(no subject)

[chhotii]

My mom wants a new new car. (i.e. both new to her, and not used.) So today we drove to Woburn Toyota and she drove a Corolla and a Camry around the parking lot.

She's looking to me to have clue on the car purchase decision making, dealing with the dealer, negotiation and all that, because although she's bought cars before, it has always been in the company of one opinionated husband or another taking charge of the situation, whereas I've made one car purchase fairly independently. Eeks! I feel kind of clueless. Well, I know how I would go about buying another car, but she's not me, so any steps I suggest which involve making spreadsheets of car options in Excel are not going to happen. Thus I know how to shop for a car if one is Alex but I have no idea how to shop for a car if one is Alex's Mom.

Comments

[tamidon.livejournal.com]

Hire mangosteen a few hundred to do it for you.

[klingonlandlady.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was my reaction: Interview her as to her likes and dislikes, decide what kind she wants, then ask Dr Elias K Mangosteen to do the haggling! Unless you can channel that kind of chutzpah...

[totient]

My mother just bought a new car, and her requirements for it were just completely sideways to mine. For instance: the top requirement was that it had to have round headlights. Since she drives so little, the "I never want to have to buy another car again" requirement ruled out fairly few cars (it did rule out the Neon, though). She really wanted a coupe, but when that resulted in an empty set of possible cars she punted on the coupe requirement rather than compromise on the shape of the headlights.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

Headlight shape? Top priority? *boggle*

[whitebird.livejournal.com]

Well, if you've told her some of how you decided, and she's comfortable with that, you could help her do that same sort of thing by coming up with ways she can get the same end result with differing methodology.

Otherwise, yeah, fling a Mangosteen at her and hope she doesn't explode...

[mangosteen]

Otherwise, yeah, fling a Mangosteen at her and hope she doesn't explode...

I am much too large to be a small purple grenade.

[whitebird.livejournal.com]

With the proper application of a trebuchet, and an appropriate amount of distance, the same effect could be had.