I spent two hours car shopping today. It's all I could take.

The guy at the Nissan dealership was lovely. Very low-key, actually talked up Honda Accords (he owns a Honda and used to work at the Honda dealership.) I test drove a 2005 Altima and, aside from the dashboard, liked it very much. The dashboard has these funky looking... tunnels... you peer down to see your speed, mileage, etc. Not lovin' the tunnels. But the ride was great.

Then I went to the Honda dealership where I met the very definition of a used car salesman. Super nice guy but just dripped used car sales. I was his favorite customer. He liked me. He would fight for me. He was just an ol' country-boy trying to do the right thing.  What set me off is I went in and said, "I'm not buying today.  I just want to test drive an Accord." And instead of taking me out to the lot, he went to talk to his manager about the best deal he could get me--today--for a car. He was selling me the car before we were even on the lot. I drove a 2007 Accord, 23,000 miles. Nice, but didn't really do it for me. I liked the Altima better.  But if I could make a decision in the next 24 hours (and here he pulled me to the side so his manager wouldn't see that he was just giving the car away), he could problably get me an aggressive end-of-month deal.

It's a great car and decent price but just... ick. I hate being sold to.

I went to Saturn's site and I think I want to test drive an Aura. I loved my Saturn SW so maybe I should just go back to them.

Unfortunately with all of these, I'm creeping out of the price range I'd set for myself.  I swear, is there no service I can pay and just say, "This is what I want. Go get me the very best deal possible and call me when it's done?"

And why is there no damn mass transit system in my area? Phooey.

Dena

(Who apologizes to her readers for her foul mood while writing this.)