Drive It Like You Own It

When I moved out of my ex-boyfriend's house, he decided to keep the SUV, the Jeep, and the Car. Even though I pretty much own half of the SUV and the Jeep was a gift; I needed some wheels without a fight.

I needed something to get me around and that would be easy to pay for and that would be a good investment. I did my research and came up with the top three cars I wanted. It boiled down to price, price of insurance, and esthetics of the car. I wanted "affordable luxury", I had my eyes set on a Saab. I couldn't find anything wrong with the car online, it was a great and reliable car. Saab stopped making cars due to bankruptcy, but their parts department is still up and running.

I looked on Craig's List and searched for a Saab, two weeks later I stumbled upon one at a VW dealer close to my house. I called the dealer, spoke with a Sales Man, and made an appointment.

That day I requested a car loan and requested insurance quotes, I wanted to be positive I could afford a nice car--without breaking the bank and so I could have some wiggle room when it came to great shopping sprees and pampering. I was approved and continued to read up on my lovely, potential, Saab.

I went to the appointment and the salesman was waiting for me. He showed me the car and I loved it. I wasn't afraid to let him know, after all, that was the only car I requested to see.

When we were taking it out for a test drive he said "Drive it like you own it" after that I was hooked. After the test drive, and checking the speed and response of the great turbo, we went inside and talked about the specifics.

We went inside and started the negotiations. I stayed calm and I had a figure in my head that I wanted to be. I didn't want to pay over $18,500 which included tax, title, and license.

I made a really low offer ($14k) and asked to see the "CarFax", on the CarFax report, it will show how long they have had the car on their lot as well as essential information on any accidents or service. This one had been there for awhile, but not long. I argued that it had been there--taking up space and not a lot of people's first choice when going to a VW dealership is a Saab. The salesman and I negotiated, he had to go back and forth between his boss quite a few times. They finally came down to the number I wanted but I wanted to see my limit. I was able to have them remove and replace the window tint to my standards as well as replacing speaks (I didn't know their condition). They agreed and I ended up paying less than I wanted, SCORE.

I felt great that I purchased a car on my own, looked at it, and negotiated on a price. Most women ask for their fathers or significant others to accompany them to the dealer. I wasn't afraid to say no to their offers and I didn't give in, even if they tried to trick me a few times and if they were trying to be aggressive.

My advice is to stick to your price and what you feel comfortable with, don't let someone hassle you or talk you into something you don't want. A purchase like a car needs to have your 100% approval, or you won't be satisfied

I am very happy with the decision I made. I'm now the happy owner of a 2011 Saab 9-3.