OK.
So yesterday I took my car (2004 Audi A4 Cabriolet) in for the long awaited service it was to have.
I've had to reschedule the appointment four times for various reasons, mostly revolving around snow-storms and loaner unavailability. No problem, really. Although I did worry that driving it might damage it more... and one thing I surely did not want to have to deal with was another in-transit breakdown.
I needn't have worried, though. I made it into service with no problem and decided since I was there, I'd stroll around the showroom before leaving to do my errands with the nifty little A4 they'd given me as a loaner.
Oh, stop tisking me. This is not a terrible thing. It's no secret that since this past October, I've been thinking this was the time (February) to purchase a new car.
So here I was considering switching from Audi to Toyota. (I'd had a Corolla back in the mid 80's and really loved that little roust-about! So why not give them a look-see.)
My friend Paul had recently purchased a Camry and is over-the-moon happy with it. Additionally, I'd become quite enamored, on several levels, with the Prius. And this may seem odd, but I also thought the Highlander might work for me. The last car I've been researching is the Nissan Altima. Audi wasn't even in the running, as far as I was concerned.
But then I got to thinking. For the past five years, I have enjoyed every minute in that car - with the breakdown exception. It is such a pleasure to handle. Their suspension package is unmatched for shear pleasure-of-driving satisfaction. Would I be this happy in any other car? I was starting to waver in my choices, but persisted in my research.
I had narrowed it down to the Altima, Highlander, and Prius - with a strong lean toward the Prius.
Then the Toyota-recall shocker. All the things I am learning about Toyota, now, as a company have blown me away. Their one-time track record of customer satisfaction excellence, has been missing for far longer than I realized. This was coming to light during my research, but the scope of their failure was so much broader than I had originally suspected. The question loomed: Do I want to do business with this company? No.
My parents had a saying for the type of thing that has plagued Toyota and brought about it's current struggles: They're too big for their britches! ...Sad, though; very sad.
So here I was meandering about the Audi showroom when I happened upon this shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxin', waxin' A5 convertible. Black on black with a dove gray interior.
I'm not sure but I think I heard it speak my name...
I circled it.
Circled it again.
Nah. To much money. Can't do it. No way. *big deep pitiful sigh*
Salesman asks, "Can I answer any questions you have today?" Hmmm... a closed ended question.
"Oh no. I was just looking. By the way, do you have any A4 convertibles coming in off a lease, say 2008's?"
"Come on over and have a seat, I'll check."
He had several. I didn't like any of them.
Memories of my days in the auto business kicked into high gear and were picking up speed.
Sha-ZOOM! I say to myself, It's February. I might be able to find a way to make this happen. What have I go t to lose? I'll either get it or I won't and either way, I'll be no worse off than I am now. Besides, I know myself; if I don't at least try to make this deal, it'll bother me forever.
"By the way," says I - with a flip of my chin in the car's direction, "what about that A5 over there. Tell me more about that one."
Long story, short...
I'm picking up the A5 tomorrow. My monthly out-lay will actually be less than I am paying for the five-year-old A4 I now have. My insurance will stay the same. I had enough equity in the older Audi to cover the down payment, and I'll have a brand new car with a new 50K mile warranty.
Damn!
This car is a thing of beauty, and so is the deal I was able to work out.
*SNAP*
If you're in New Jersey, and you want an Audi, give my uber fantastic salesman, John Oliver a call over at Mendham Audi and see what I'm talking about.
--
Disclaimer: neither I nor any family member of mine is employed by Audi or any auto dealership that sells Audis. My only interest in making this post is in relating a great experience I had as a customer.
"I am relatively convinced that in a past life I was Walter Mitty!" -- me
"I love historical fiction; it gives me the pleasant feeling of learning something while indulging my novel eating habit. Sort of like eating chocolate that has fiber." --Martha
"When you come to the edge of all the light you have known, and are about to step out into darkness, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: there will be something to stand on, or you will be taught to fly." -- Richard Bach
