Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Adventures in Finding a Truck

There's something about driving a pick-up truck that gives a person a sense of power. Maybe because the vehicle sits a bit higher up off the ground or maybe because a truck has a lot more towing power than any other kind of vehicle. A truck also has the ability to maneuver a lot easier in treacherous weather conditions like snow. I have been wanting a truck for awhile, but never really had the space for it. I had contemplated getting a truck when I lived in my apartment but then I'd have two vehicles out in the elements. Now that I have a home and a two-car garage, I have room for an extra vehicle in there. And despite the fact that I am paying on a mortgage, I still have the finances to pay off a truck. So needless to say, I have finally taken the next step in owning my first truck.

Yesterday got the ball rolling on my purchase of a truck as we visited five area dealerships. But the problem was, there weren't very many choices in trucks. In most cases, the trucks on the lots were either too big for my taste or the wrong color. My dad came along to help me out on the search and we ended up speaking with three salespersons. We first drove around through each of the five dealerships, just to scope out the selection of trucks. Like I said, there wasn't a whole lot to choose from. In speaking with one of the sales people, some of that was attributed to the slowdown in the auto industry. We're also in between "seasons" for vehicles. 2009 vehicles are being sold; in some cases as quick as dealers' can to make room for the 2010 vehicles. And yet, a lot of the 2010 models have yet to arrive. Those were a few of the reasons why the car lots were looking pretty sparse, in addition to the government cash for clunkers rebate program offered during the summer.

Our first visit with a sales person went reasonably well. We first stopped at the dealer that had the most trucks in their lot. They actually had quite a few extended cab trucks. But that's something I'm not looking for, because at this point in my life I'm single and don't need all of that interior room. However, this dealer had three regular cab trucks - yet they were considered "work trucks" in that they didn't have exactly all of the amenities that a truck with all the features would carry. Yet, the only features not included with work trucks are power windows and doors. As long as I have air conditioning for the summer months and a radio, that's really all I need. Plus, I could always get those things added at some point in the future. So it wasn't a huge issue for me. Before we started the search, I was rather set on getting a truck with a large box in the back. However, I was persuaded in getting a truck with a 6 foot box and the more I thought about it, the more comfortable I felt with that decision. I think a truck with an eight foot box may have been a little tight in getting in my garage. Plus, do I really need a truck that big? So, the black 2009 Chevrolet Silverado was definitely a possibility. But the deal wasn't quite as sweet as either of my dad and I would've liked, so we initially passed and decided to see what the other dealer's were offering.

Our next visit was to a dealership that sold GMC trucks. Well, they had absolutely zero regular-cab trucks and they were all three-quarter ton. We spoke with a sales person and he was able to find one ... in Baraboo, Wisconsin. That's over six hours away and they'd charge a $600 round-trip fee to pick it up for you. Needless to say, we decided to pass - and the deals they were offering weren't quite as good as the Chevy truck we looked at earlier in the day. Next, we went and visited a Ford dealership which sold the F-150's. Honestly, out of all the trucks offered on the market, the F-150 is probably my favorite in the looks department. No wonder it won this year's award for Motor Trend Truck of the year. Naturally, there were no regular-cab F-150's at this Ford dealer. Actually there was one, but it was white. Not the color of truck I was looking at getting. We talked with a sales person briefly and went on our way. Our day of looking at trucks was over and I had decided to wait awhile to see what the future might hold - and if it brought with it better deals.

I got home from work earlier today with a message from the Chevy dealership that had the black Silverado I was interested in. They were able to slash an additional $2,000 off the asking price of the truck in addition to the $3,000 in incentives already offered, taking $5,000 off the asking price. After some contemplating, I decided to accept that purchase price (including a good sized down payment). So, I am moving forward with my first purchase of a full-sized truck. I also opted to get the underside coated of the truck to battle against rust (because we get a lot of snow in da U.P. and they use a ton of salt on the roads) as well as a sprayed-on bed liner. All in all, I'm pretty pleased how things turned out. And it won't be long before I finally have a truck sitting inside my garage.

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