Wrecked my Mirage....... UPDATE: bought another one

[Mark]

I'm getting a 2021 Infrared ES CVT, lot leftover. For otd price $18,039.99. Not great but only a couple thousand more than a used Mirage with 30k miles on it, so might as well go new.

How long will you be stuck with the loan on a car like this? A new car payment + increase in insurance will do what to your monthly budget? Please don't answer! Just look hard at it for yourself.

You're young, recently married - Hypothetical - Let's say you start having a family. Are you going to be happy with two Mirages? If not, what does that look like? Two car payments?

None of this is any our business! Not asking you to answer.

My oldest daughter was born in 1990, & my wife wanted to be an at home mom. Since she was a teacher, our income was instantly cut in half. We had two relatively new vehicles (1989 Plymouth Colt wagon & 1990 Ford Festiva) that were paid off when my daughter was born. We also paid off all our student loans, & we had 20% saved up for our first house purchase prior to her quitting her teaching job.

When our second daughter started school 8 years later, my wife started teaching again. Both of my daughters graduated co-valedictorians of their respective high school classes & have gone on to earn their undergraduate & graduate degrees. I credit my wife's time invested in them when they were young for a lot of this. Not having a car payment for 10+ years also helped make this all happen.

This is also why I drove a $5,300 1990 Ford Festiva for 14 years. I earned two graduate degrees during those years with that car, too. All my tuition for my classes was paid in full. Coaching 3 sports those years helped some financially, too.

My point - cars are not investments.

[Dirk Diggler]

How long will you be stuck with the loan on a car like this? A new car payment + increase in insurance will do what to your monthly budget? Please don't answer! Just look hard at it for yourself.

You're young, recently married - Hypothetical - Let's say you start having a family. Are you going to be happy with two Mirages? If not, what does that look like? Two car payments?

None of this is any our business! Not asking you to answer.

My oldest daughter was born in 1990, & my wife wanted to be an at home mom. Since she was a teacher, our income was instantly cut in half. We had two relatively new vehicles (1989 Plymouth Colt wagon & 1990 Ford Festiva) that were paid off when my daughter was born. We also paid off all our student loans, & we had 20% saved up for our first house purchase prior to her quitting her teaching job.

When our second daughter started school 8 years later, my wife started teaching again. Both of my daughters graduated co-valedictorians of their respective high school classes & have gone on to earn their undergraduate & graduate degrees. I credit my wife's time invested in them when they were young for a lot of this. Not having a car payment for 10+ years also helped make this all happen.

This is also why I drove a $5,300 1990 Ford Festiva for 14 years. I earned two graduate degrees during those years with that car, too. All my tuition for my classes was paid in full. Coaching 3 sports those years helped some financially, too.

My point - cars are not investments.

Good points Mark. The G4 and green hornet were both paid off so no rollover mess thank God. Quite simply I need a car. We have the financial means to get one, no worries there, it's just that I was getting OTD prices for used Mirages (ranging from 30k to 60k miles) for $17k! My wife and I are only planning in having one child so 2 Mirages are quite fine for at least the next 10 years I figure.

[Dirk Diggler]

My main concern now is just not driving 3 hours to get jerked around by this dealership. I talked to the salesman twice. Got his assurance the car was on the lot. I also told him it was a slam dunk sale and that we'd be financing thru our bank. I'm going to be pissed if I get all the way down there and they pull the ole bait n switch on me.

[Top_Fuel]

If you have a firm deal negotiated, ask the salesman to email you a complete Purchase Order for the car. A PO documents everything about the purchase...the car (VIN), price of the car, the taxes, any dealer fees, rebates, etc. This will be the exact paperwork they put in front of you when you show up to complete the purchase. This way there are no surprises. If you are not trading anything in, this is the easiest way to complete a transaction like this. I've done this several times...and this is now the only way I buy cars any more.

Your bank is probably not going to give you a loan until they have a Purchase Order in their hand for the vehicle anyway. So that also works in your favor.

I had a great experience with my sales guy when I bought my Mirage. We did everything via email because that dealer was 300+ miles from my house in another state. But even in my case their Finance Manager still tried to sneak an extra fee into the deal. I caught it right away on the first Purchase Order they emailed me. They removed the fee and emailed an updated PO with the figures we had agreed on. Remember...I had not even left my house at this point.

I showed up with a check for the amount on the PO, and I was in and out of the dealer within 30 minutes. I had to drive about 10 hours round-trip to buy my Mirage, so I didn't have time to play games.

Bottom Line: I wouldn't get off the couch until they email you a complete Purchase Order for the deal. If they won't do this, then they want to play games.

[Dirk Diggler]

If you have a firm deal negotiated, ask the salesman to email you a complete Purchase Order for the car. A PO documents everything about the purchase...the car (VIN), price of the car, the taxes, any dealer fees, rebates, etc. This will be the exact paperwork they put in front of you when you show up to complete the purchase. This way there are no surprises. If you are not trading anything in, this is the easiest way to complete a transaction like this. I've done this several times...and this is now the only way I buy cars any more.

Your bank is probably not going to give you a loan until they have a Purchase Order in their hand for the vehicle anyway. So that also works in your favor.

I had a great experience with my sales guy when I bought my Mirage. We did everything via email because that dealer was 300+ miles from my house in another state. But even in my case their Finance Manager still tried to sneak an extra fee into the deal. I caught it right away on the first Purchase Order they emailed me. They removed the fee and emailed an updated PO with the figures we had agreed on. Remember...I had not even left my house at this point.

I showed up with a check for the amount on the PO, and I was in and out of the dealer within 30 minutes. I had to drive about 10 hours round-trip to buy my Mirage, so I didn't have time to play games.

Bottom Line: I wouldn't get off the couch until they email you a complete Purchase Order for the deal. If they won't do this, then they want to play games.

Good advice as always Top.

[inuvik]

If you have a firm deal negotiated, ask the salesman to email you a complete Purchase Order for the car. A PO documents everything about the purchase...the car (VIN), price of the car, the taxes, any dealer fees, rebates, etc. This will be the exact paperwork they put in front of you when you show up to complete the purchase. This way there are no surprises. If you are not trading anything in, this is the easiest way to complete a transaction like this. I've done this several times...and this is now the only way I buy cars any more.

Your bank is probably not going to give you a loan until they have a Purchase Order in their hand for the vehicle anyway. So that also works in your favor.

I had a great experience with my sales guy when I bought my Mirage. We did everything via email because that dealer was 300+ miles from my house in another state. But even in my case their Finance Manager still tried to sneak an extra fee into the deal. I caught it right away on the first Purchase Order they emailed me. They removed the fee and emailed an updated PO with the figures we had agreed on. Remember...I had not even left my house at this point.

I showed up with a check for the amount on the PO, and I was in and out of the dealer within 30 minutes. I had to drive about 10 hours round-trip to buy my Mirage, so I didn't have time to play games.

Bottom Line: I wouldn't get off the couch until they email you a complete Purchase Order for the deal. If they won't do this, then they want to play games.

I did this exact same thing when I bought my Outlander Sport from Leskovar Mitsubishi. It was a 10 hr 1 way drive so I told them up front that I had the price they quoted with the purchase order and everything needed to be ready because I was immediately driving it home. I told them no more than 30 minutes at the dealership. I had to wait 10 minutes because there was someone ahead of me just wrapping up their purchase. 25 minutes and I was out the door headed home. I didn't even test drive it. First time I drove it was off the lot to drive the 450 mile one way trip back.

[davidricardo86]

I did this exact same thing when I bought my Outlander Sport from Leskovar Mitsubishi. It was a 10 hr 1 way drive so I told them up front that I had the price they quoted with the purchase order and everything needed to be ready because I was immediately driving it home. I told them no more than 30 minutes at the dealership. I had to wait 10 minutes because there was someone ahead of me just wrapping up their purchase. 25 minutes and I was out the door headed home. I didn't even test drive it. First time I drove it was off the lot to drive the 450 mile one way trip back.

That's one hell of a break-in!

[Dirk Diggler]

I did this exact same thing when I bought my Outlander Sport from Leskovar Mitsubishi. It was a 10 hr 1 way drive so I told them up front that I had the price they quoted with the purchase order and everything needed to be ready because I was immediately driving it home. I told them no more than 30 minutes at the dealership. I had to wait 10 minutes because there was someone ahead of me just wrapping up their purchase. 25 minutes and I was out the door headed home. I didn't even test drive it. First time I drove it was off the lot to drive the 450 mile one way trip back.

If you're financing through a bank, the bank will want to see the purchase order 1st, before it will draw up the paperwork for a loan IIRC?

[Cobrajet]

if you have a firm deal negotiated, ask the salesman to email you a complete purchase order for the car. A po documents everything about the purchase...the car (vin), price of the car, the taxes, any dealer fees, rebates, etc. This will be the exact paperwork they put in front of you when you show up to complete the purchase. This way there are no surprises. If you are not trading anything in, this is the easiest way to complete a transaction like this. I've done this several times...and this is now the only way i buy cars any more.

Your bank is probably not going to give you a loan until they have a purchase order in their hand for the vehicle anyway. So that also works in your favor.

I had a great experience with my sales guy when i bought my mirage. We did everything via email because that dealer was 300+ miles from my house in another state. But even in my case their finance manager still tried to sneak an extra fee into the deal. I caught it right away on the first purchase order they emailed me. They removed the fee and emailed an updated po with the figures we had agreed on. Remember...i had not even left my house at this point.

I showed up with a check for the amount on the po, and i was in and out of the dealer within 30 minutes. I had to drive about 10 hours round-trip to buy my mirage, so i didn't have time to play games.

bottom line: i wouldn't get off the couch until they email you a complete purchase order for the deal. If they won't do this, then they want to play games.

this!

[Dirk Diggler]

Dealing with Albany Mitsubishi this morning. I will post updates.