly to Mrs. Jason Jr. He found us an Outback, relocated it so we could fully see it, and respectfully explained features, options, trims, and the dealership’s willingness to do a dealer trade or to order what we wanted. He then showed us a new Forester and Ascent to ensure we knew the differences in the Subaru product line.
This young salesman was exceptionally good, the best we encountered by that point. Mrs. Jason Jr. was aware of the attention but she did nothing to encourage him. I can’t help but like the guy; he has good taste.
Later, we visited another Subaru dealership. It felt like a Ford dealer; they were not busy and we were again ignored overlooked. Going inside, the theme continued. We even stood in the middle of the showroom for a while before a young salesman appeared. When asked how we were, I expressed relief about not being invisible.
This salesman was strong on talking but subpar on listening mixed with a touch of argumentativeness. At one point he asked how far away we were from home (this was in the Kansas City area), then argued with me about it. We picked a new Outback to test drive and he understood our desire for a not black interior. His questions were seemingly innocent but loaded. He was doing his job and I was doing mine – giving him nothing to use against me later.
Perhaps it was due to age and inexperience, but this salesman gave us neither his name nor a business card.
General Motors
Talking to GM dealers has been both annoying and financially rewarding.
Let’s start with the rewarding. For some time we have been stopping at a particular dealer after hours (it’s in a good place to stop and walk midway to a frequent destination) and each time we have found coins scattered on the ground. So far I’ve made over $4 from them, with another $0.42 our last time there after hours. Perhaps it is from all the cash GM has had to throw on the hood of some of their products over the years.
However, when we stopped during business hours, we were starting to think we were at yet another Ford dealer. So I suppose I’ll just keep stopping and collecting money.
Another GM dealer we visited introduced us to a unique fellow. When telling him we wanted to see a Malibu (my wife really likes the looks of them), he stuck us in one of the dozen or so Cadillac Lyriqs littering the place and drove us to one of their nearby overflow lots. It was hotter than Hades that day, the Malibu had a black interior (we needed to at least see a Malibu), and it was squeezed between a bunch of other cars.
Despite starting the engine, said salesman did not bother to pull it out so we could see it. Overall, he seemed distracted. This salesman did find us two Malibus having a gray interior; both were at other dealers far away. But he never asked for our names or phone number.
We returned to this dealer a few weeks later, but I called ahead to arrange speaking with a salesman. When the lady who answered the phone asked who I wanted to speak with, I said anybody but (said his name). Her response? “Oh, honey, I don’t blame you.” This second trip involved test driving a Malibu and a more rewarding experience.
This salesman also showed us a Blazer in RS trim, the Blazer being something else Mrs. Jason had been curious about. It had some very good traits we really liked. But good luck finding one (at that time) on any lot.
Outcome
I started writing this piece in August. In November we made a purchase. This process took a long time but we finally landed. This piece was intentionally a teaser, so stay tuned. I will likely write up the new one sometime in 2025 but, as of mid-January, we’ve only put 350 miles on it in six weeks. We’ve been staying home a lot.
However, the basic truth remains. I would much prefer a new 1978 Dodge Monaco, ideally with a 360. And not in yellow.
Related Reading from when we bought the Passat over a decade ago: Moving on With Life – Sitting Bull and Wedding Dresses by JS
“However, the basic truth remains. I would much prefer a new 1978 Dodge Monaco, ideally with a 360. And not in yellow.”
If you think you can leave a yellow one, then your suffering just isn’t great enough, man.
A very amusing read. And perhaps the most scattershot array of candidate vehicles I’ve ever seen.
I agree about the prevalence of black interiors. They need to be made of nice materials and have some contrast to avoid feeling cheap and depressing. But I like grey even less. I somehow associate it with economy cars. That Tiguan with the tan interior is a nice balance.
If you bought a Malibu, I apologize for slagging it a few weeks ago.
Shoulda bought a new 1978 Monaco wagon, that would carry the harp too.
I share your lack of enthusiasm for new vehicles in 2025, of our fleet of 6 cars the newest is 2016, so this situation cannot last forever and I’m not looking forward to the inevitable shopping trips.
Black interiors never bothered me, I’m covering the seat and looking outside most of the time.
@ Jason: I really enjoyed reading about your exploits with the various salespersons! The Honda one (with all the acronyms) caused me to LOL!! It has been my experience to have dealt with many of the same types, and thus, when I bought my last new car (a Honda, BTW) I took the painless route of going through my credit union. The process involved minimal dealings with salespersons. I eagerly await the reveal of the new vehicle. And make my Monaco a two door!! 🙂
I feel your pain, because there is no time of my life before the present when the crop of cars on offer holds less appeal to me. Random thoughts:
The black and white interior of the VW Taos would make me feel like being inside of an orca. And I will never, ever look at the front of an Outback ever again without imagining a blubbering Tammy Faye. Thank you.
My problem at Honda was restricted to a single three-letter name: CVT. As in the only kind of transmission they will sell you unless you buy a Ridgeline or a Pilot. Someday, someone will build a CVT that will reliably last 200k miles. And maybe that is Honda right now. But I have my doubts.
I think my 2023 Charger 3.6 is the functional equivalent of your ideal 78 Monaco with the 360. We chose it despite black being the only interior option. We have traditionally hated black interiors too, but sacrificed on that metric because everything else was so suitable. We only have 2400 miles on ours now, despite owning it for nearly 9 months. And in a bit of bad luck, my other car now has a black interior too. Oh well.
I look forward to the next report.
Again, I just can’t understand the idea of reading an article from complete strangers about their experience with such a mundane task like purchasing a new car.
So don’t read it. No one is forcing you, right? Yet you did.
You keep making similar complaints here about other stuff. Would you like a refund of your subscription?
I agree 100% about the crazy fixation automakers have with black interiors. I just don’t get it — they’re hot, they always look dirty/dusty, and in a number of vehicles with gun-slit windows, they make the interior seem like a dark, depressing cave.
My current car has a grey interior. Grey isn’t perfect, but by comparison, it seems so bright and airy compared to the same vehicle with a black interior.
I was all set to buy a new version of the same car (Honda) until I discovered that the only way to specify it with anything other than a black interior would be for it to be painted red or white — my two least favorite colors.
The absolute moment I opened this page, and saw the light yellow ’78 Monaco, I knew this would be a fun read by Jason. lol
My dad bought a new ’78 Aspen wagon in Light Mocha Tan, with the Super Slant Six. On the reference of another family member’s purchase of a ’76 Volare wagon in Harvest Gold, with the 360. The 360 made all the difference, in the Volare wagon being an all-around more fulfilling and enjoyable experience, for the duration of its lifetime. Hoping your journey, has a happier next phase!
I’ll take a Monaco as well please.
Last time I went to a dealer to take a test drive, I came away with a distinct preference to sign up for a colonoscopy than to go through the experience again.
After wandering around the showroom looking at this and that car, asking for a brochure (they don’t have those any more), a saleshole finally tripped over us. English not being his first language, it was (more than) a little difficult to communicate. I asked to test drive a Jeep Cherokee. After much database searching and computer engagement, he went to find keys. He brought me to see a Grand Cherokee. I said no, I wanted a Cherokee, whereupon we returned to his kiosk to start the process over again. Upselling at its finest.
I finally did drive one. It did have sufficient fuel in it as well! Oh and they don’t have business cards any more, he wanted me to scan a QR code to download his coordinates to my phone. As if.
Best car salesman I ever encountered was one who quietly tipped me that he would negotiate on my behalf with his manager to reduce the price. Which he did. I signed a deal with him that day, and I also won that day’s in dealer draw, an iPod if I recall right.
My first car was an ’82 Pontiac J2000 LE, a.k.a. Sunbird, which of course was a near-clone of a Chevy Cavalier. People asked why I bought that car instead of, say, a Honda Accord. One reason: 6 interior color choices (dark blue, burgundy, grey, tan, black, or as in my car, green). And I don’t mean a small patch of green upholstery on the seats and doors of an otherwise black interior. I mean green seats, green headliner, green dash, green carpet, and green seatbelts.
My current ride, a ’19 VW Golf, has a black interior of course (grey may have been available but is even more dull and depressing to me), but at least the GTI seats I swapped in liven things up with that red plaid cloth. Also high marks, even with just a 1.4T under the hood, for feeling completely secure and poised at 80+mph. I understand all the things I read about German cars in car magazines when I was a teenager now; these things really do feel like they’re designed for autobahn speeds. My ’07 Rabbit was the same way. I had to buy the ’19 as certified used though, because they stopped selling standard Golfs after 2021, and GTIs were out of my price range. This was a few years ago when tight supplies caused 4-year-old used cars to be priced like new ones.
I had a girlfriend in Santa Cruz years ago who set up her doghouse with air conditioning (and heat too); it was in the crawl space below a house, and she thought “why not run ductwork to the crawl space so it’s comfortable in there?” Probably diverted only a small amount of forced air, at less cost than the separate window A/C unit the Bakkers had.
It’s too bad VW discontinued the Alltrack wagon – lots of room (maybe enough for a harp), and a nice, *common* brown interior available. The 2025 Golf GTI may be roomy enough and it drives great, and has better controls than the ’22-24.
A former co-worker appeared on the Bakker’s local children’s program in Norfolk VA long before the Pass The Loot Club. She remembered Tammy wore little makeup and had a great complexion–but she was a child then.
I assume the awful black interior “craze” is cost-driven. It can’t be the customers.
A low-mileage STS (with all-tan interior) came up for sale 250 miles from me on Jan 1 and sold in 2 days. I was worried about its expensive magnetic shocks being impossible to find and discovered passive ones are now $500 a piece.
I purchased a used vehicle around Christmastime. Based in part on input from CC contributor Yohai71, I went with a 2017 Mazda CX-5 Touring FWD. Like you, I’m not a fan of black interiors (and the Mazda has other colors available) but the black interior on the model I bought is offset by a lighter color above the beltline. It really helps the interior feel less like a cave. I also refuse to have a grayscale exterior, and found a car in Deep Crystal Blue Mica.
I specifically wanted a 2017 model, because after that, the CX-5 got auto start-stop, and cylinder deactivation, neither of which I wanted. The CX-5 also has a conventional geared automatic transmission. It’s also built in Japan, and I have a bias towards that. I also wanted to avoid AWD, and it became standard equipment in the early 20s.
As for the dealership experience… I bought the car at an Autonation-owned BMW dealership. Even though it was one of the cheapest vehicles on their used lot, I was treated well. Autonation operates on the “no haggle” model, but their price was just slightly below nationwide comps, and their first (and only) offer on my trade was a few hundred more than I was expecting. Honestly one of the easiest car buying experiences I’ve ever had.
The black interior works for me because my wardrobe consists almost exclusively of black or dark-blue jeans or shorts, my last Miata had that “version of the Audi TT Baseball interior” and my fashion choices showed.
But I also despise the lack of options. Mrs. Beetle’s ES350 has a Parchment interior that disagrees with my black trouser choices but when it’s clean it’s stunning. At the risk of changing the debate – that her ES is in metallic brown “Autumn Shimmer” is also a big in-yer-face to the current automotive exterior palette of greyscale plus maybe one shade of blue or red.
As others have stated, any color so long as it’s black has gotta be a cost consideration; but if the likes of Mazda can also offer white and terra cotta leather – manufacturers with greater volumes really have little excuse.
Mazda’s been good enough to me over the past almost-20-years I’ve have just headed straight there – after this many years in a daily-driver Miata I’ll bet I could fit the harp into a CX-30. (the fold-down pass-thru rear seat in my 1992 Capri was like having a minivan)
What?! No spreadsheet??? (-:
Thoroughly enjoyed this, Jason, although I will probably have flashback/nightmares remembering my transition away from the ’13 Beetle TDi convertible I owned briefly (a decade ago!).
You will remember (maybe) we bought a lot-queen ’18 Buick Regal TourX as the successor to our ’12 VW Routan (it was a year old with 39 miles on it). Still have it, and it clicked 100,000 late last year. It’s not been flawless, but there’s also been nothing super major to repair. We still like it, and, Lord willing, plan to run it until it drops. It still easily hits low 30s on the highway and is very comfortable on a road trip. It has the shale interior, which is much more pleasant than the only other option, “black.”
Perhaps the deliberate ignoring of prospective buyers in the showroom described in the article is pure tactics: a kind of non-verbal recording of the price negotiation right from the start.
They tell you: “We don’t need to sell. So we certainly don’t need to negotiate the price.”
Yes a dealership visit is about as fun as a trip to the proctologist, something to be avoided at all costs. Your experience with VWs and a friend’s Honda are certainly contrary to that of the majority of their owners, but YMMV re; VW CRV, if not QED.
Make our acronym a RAV:
We recently bought a new-ish very low mile RAV4. Luckily no dealers were involved as it was a company car pre-owned by our daughter’s company in Denver that was being de-accessioned when they upgraded their company vehicle to a new Venza. So a private inter-family no-dealer deal, and at our age (assuming Toyota quality) it may well be the last driver-car we’ll ever need to buy. And if we ever have to buy a new one, it’ll be a no-haggle deal through Costco.
It has to be said that, though a great vehicle with a stellar and very well deserved reputation, the best cars like the RAV these days are no more than appliances. No drama is expected, but fun is certainly not on the agenda. That’s OK really, one gets to an age where getting there safely, cheaply and without any hassles is enough. At least one can still own vintage/sports cars or motorcycles for gettin’ those gasoline in-the-blood jollies ya-yas out.
I should add that the RAV is dark gray on gray, boring to the max, albeit a smart choice for resale. We may have the roof wrapped in Turquoise to allow it to be picked out from the other 10 identical ones in any given parking lot. It’s the best selling car (non-pickup) in the US of A, and most of them are gray 🙁
I’ll take a ’77 Gran Fury Brougham in Forest Green Sunfire Poly with 360 and NO Lean Burn (it was available without it that year). Wonder if the yellow ’78 Fury there had LB.. it’s to be avoided!
I hate all kinds of random shopping, cars or otherwise. If I can’t get it online, I figure out where I can get what I want. Same with cars; I figure out what I want ahead of time and then let my fingers do the walking until the deal is done. Your approach sounds like absolute torture to me. But to each his own; humans evolved to browse randomly, apparently.
There’s a very good reason Tesla and other new EV companies have no dealers. And why Carvana exists.
Having gone from 13 Passat to 24 Jetta, I can tell you it takes a minute to get used to the loss of space. The Jetta is roomy for a compact, don’t get me wrong. But the Passat was ENORMOUS inside.
I moved on from my Passat for much the same reason you did: mileage. I was at about 110k and little things were going wrong. Well, replacing the ac compressor wasn’t a little thing.
Then long story short we decided to buy a car for one of our kids so they could get the hell out of the house. We found a Honda Fit for about 6 grand and it was a total hoot to drive. But the whole time I was realizing I should have just kept the Passat, fixed all the little things, and given that to the kid.
I may be uniquely qualified to comment on this… because I owned and daily drove a 1978 Dodge Monaco for twelve years, and it was really a sort of cream yellow.
I am so uninspired by the current crop of new vehicles that I almost understand the concept of “shopping for a new car” being an exercise of seeing what can be had at a (typically low) monthly payment.
Maybe my affinity for the Monaco is because it had a not-black interior.
This is an article I was glad to read for a few reasons. First, our family is in a somewhat similar situation, where our “new” car isn’t quite so new any longer, but everything we’d consider buying is either frightfully expensive, or just otherwise unappealing. A few random comments:
Black Interiors: I absolutely agree with you. Black interiors are depressing, scorching hot in the summer, and show dusts like crazy. That’s actually a deal-killer for me. Even gray is better.
Transit Connect: We also have a Transit Connect at work. I haven’t driven it, but I’ve ridden in it a few times, and consider it to be the least impressive vehicle I’ve experienced in the past several years.
Damaged New Cars: Your experience with the mouse-infested Atlas reminds me of when we came across a new Kia Sedona that looked fine, but when I opened the hood, the engine bay was covered in mud as if the car had been flooded. I can’t fathom what actually happened, but I feel bad for the hapless soul who bought that car.
Dealer Sales Pressure: Just this week my daughter told me that in her high school economics class, they had a lesson on buying a car (actually a useful lesson). She mentioned that the teacher told the class the dealers will often asked what you want your payment to be right away, etc. I confirmed for her that this kind of nonsense really does take place and that a lot of people learn the hard way when they get ripped off by a car dealer.
Flirting: I told my daughter that we’d include her in our next car-buying adventure. Never thought about a salesman flirting with my daughter, though. Thanks for the heads-up.
Mercedes: For some reason, I just can’t see you and Mrs. Jason owning a Mercedes.
Subaru Outbacks: The hiking shoe analogy is perfect, as is Tammy Faye, though its almost inconceivable that one product could resemble both of these things.
Anyway, great overview of the otherwise mundane car-shopping chore. I’m looking forward to the next installment.