The Random Comic Strip

The Random Comic Strip

Words to live by...

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and to rest afterward."

[Spanish Proverb]

Ius luxuriae publice datum est

(The right to looseness has been officially given)

"Everyone carries a part of society on his shoulders," wrote Ludwig von Mises, "no one is relieved of his share of responsibility by others. And no one can find a safe way for himself if society is sweeping towards destruction. Therefore everyone, in his own interest, must thrust himself vigorously into the intellectual battle."

Apparently, the crossword puzzle that disappeared from the blog, came back.


Friday, December 13, 2013

Caveat Emptor and Car Purchases


Having just recently bought a new car, I am now finding several articles explaining what preparations a potential buyer should make, what to look for in a car, and various takes on the gadgets and options available on new cars. Just my luck, all the advice was hiding until after I made a purchase. Sigh...

So, I thought I might ask the readers of this blog what attracts them to a new car?

One of the things I pay close attention to is the upholstery. I happen to like leather myself but I really don't want to pay too much to get it. I considered pricing 3rd party leather upgrades. I am not that picky, there are some Naugahydes I will accept.

But the sound systems don't mean much to me. I find a lot of car sales people like to talk them up. I like safety and driving enhancement gadgets but I find, like a lot of things in the car biz of the last couple of decades, that pricing of options has followed the cable company route. That is, if you want the backup camera and/or blind spot alerting, you may have to purchase a "package" that has a lot more than you want or need. And the price of said package may be prohibitive. I ran into that several times. I'd want a nice interior but find I could only get that with a package that includes a sun or moon roof (and, perhaps, "ground effects lighting" and/or a "spoiler" in the rear). I do not want, need, or like those roofs. Maybe I am old-fashioned. I know I am old. For the same reason, I do not even glance at convertibles. I got my fill of wind in my hair when I rode motorcycles as my primary (meaning "only") means of transportation.

Any thoughts? What do you look for in a new car?



2 comments:

Tom said...

Here are my criteria, in order:
1. Safety ratings from IIHS -- because I was once hurt in a car accident.
2. Repair ratings from Cons. Reports -- after long and bitter experience with a Saab.
3. MPG -- I wanna be environmentally friendly and also save $$$.
4. Sex appeal -- I want to be practical, but enough's enough, I don't want to be driving around in an old box.

Douglas said...

Tom, I also had an accident... which prompted me to replace that (totaled) car with one that had air bags. A bit late, of course, but I was unaware of something called "seat belt trauma" until just after my accident. Nothing broken but there was still a lot of pain. I understand air bags provide some protection against seat belt trauma. I do like your criteria. I am not picky about looks so much... but safety, mileage rating, and cost matter quite a bit to me.