The lease on my BMW X3 is almost up. I can’t wait. See, when I first moved to LA, I was told that EVERYONE checks out what kind of car you drive and judges you by it. So, I was “convinced” to get a more expensive car than I really needed. It was nice when I had it, especially the free oil changes and fixed gizmos here and there. But when I asked my clients if they knew what kind of car I was driving, NONE of them had an answer.
So, I knew to trust my own intuition going forward. My car is my office, a workhorse that carries equipment and weights to various homes and parks, gobs of groceries and food prepared for my clients. Why do I want some super expensive car that I’m afraid to touch or that costs an arm and a leg to repair? (You should see what they want to fix my bumper! I”m taking it elsewhere first).
I test drove a Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue and a Toyota RAV. My lease isn’t up until December, but I”m working with a car broker, so wanted to get my ducks in a row beforehand. I was amazed at the differences in cars AND car salesmen.
The Honda salesman barely spoke English. He was a very nice man, Persian, I think. His accent was so thick it was hard to understand him. Plus, since I said I was just doing “research,” he didn’t converse very much or make comments about the car except to say, “Turn right here. go on the highway here.” Plus, I felt the Honda was almost too light a car for me. It didn’t feel secure driving it. Kind of like how this nice man, who wasn’t a fabulous salesman, made me feel.
The Toyota dealership was next. They didn’t even have the exact model I was looking to buy, so I had to drive a close facsimile. The salesperson was another nice man who tried to push the V6 on me. I was having none of it. Plus when I asked my big question, which was the same to all three salespeople, “Why should I buy THIS brand as opposed to the other two?” he couldn’t really give me an answer and knew NOTHING about the Nissan Rogue. Uhhh…kinda good to know your competition, don’t you think?
Last was the Nissan dealership. Santa Monica Boulevard is a hotbed of car dealerships, so each one is about 8 feet from the next. Our salesperson was really good. After explaining that I was just doing research, he laid out all the available options and when I asked the question to him, he actually gave me solid reasoning. Plus, he took me on all different kinds of roads and really gave me a good 20 minute test drive. Plus, he showed me that the pick up didn’t hesitate. Something about how this motor was different. That part went over my head. Bobby knew what he was talking about and that was good enough for me.
So, I”m goin’ with the Rogue. Plus, not a ton of people have this one. I HATE buying something that every other person in the world has. And I’m getting in a color! I’m so tired of every single car on the road being white, black or one of 17 shades of gray. Either red or blue. Color is fun! Color makes you stand out.
Oh. Wait. Cops see stuff that stands out. Does that mean I can’t drive like a New Yorker anymore?
Rats.
Talk to you later,
Rona
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