Encounter at the Honda Dealership

My Toyota Matrix

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid

So I don’t need a new car (only 153,000 miles on my 2003 Toyota Matrix) and certainly do not have the income flow to justify it presently (trying to negotiate just for benefits at work as they don’t even pay into Social Security for me now). However, yesterday I found myself being offered a sales contract on a new Honda Insight?

How did this happen? Well, Friday night I found myself looking at the info on cars that might work in the snow if I move to Asheville & was checking out the Honda CRV. Of course the gas mileage did not seem so great and that got me to the Insight Hybrid. Checked out to be pretty cool. Not as fancy, but seemed much better option than Prius due to lower price & simplicity. But the biggest advantage is it had more ground clearance allowing me to get up the road to the family cabin in NC without bottoming out & losing parts! Anyway, got me curious to check out at some point (biggest concern was how to fit my bike in or on top).

So, yesterday I went for a really nice 23 mile mountain bike ride at San Felasco. I rode from 12p-3p in 90 degree temps, but I keep comfortable as I sweat a lot! I was a little delirious though I remembered to drink some water & even ate a granola bar! I did hit both new steep trails that were recently added (they are fun & good workout, but potential erosion problems abound). I got through with no ticks or water moccasin encounters (unlike most recent rides). When loading my bike, I noticed my radio antenna was broken off, so I stopped by discount auto parts to get a replacement. The one I got was cheap ($6.99), poor quality and did not fit right so I returned it. I joked that it would probably cost over $50 at the dealership. So I drove by the Toyota dealership and sure enough $53 (later found the same Toyota antenna online for $10). So I left, but decided to check out the Honda Insight at the dealership next door.

OK, I did hose off the dirt, but I am still wearing my dirty smelly bike clothes. Also, still on my riding buzz & dehydrated & hungry. I tried to go straight to the car to look, but of course was quickly met by a salesman. I explained I was just curious, but he is friendly & apparently anxious to get in the car & start up the A/C as it was quite hot to be in salesman duds. At first his main focus was getting the A/C going & I think actually his whole goal with me was to cool off (enough so that he could even deal with my odor?). So it is a pretty cool car & he talked me into a test drive, despite my warnings of how unclean I was. I was impressed, it did not seem as sluggish as I was expecting from reviews (of course I forgot how sluggish my Matrix is). We drove around & cooled off. He was a nice guy who just moved here from San Fran to be near his child (he seemed in culture shock). I popped in an ASWAD CD (BBC Sessions) & the sound system was impressive (EX model). Then he even insisted I try putting my bike in the back (I tried to warn him it may scratch the car, but he did not care). It fit, though a little tight & I had to have my pedals positioned right to get it in there (I’d probably start using my Yakima roof rack bike tray more if I had this car). Only put one minor scratch in the plastic interior.

So I should have left then, but thought I might as well see what they wanted for the car (knowing I would be giving them an unreasonable offer). I did get inside & half drained their water cooler (salesman had met his goal to get back in the A/C). However, I knew I was in trouble when I let him see my driver’s license & vehicle registration (for trade in value), but I decide to be amused. He got me to initial what I would pay with trade (which was ridiculous, about $8000 less than what they finally offered me). I told him if I was going to be serious, I would need to do more research. But they love to try to make the sale. So he & this other ‘Insight Expert’ went off to deal with the sales manager. Now things are slowing down, I am getting hungry & their offer was not even serious, so I’m ready to leave. But of course they got my license in the other room. They insist on more dealing & I insist on my license back. The salesman says he is going to get it, but I can see through the glass office that he is still talking. The expert is trying to work me, but I am bothered now. I try to explain that I would come back to deal with them later if they don’t piss me off too much today. So I get up & storm into to the manager’s office demanding my license back. He does quickly give it back & offers me food (brought out a whole tray of sandwiches). I say I am vegetarian & not interested in the subs. So he says “you must be smoking pot, all vegetarians I know smoke pot”. I say “Why would a stoned person come to a car dealership?”. I mean really, what is up with that? I don’t even have long hair any more, I guess the salesman must have mentioned the reggae music? So I am really ready to leave, but he does talk more about my trade in & I was interested what he had to say. He gave me printout of my Matrix Kelly Blue Book trade-in value and what I could expect if I tried to sell it myself ($1700 & $3500), so that was useful & I finally left. They did not bother to chase me out the door (of course that would mean leaving the A/C).

So the Insight was pretty cool, not as practical for utility as my Matrix, but greener (I’m hardly getting 30 mpg highway these days, started out at around 38 mpg new). But for $3500 or less, I like my car! I have had virtually no problems or repairs (though it has slight oil pan leak that Goodyear told me would cost $1200 to fix, anyone know a reasonable Toyota mechanic in Gainesville?). While it would drive much better (I am ready to switch to automatic, I must be getting old!) & the tunes were nice, I don’t think I can justify it (would it help my dating prospects?). Is it really greener to buy a fancy new Hybrid, with all the production costs & those batteries, don’t they use a lot of hazardous metals? I often think the Prius is more about illusion, ie. feeling good about yourself & showing off your progressive Democrat status, sorry:-) But perhaps the same can be said about driving an old clunker (though my Matrix has a way to go to rival most frugal drivers, my A/C even still works!). So I’ll probably head towards the 200,000 mile goal, unless it really starts to fall apart or I find myself trying living in winter snow on a mountain (still just a dream).

Any thoughts? Do you think you will see me in an Insight soon?