Car Shopping Articles

I hate the Chevy and Ford rivalry. I mean everyone knows that I’m polyamorous when it comes to automobiles. I love them all.

This Super Bowl Commercial makes me giggle. It’s a fantastic concept but it takes a hard swipe at Ford and features Hostess Twinkies.

GM and Hostess have something in common, right? Bankruptcy anyone?

Oh who are we kidding? A review of the Gucci Fiat 500C can be a few words long and read like a personal ad: Sexy cabrio seeks young adult who doesn’t mind having strangers take their picture. Must enjoy tiptronic for bursts of speed and should be aware that Gucci Gucci Goo means tickled pink in Italian.

When I tell you that this is a car for extroverts I am NOT KIDDING. Driving on the 405 (inching along if I’m going to be honest) will have a handful of people snapping their smartphone cameras at you. Driving this car is as close to celebrity as I’ve ever been.

The Fiat is adorable. There’s no other way to put it. When I first saw all the brightly colored cars they reminded me of gumdrops on wheels. Everything about the Fiat’s exterior made me smile. Also, doesn’t this look like a mustachioed Fiat?

Since I was driving a car that I’ve just described as adorable, we’ve got to talk about what makes it so. Although I enjoy styling on automobiles, I’m not someone who would ever recommend buying a car for it’s looks just as I wouldn’t steer someone away from a car because of it’s exterior styling. The Fiat breaks a few of these rules. Although it handles nicely I wouldn’t buy this car for performance and I imagine more than a few people will buy it for it’s looks alone. Those people will not be disappointed with the money they spend.

The Gucci Fiat has G’s everywhere. The seats leather, the floor boards, the gear shift, tires, etc. I adore the seat belt straps in Gucci red and green.

I took the car to Rodeo Drive (it was like returning an orphan to it’s mother for one last visit) and was stunned that tourists swarmed the car and started taking pictures of themselves with it. I think the Gucci Fiat is plastered all over Facebook Japan right now. Young men went CRAZY for the car. I expected young women to like it, but I never expected men to fist pump for the car and yell down the street.

It was fun. Lots and lots of fun.

After taking the Gucci Fiat on a tour of Beverly Hills I thought, “let’s see how this thing handles the curves of Sunset Blvd.” In drive the Fiat handled as I thought it might. It’s not a sports car, it’s a 1.4 liter engine that was built for the narrow streets of Europe, not the speedways of the Autobahn. Driving the Fiat in sports mode is incrementally better, but it’s still a tiny car with a tiny engine. What was surprisingly good was driving the car in manual. It gets loud quickly, but if you’re willing to shift manually (pseudo manual as there’s no clutch) you can really push this car to perform. It was actually fun taking the curves on Sunset Blvd and then Beverly Glen.

The cabrio top is nice, but there’s a little whomp whomp sound if you leave it open, drive fast and don’t crack the windows. I’m pretty sure there’s a name for it. I don’t know the name, do you?

There is kinship with Italians. When you drive a Fiat expect all the other Fiat drivers in town to give you a smile or a wave. Even in bad traffic. Even in the rain… even if anything. It’s so much fun. I think they must only allow fun people to buy these cars. It’s amazing.

What was truly amazing was the kinship extended to me as a Fiat driver by the Ferrari drivers. They waved too, really. So call me shallow, but if $23,000 gets me the ability to hang out with Ferrari drivers I’m thinking that’s money well spent. No?

I never really did write about the Acura TL in 2011. Since I just had a week in the stunning 2012 TL I thought I’d finally get around to writing about the experience.

Y’all may or may not remember the car shopping frenzy of 2010. During this time of buying (okay leasing) two new cars I was able to keep the 2011 Acura TL for an extended drive. I loved the car. I didn’t like it, I loved it. I love the performance, the handling, the size and the luxury. I couldn’t get over the contrast stitching on the soft leather seats or the intuitive navigation system. I went wild for the car.

Unfortunately I was the only one.

Mr. G wanted something a little flashier. In retrospect I do understand, but when a TL passes me on the street and I see it’s little happy face back end I can’t help but feel a little mocked.

The all wheel drive TL is a beast. The only aggressive styling can be found in the exhaust pipes, but don’t let that fool you. It’s a quiet and unassuming ride until you engage the Tiptronic (manumatic system) and challenge this car a little. I had a long drive out on the 10 freeway early on a Sunday morning and this TL climbs hills at crazy (don’t worry it was legal) speeds without batting a virtual eyelash.

One of my favorite things to try is driving in third gear at 50 or so and then a quick acceleration to really play with the torque. The TL has it in spades. I cannot tell you how much fun it was to leapfrog along. Of course this is a horrendous way to drive for the passengers. The car gently glides along and then jackrabbits forward. As the driver I find it exhilarating.

The rear seat has plenty of leg room. Jane is 5’4” and was very comfortable. One thing about the TL is that the center rear seat is on a bit of a bump. It’s fine for around town but I don’t know how it would work with car seats or on very long trips.

The sound system on the car I drove was spectacular and the dashboard is ergonomic and sensible. As I recall you can actually use the navigation while the car is going. Finally someone recognizes that passengers can do the data too. If you’re a fan of beautiful design this just might be the perfect interior for you.

I think the TL is sexy as all get out, but what made me wish we’d bought it (I’d have bought this car, not leased it because of Acura’s incredible maintenance record) is the price tag. The 2012 Acura TL starts at $35,600 and tops out near $50,000. If I had to choose between a 5 series BMW a 6 series Audi and the Acura TL I would say that the Acura TL is the nicest of the three cars and probably should cost the most. Fortunately that is not the case and the Acura TL is the most modestly priced of the three.

The valets won’t freak out when you pull up in a TL, but they should.

You can find Acura on Twitter at @Acura_Insider

This summer we took a different sort of vacation. Typically we find ourselves in New York City visiting family. Last year we were supposed to go to Mexico but I was newly diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and couldn’t make the trip. We took a quick last minute trip to San Diego and realized that as a family we love vacations that we can drive to. Not like, but love.

Driving to San Diego in one of our two mid size sedans is okay. It’s a bit rough getting everything in the trunk but for a two to three hour drive it’s fine.

This year we drove for 1,200 miles. First we left Los Angeles and went to Mammoth. We stayed and played in Mammoth for five days, then we took a day to explore Yosemite. After Yosemite we headed to San Francisco and then after San Francisco we drove back to Los Angeles. Had we done this sort of trip in anything other than a luxury SUV I think I might have died.

As soon as I knew we were going to take a driving trip I called the folks at GM and I asked them if they had an SUV I could borrow. They kindly offered me either a Chevy Tahoe or a GMC Yukon. “What’s the difference?” I asked. “One of them is red and the other one is black. Other than that they’re essentially the same vehicle with the same trim level.” I took the red truck. Red is pretty.

The Tahoe Hybrid in Los Angeles is a good car if you’re a large family or if you have some need to tow things. I think for an Angelino with a small family and an urban lifestyle it’s overkill, but I did have a Tahoe for a few years when the kids were little and I did LOVE it.

When we hopped in the truck and headed to Mammoth I felt like we were returning her to her roots. Yes, we do name most cars Sally as Sally was Jane’s imaginary friend that lived in two houses with us and Sally was also Jane’s first horse lease… which is a story for another time.

Like I said, I had a 2003 Chevy Tahoe (in 2003) and I loved it but there were things about it I did not love. I did not love that there was a TV in the car, but in that year and with that seat configuration they came with entertainment in the rear seat. In 2003 I wasn’t taking road trips, I was raising toddlers. In 2011 I was asking two kids to sit in the car for six hours. I wanted that TV so that I could hop in the back seat with them and watch a movie while Mr. G. chauffeured us around California.

Mr. G. has some odd requests and one of them was that I not get in the back seat with the kids and watch movies while he drove us all through central California. I know, crazy talk right? So I reluctantly let the kids pop in a DVD while we drove through the scorched earth of the Mojave Desert and the farmland just North of it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the rear seat entertainment was on a completely separate sound system and that we were able to listen to satellite radio in the front of the car while the kids tuned out in the back. For a daily drive this is unnecessary (problematic even) but when you’re spending many hours in the car driving through farmland and desert it’s a life saver.

The Tahoe that we drove had almost 10,000 miles on it but drove like a new car. The steering was tight and the trim was beautiful. Everything was flawless and I’d like to think it’s because America is back in the business of making wonderful automobiles but I know that in part this is part of a well maintained fleet. I like knowing that I’m driving a vehicle that isn’t brand new and knowing that it still drives well.

The Tahoe is a beast in the Mountains. Driving up to Mammoth there were all these road signs that warned against using your air conditioner so the car wouldn’t overheat. We just clicked a button and monitored the engine temperature, which never went over 165 degrees, and continued our speedy climb up the mountain.

When we got to June Lake I snapped this picture with my iPhone because I felt like our Chevy was returning to the neighborhood she loved in order to spend time with her friends.

The trunk space was phenomenal. Y’all know I do NOT believe in packing light. We were gone for ten days in both rugged and semi fancy (San Francisco) clothes. We brought tons of sporting equipment and we really didn’t get to a point where our stuff blocked the view through the backglass.

I felt a little weird with a big truck in San Francisco. I wanted to say LOOK IT’S HYBRID and then I wanted to tell them that we got 23 Miles Per Gallon (MPG), the bulk of our miles were mountain miles and both my husband and I have a lead foot.

I loved this SUV. I loved my Tahoe all those years ago when it was the right car for my family. I used to put four kids in baby and toddler seats in the car and the front seat provided easy access to my Grandmother who was in a walker. If you’ve got kids and stuff to haul the Tahoe is your friend. If you can get your hands on a hybrid all the better.

If you’re like me you might not be sure what ASUS-Automobili Lamborghini VX7 means. It means OMG Lambo has a computer. Yeah, that LAMBO and it’s the sexiest thing I’ve had my hands on in a long time.

As part of the Windows Champions program I’ll be able to play with a bunch of computers and technology this year. When the folks from Windows heard me talking about cars with love my voice they asked if I wanted to try out a Lamborghini computer. After jumping up and down and sqealing and hugging them a few times I said, “Why yes, thank you very much for the kind offer.” In my grown up voice.

Here is the computer

The packaging on the ASUS Lambo VX7 is exquisite. This is a luxury computer for a lover of luxury. When I pulled the box out I felt like I was opening a Birkin or a Kelly bag. Every bit of attention is paid to the details. If you watched the video you heard my son’s excitement when he saw the body of the notebook.

Although it’s portable, this is not a small computer and if you are planning a nomadic life with your notebook this might not be the solution for you. It weighs almost 8 and half pounds and it’s screen is sweet at 15.6″ and all that styling is bulky. For around the house and maybe to the office and back it’s still a portable enough notebook and it’s so beautiful you’ll forgive it it’s heft.

ASUS didn’t just slap a Lambo logo on this thing and ship it out. This computer is fast. It starts fast, it operates fast and it’s screen is stunning. It comes standard with a Blu Ray reader and writer. Watching a movie on this computer is an absolute treat for your eyes.

The ASUS VX7 is the perfect computer for the automotive fan. It’s an impressive design piece on a desk and it’s a workhorse. (see specs below) Mostly though, my kids love having a Lambo in the house. I’d expected the VX7 to be incredibly expensive so I was surprised to see it available online for under $2,300. It would make an incredible gift if someone (say your wife… Mr. G) loves both technology and cars.

Oh, and here’s what happens when you start it up.

Specifications

New car shopping is confusing. It’s meant to be confusing. I know this because I’ve bought many cars. Rest assured I’ve sold many more cars than I’ve bought.

If you try to walk into a dealership you will be shown a car by a salesman, presented a foursquare, and then your salesman will broker a deal between you and the dealership. This sounds good, except the salesman isn’t on your side, and quite often when they run into the office to talk to the manger they’re reading the sports page, because they already know the numbers and they already know that you can’t have what you want.

So if you see a sheet like this, go back home and buy a car my way.

I’ll show you how to buy a car if you are planning to own the car either by paying cash or by making payments to an institution as well as how to lease a vehicle.

1. Test drive everything. Go test drive every vehicle you think you’re interested in and pay attention to what you like. Take notes because you can’t compare them side by side. Let the salespeople know that you are not buying today. Take a low pressure test drive and know exactly which car you want, the trim level and the features you care about. Only after you know what you’re looking do you buy a car.

2. Know your credit score. Experian will give you a credit report once a year free. If you’re financing in any way it is critical that you know your credit score. It’s easy to confuse someone when they have a lower score than they’d thought.

3. (for buyers) Call two fleet departments. Pick up your telephone and call two competing dealers, ask for the fleet manager. It is quite likely that the fleet manager only works Monday through Friday 9-5. He’s probably older than everyone there and grumbly. He might say things like “rubber and metal, that’s all they are”. This is okay. The fleet manager doesn’t care about you because you don’t manage a fleet. The fleet manager wants you to take your car and get the hell out of his office.

When you have the fleet manager on the phone you will tell him exactly what you want in your car. Start with the make and model and then move onto every bit of trim that could be imagined. Ask him if he has that in stock or if it’s something he can locate for you. The answer will be “no” because most buyers want a car that’s never been made but he will give you a few options that are really close to what you’d wanted. Now ask him for the internet fleet price (I used to recommend getting AAA and asking for the AAA price but I found that they don’t negotiate as well as they used to). He will throw a number at you and explain that it’s $200-$1000 over invoice. If you’re looking for a hard to find car it may be more, but $250-$500 over invoice should delight you.

Now you need to hang up the phone and have the same conversation with another fleet manager at another dealership. Take notes during your phone call. If you live in a small town or a rural area don’t be afraid to call out of state. I’ve sent cars across the country for as little as $600 in covered trucks. It’s an option worth looking into.

4.(for leasers) Call two fleet departments and ask for the car just as a buyer would, only don’t ask about the price. Ask what the minimum drive off is based on your credit as well as the monthly payment. If you think there is any chance of buying the car at the end of the lease (that would be dumb and I don’t recommend it) be sure to ask what the residual value is. Don’t lease a car one day longer than the warranty. Three years is typically the best deal on leasing, but if the warranty lasts five years you could go to a 48 month lease. This could help get you into a car you’re stretching a little to afford. Still, most often 3 years is the ideal.

5. If you have a trade in they’ll all give you the same price. It’s a formula and you’ve got to remember that no one cares about your car. They’re going to send it to auction so a few sales will be involved before your car hits retail. If you need to get top dollar for your vehicle trading in is not the right move for you. If you (like me) aren’t interested in dealing with a buyer trade the thing in and never look back.

6. Compare your two offers. Typically one dealership will be much easier to deal with or one price will be much better than the other. When you find the numbers that work for you have a contract faxed over, look at it carefully and then make an appointment to have your car delivered or to pick it up.

Most of all, have fun. I love a new car.