Whee, new car!

[altivo]

Doesn't happen for me very often, last time was nine years ago. Picked up the new Escape this morning, everything as ordered. Pretty blue they call "vista" that I think used to only be available on the Mustang.

Called to switch cars on my insurance, and whoopee: Same coverage on the new 2007 vehicle will cost me $50 a year LESS than it was on the nine year old Cherokee.

Manual transmission really makes a difference. Even I appreciate it. This car has the same 2.3L engine that was in the automatic I took for a test drive. I'd say the automatic was sluggish, and you know it is if I notice that. The manual makes the car drive like my old Metro used to. Zippy. The sales manager even remarked on it. He was the one who took it to be filled with gas early this morning, and he said it was really zippy and he hadn't expected that. That plus the lowest end of the EPA fuel economy range matches the top end of the range for my old Cherokee. I think I'm going to like this. Visibility when driving is slightly better too.

I think I'll have Gary take some fursuit photos of me with it and post 'em. XD

I've used this trick before and it really does work if you have a little discipline. As soon as the old car was paid off, I started putting the same payment amount aside each month in an interest-bearing account. I did that until I had the same amount I had paid for the old one (not counting interest). With the added interest on the savings, when I was ready to buy this time I could pay cash. No car payment, and a new car. This is a great way to do it. Now I just have to start making payments anyway, to myself, and I'll be ready to buy the next one when the time comes. Discipline, 'Tivo...

Comments

[vimsig.livejournal.com]

Happy Motoring

[altivo.livejournal.com]

T'anks. ;p

[wolfgrowl.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!
I have a friend that uses another similar financial discipline. Anytime an extended warranty is offered (ie future shop, his gas water heater and even his car) he allocates that amount to a separate bank account he calls repair and maintenance. This fund grew to such an extent over the years (he's been doing it quite a while), not only was he self insured against any repairs on any appliance etc, he actually built up enough of a new balance to buy a car out of the surplus.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It actually works better now that interest rates are rising back to reasonable levels. When they only offer you 1% on a savings account there's not much incentive to save.

[kbs450.livejournal.com]

Sounds very nice. Hope you enjoy it. Got to love saving the money.
*Purrs and nuzzles*
Kito_Lion

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, and I knew the Cherokee was getting to where it was going to cost me a grand or more every year for little repairs here and there. Time to let it go, though if gas prices hadn't gone so high I might have delayed. I liked it, and I hate car shopping.

[kbs450.livejournal.com]

i know what you mean i have just started really searching for my next car

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on the new wheels! I hope they're happy ones for you.

I'm really envious that your insurance went down even though the Escape is roughly the same class as the Cherokee. When I went from the Durango (SUV) to the Stratus (sedan), my insurance actually went UP. (Smaller, cheaper car... er, does not compute *waves robot arms in air randomly*)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Insurance rates are mumbo-jumbo anyway. You'd have to compare the line items for each coverage to find out what rose and what fell.

For instance, the Stratus may have higher injury rates for occupants in an accident, or it may cost more to repair after a collision. This could offset the fact that a heavy Durango can do more damage to the other vehicle or its occupants.

Another factor is which car is more likely to be stolen, or more likely to be involved in collisions in the first place. These two affect things like Corvettes and Mustangs, of course, but can also be surprising influences on models you wouldn't expect.

In my case, the issue is further clouded right now. There is no collision and repair record for the '07 Escape yet, so they fudge by using the '06 rates. They might revise those later and change my rate again.

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

It's probably the spoiler on the back of my Stratus. "Me? A spoiler? Oh come now, my good man," I told the sales agent. But the car also has electonic driver seat adjustment, which sounds like a frill but was really the only way to get sufficient adjustment to accommodate my somewhat lengthy and large body. Seriously, the Stratuses with normal unpowered levers to adjust the seat didn't give enough range of movement. My knees were against the dashboard.

Stuff like the electronic seat adjust and the spoiler probably did boost the insurance. The Durango was pretty stripped down for what it was. And you're definitely right, the Durango is a safer vehicle than the Stratus, if you're only considering the occupants. (Although you'd think that would be a wash -- the Stratus is safer to others, so coverage of damage to others should cost less.)

I didn't even think to compare the auto theft rates of different models. I'm a bad consumer, seriously. It was lucky I remembered that I wanted better gas mileage with the new car.

In the end, insurance is all mumbo-jumbo as you said. Not only that, I think these days I'm helping to pay off their Katrina claims, too, given the huge increases I've had in the last twelve months.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I dunno about the Katrina part. My rates went down when I came up for renewal in March. Maybe The Hartford didn't have big losses there.

After a Durango I'm not surprised you'd have remembered to look at fuel economy all right.

I rather liked the Jeep Compass, but given the facts that it's a brand new model this year and has no maintenance history, and I've been unhappy with every Chrysler service department that ever worked on the Cherokee, I decided a change was in order. I know the service manager at the Ford place, my mate has a car from there two and has been pleased, and it's only a couple of miles from work, so they will let me drop the car off for service in the morning and give me a ride to work if necessary, then pick me up and take me back to the dealership to get the car in the afternoon. Considering all that, the decision was fairly easy.

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

I could recommend the service department at Galeana's Van Dyke Dodge, but I don't think you want to drive to Centerline, Michigan for service, routine or otherwise. :-) Sounds like you have a good deal going with your Ford dealer, which is nice to have.

[quickcasey.livejournal.com]

Long may it run!

FWD or AWD?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

FWD. As handy as AWD is when you really need it, I found I only used it maybe three times a year. I think I'll be fine with the front wheel drive, and it's one less system to require maintenance. (And about $1700 off the price.)

[pioneer11.livejournal.com]

Yay for you! Nice car, no car payment, goodly!

^_^

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, plus a vacation. I have to keep reminding myself that I have lots that I need to get done at home. No time for pointless road trips right now. ;p

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Hurrah!!

And that's why I always say, if you can't pay for a car outright you can't afford it :)

Plus another benefit of a manual transmission :D No torque convertor losses

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I imagine that counts for a large part of the fuel savings that can be achieved with a manual. The 2.3L engine idles and cruises about 500 rpm higher than the 4.0L Jeep engine did, but it's also quieter. I'm pleased with the new quietude. I trust the designers knew what they were doing when they picked these gear ratios, so we will see how the fuel economy turns out...

[kaysho.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! New cars are always a spirit-brightener.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm not all that devoted to things automotive, but the old car was getting to where I worried about it a lot and that makes it worthwhile to switch to something more reliable and shiny. Shiny is good. Now if it just gets somewhere near the promised fuel economy, I will indeed be happy. So far looks like we're in the ball park, but I haven't refilled the tank yet so I'm only guessing based on the gauge reading.