How to purchase a car in Niagara...or anywhere else!
Most of my travel is conducted via car, and over the years, I have owned many models. In the past, purchasing a new car was often worse than quadruple by-pass heart surgery, a tedious and painful ordeal. That's suddenly changed - thanks to modern technology!
Allow me to digress. In my 20's, my first car was a
Dodge that passed later to my brother. Then came a
Ford Falcon along with my wife. (She owned the car.) Then a sleek
Datsun (Nissan) wagon purchased in St. Catharines (Port Dalhousie) with the arrival of our first child. Then, I purchased a series of large cars because our small
Toyota Corolla second car was hit during winter driving. For security, I felt compelled to purchase a huge
Olds wagon then a large Chevy Impala much like people today with huge SUV's. Eventually, we purchased a '99
Camry in Fort Erie, and if there were automotive roads existing in an ethereal afterlife, that's the car I would happily drive. We also owned a stick-shift
Honda Civic purchased in Niagara Falls, and it was great fun to drive. Afterwards, with both of us working, we traded in the Civic for a new
Pontiac Vibe in Niagara on the Lake. You can see that I am experienced in the multi-model dimension of the automotive world.
Before each purchase, I perform exhaustive research, checking automotive magazines and books geared to car assessment. I also access consumer opinion and reports on the 'Net.
Alas, despite its wonderful, smooth running for 12 years, we were concerned about the aged Camry on long trips, fearing a breakdown might strand us in Ypsilanti, Michigan or some other likely hotspot where Janet Napolitano would take one glance at our decrepit vehicle and immediately suspect a terrorist attack, raising the security level status to PINK or whatever was in vogue for extreme danger. Janet is currently in charge of Homeland Security and has proven as knowledgeable about Canadian geography as our Defence Minister, Peter McKay who recently celebrated California's border linkage with BC, much to the amusement of his guest, ex-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who conversely, is much smarter than he looks.
In short order, I reduced our Camry replacement to one of the following candidates: Hyundai Sonata, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu. We determined to test drive each, all conveniently with dealers in St. Catharines.
First up was the Malibu. The salesman was smooth, sophisticated, knowledgeable and quite pleasant. The car was luxurious and drove extremely well. We felt guilty about owning it, and the price was a tad steeper than we wished to climb.
Next stop was the Ford dealer, in the midst of a sale, and there was only one car left to test drive, so fast were they flying off the lot. We were impressed. The Fusion drove well and felt firm. It was in our price range. Accordingly, it remained in the hunt.
Finally, we arrived at the Hyundai dealer. The Sonata was my research-based first choice. The dealer said, "The car sells itself." He was right. We returned home with our priority list established. If we couldn't get a decent deal with Hyundai, off we would go to Ford.
That's when the fun part began. I noticed "Car Cost Canada.com" billing itself as the best way for a consumer to prepare for and negotiate a fair price on a new auto. With my CAA membership, I was billed $29.96 (25% off) to obtain inside information about the Hyundai. I learned the dealer's actual price, worked out a fair percentage profit and also uncovered an amazing $2000 manufacturer's rebate which I could deduct from the price. Into the dealer's office I strode. Coincidentally, he was made aware of my advance information by
Car Cost Canada (They play both sides of the street.) and a deal was consummated within two minutes flat. Wow, that was easy! Thank you Internet.
Only then did we negotiate a trade-in on my faithful Camry, and everyone was pleased. The Hyundai salesman was reasonable, helpful and as knowledgeable as the Malibu dealer. If you would like a referral, I'd be pleased to pass on his name. Simply email me at whattravelwriterssay@cogeco.net.
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