Car Wash Gone Bad

I need to write this post. If only to laugh at myself and feel better in doing so. My brain is so scattered tonight, so hopefully a good post will focus all my energy and put me back on track.

I did an embarrassingly bad job washing my car today. I thought nothing of it, but when I stopped for groceries I cringed as I came around the side of the car. Wow! This is bad.

In the past, $3 in the DIY car wash bay would do it. I could rinse, soap, then rinse my car; all within the 4 minute window that $3 buys you. Black car, eh? I guess 4 minutes isn't going to cut it anymore!

This is further amplified by the fact I live between 2  obsessive compulsive car washers. Their cars glisten in their driveways and mock my Vibe. It must just make them cringe to see this mess!

The Car-Buying Adventure Continues - Decision Made!

I promised a quick reveal of my decision and I had a few guesses....  so here goes. I picked.....

The Pontiac Vibe!

Seemingly a surprise to most, it was actually a relatively easy decision for me.

After driving both the Matrix and the Vibe, it was clear the cars are nearly identical. The Vibe does have a few more options, such as Intelli-trac to prevent over-steering and a 115v plug.

All for less cost than Toyota. Of course, the Vibe has been discontinued, going the way of the wholly mammoth with its parent brand, Pontiac. Yet, parts remain guaranteed for 10 years, and while I love the car, hopefully I do not find I am looking for parts in 2020. I suspect I'll have moved on. Let's hope.

The engine is Toyota, yet not affected by any recalls and the care is easy to maintain. All that aside, the deciding factor had little to do with features. I live in a region where the economy hinges on GM. Everyone here, myself included, has a direct link to GM as the automaker's plants hire most of the town. A year ago, I realistically did not think I'd ever consider buying a GM. As I weighed my options, I was very pleased to discover the Vibe and in this case, it became an obvious choice.
With that decision made, I found myself faced with the next decision in this adventure. New or Used?

A new car depreciates as soon as its driven off the dealer's lot, so I never thought buying new was worth the extra cost. After determining my annual high-mileage habits left me few used options, I started to seriously consider 'new'. There are certainly benefits; warranty and OnStar for one year are the only 2 that now stick out as significant, although I'm sure there were many more. I was convinced lower financing, cash discounts and the value of warranty made the cost of new and used relatively equal.

My logical, left-side thinking then took over and so was developed this chart. New versus Used. The costs of each option, including taxes, interest and insurance rates over the lifetime of the vehicle.

After taking into account the costs, and finding a rare, all-wheel-drive Vibe with extremely low mileage, my mind was made up. I was buying used!

I can't tell you what a relief it is just to have the shopping part of this process done. No more staring at every car on the road. No more slowing down while driving past car lots.

A few more days and Savvy Homegirl with be a 'new-car-girl'!

Savvy Homegirl Does Car Shopping

Hampered slightly by the simple fact, 'I hate car shopping', I have begun my quest to find the ultimate new (or more likely used) car. <---- Since writing that line, I've actually narrowed my choices and nearly completed this adventure.

It's interesting because when I started this post, I'd narrowed my preference down to 2 brands. This was due to the fact I had made a conscious decision months ago, when I need to get a new car, I would look at Hondas or Toyotas.

That was before the Toyota recall. That was also before I sat down with Belair Direct's Car Insurance Quote and starting running some scenarios. My parents' insurance broker confirmed my fear- Hondas are among the most expensive cars to insure. I felt like I was back at square one.

So, I started shopping, all the while knowing:

• I can afford $350 per month (max) for a car. That includes insurance. That cuts down a lot of options, including Suburu, Mazda and Volvo.
• I do not want to lease. I drive too much and I don't want to pay to own nothing.
• I really like crossover cars- lots of space, but fuel economy of a car. 
• I test drove a Honda Fit. I really like it, but it was a new 2009, too much money (even after all the discounts & 4.9% financing) and my mom thought it was really noisy on bad roads. In hindsight, I agree.
• Honda Civic 4 doors are not as big as I thought they were. Fact: They are the same as a 2 door, but with 4 doors. Same size car. Simple fact, but I had to sit in one to realize this.
• A hatchback would be very practical.
• Fuel economy is important.
• I would still look at a Toyota. I really like the Matrix, but I worry a little about what will be recalled next. 

What I discovered next surprised me, because I am not typically one to ogle cars. Staring at every car on the road was downright strange to me. Having never paid attention to a Mazda 3 or Suburu Impreza before in my life, I found myself staring longingly at these sleek cars as I passed them on the highway.

My expensive taste was confirmed when I searched Autotrader.ca. So, the scanning continued. Every time I left the driveway. 

It was the best shopping I could've done. I can tell you every compact on the market with a hatchback option. I also decided I don't want a compact. I eyed 'crossover' cars, and allowed price and previous rental car experiences to narrow my list even further. 

After weeks of scanning, I settled on 2 options: 

TOYOTA MATRIX 

VS

PONTIAC VIBE

Look similar? They're almost the exact same car. Built at the same plant with the same frame and engine, only the body and interior differ (ever so slightly) and some options. A day of test driving and my mind is made up.

My decision matrix (no pub intended) included ride quality, options, price, production location, and brand reputation.

Which do you think I chose? 

Savvy Cargirl I am NOT!

After trying to justify why I need a new car, I have found myself on the distinct, opposite side of the table today. I have reached the point now, where I need to justify keeping my car.


"Surely," you are thinking, "There must be a story behind this."


Well my friends, there certainly is a story, and I admit it's another one of my not-so-proud stories. Truly, I am not-so-naive anymore to think I will be just paying for an oil change when I return to pick my car up from the shop. My car has over 315,000 km on it, it has hit a bridge and a deer (not at the same time), and I am not the most gentle driver. New brakes are to my cars, like mold is to blue cheese - common and unavoidable. In my last car post I was able to quell the urge for a new car. The economics didn't make sense, so long as I could continue to maintain my car for less than a new car.


Perhaps, I miscalculated what my current car actually costs me. Let's reexamine the facts.

• Security - the parking brake regularly sticks, so I no longer use it. This means leaving my car in neutral or gear when I park. The power locks don't work, so unless I manually lock the doors, I just leave them open. (I'll have to start locking them now for sure!)
• Disposable income - Regular maintenance is never just 'regular', thus my 'savings' often go towards my car to cover the unanticipated cost. As a result of the sticking parking brake, I found out today I have been driving with 3 wheels and burned a break off. !!!!!!! Yes, I'm not proud to admit that, because I obviously should have realized. That leads to my next 2 points.
• Reliability - I can't depend on my car anymore, and I don't know cars well enough to understand what's wrong when something breaks. Parking break example included. 
• Safety - 3 WHEELS! Enough said.
• Time - A broken serpentine belt this summer left me on the side of the road, unable to help my friend set up for her wedding and without a car for a week while the belt and the belly pan the tow truck broke, on the way to the shop, were repaired. My schedule isn't usually flexible enough to allow such inconveniences.
• Sanity - I have no radio. I regularly drive over 500 km in a weekend with no radio. NO RADIO. Not just no CD player, but NO RADIO! Did I mention that drives me a little crazy? Oh yes, and the power locks don't work...

If that was not justification enough...

• Timing belt due in 5000 km... Minimum $1500
• Tire rods... $400+
• New tires (if I can not get my current ones replaced under warranty) ... $1000

Finally, to quote my super honest repair shop:
"Your car is falling apart. You need to get a new one."


They don't sell cars. A year ago, she told me it didn't make sense to get a new car if my maintenance costs were less than the payments would be. Advice of which I have reminded myself over and over. I'm looking at $3000+ in repairs in the next  couple of months. My car is not worth $3000. To top it off, my back tire was flat the other day when I came out of the office. 


Let the shopping begin!

When Your Better Judgement Says No

Heeeelllllppppp!! I want this car!


Against all better judgement, I am looking at new cars again. Turns out, its not just small purchases that would be prevented if I didn't window shop, or in this case, screen shop.


I have discovered this Honda Civic that seems to be the most incredible deal. So much so, I saw the car today and took it for a test drive. It's a dream.... if a dream were an affordable, import, gray coupe. Of course, every new car is a dream compared to my beat-up, little Jetta.


So, what's the catch? Well, there are two actually.


FIRST - I can not afford a new car!! With my promotion, I should be saving my extra income for all the renovations I want to do, a rainy day, retirement. That's logical. Cars are not logical. Cars do not give you HRTC (that's Home Renovation Tax Credits for all of you not up on the hottest acronym in the Canadian reno world). They also don't bail you out when your furnace quits in February. Nor do they look after you when you're old. They don't even pay for themselves when you decide you've had enough.    

Car = Bad Investment

SECOND - I've never leased before, and this deal is a lease take-over. Leasing has its good and bad: 

Good: Low payments. Because you're not buying the car, payments are only calculated on part of the car's value. In this case, there is a cash incentive. The incentive plus what I can sell my car for brings the effective payment down even more. Bonus!

Bad: After you've paid all this interest and money, you don't own anything. Sometimes, if you choose to buy the car it costs more than if you'd decided to finance the purchase at the start. Limited kilometres; expect to pay BIG $$$$ if you go over the allowance. Damage fees: Do I start parking in the corner of every parking lot to avoid being doored?

Yet, the appeal of an almost new car is soooooo strong! It's so stylish and smooth, unlike my Jetta that doesn't even have a radio anymore. Yet, when I add up last year's bills, I still don't spend as much on my car as I would in payments if I bought a new one. Not to mention, I will still have oil changes, so my current car is still cheaper to maintain. And drive.

Jetta mileage = 850-900 km per tank of diesel (@ .91/L)

Civic mileage = 650 km per tank of gas (@.99/L)

Oh the decision... Is anyone else contemplating a car purchase? Do you lease or purchase?

I Hit A Deer.. YIKES!

Warning - if you really like animals, you may not want to read this.

I had a bit of a scary start to my day today. I left from my parents' house bright and early this morning to head to the airport. It was just after 5:30am (I said bright and EARLY), and it was a gorgeous morning. I got to take in another sunrise (I posted photos of Saturday's in the slide show), and I was feeling pretty awake considering the short night and time of day.

I was only a couple miles from home when a baby deer crossed the road in front of me. Aware there may be more, I slowed a little and BAM! I realized what happened just in time to see the deer come down on my windshield and into the ditch.

I think this moment when you realize what is going on, is the moment adrenaline takes over. My composure was incredible as I pulled over off the road, surveyed the damage and called my parents. Afterall, my flight was leaving in 3 hours! I needed to take care of this situation pronto!

Some things to know if you hit a deer (and probably a moose or other large creature):

- It's an accident and must be reported to the police in order to be covered under insurance.

- Write everything down immediately while its fresh in your mind: weather, time, speed, exact details of what happened and where. I believe its common to forget the 'details', even shortly after, so write it down.

- In Ontario, you are not responsible for the dead animal, as I mistakenly thought. It will be taken care of either by Mother Nature or the municipality. Thank goodness.. but this may differ by province.

- Don't panic and try to avoid swerving as you may lose control.

- Again, keep your eyes open. Where there is one, there is usually two!

- It happens to everyone, and it is unavoidable. The police officer told my parents that 5/7 accidents he attended last month were collisions with deer.

Until now, I have never hit anything except a skunk a couple weeks back. The sheer force of the impact and whole situation left me jolted. I was a little paranoid the rest of the way to the airport when I drove by any treed area, and some ridiculous tension has now set into my neck and upper back.

Needless to say, this was not the way I planned to start my travel this week. Luckily, the police officer understood my hasty retreat to the airport (courtesy of my mom's car - she's AWESOME!), and I made my flight with no less than a few minutes to spare for a quick pit stop. Now to enjoy a week in sunny Regina!

Drive safe!

Savvy Cargirl - How to Buy a Car

Thinking about buying a new car in the next couple of months? Perhaps, you just recently purchased a new set of wheels? How was the buying process? Were you prepared? Did you feel comfortable?

As much as I do not want to think about it, I am soon going to fall into the first category. In fact, I already do, particularly every time I take my car for an oil change and pick it up at the end of the day with an additional $500 in work. It always seems to be brake-related also - why is that? I can't help but get it fixed right away! Brakes are important!


Anyway, back to buying a car. Most women find this to be a very stressful process, myself included, and with just cause. How many times have you walked into a car lot to be ignored, disrespected, or worse yet, felt taken advantage of? Enter: Cars N Finance.


This seminar for women was hosted last night by our local Honda dealer in cooperation with a financial coach, who also happens to be a single mom. While the seminar did have some obvious bias, I did learn some very important items to consider when purchasing a car.

• Depreciation. We all hear about it, but I didn't realize that only a handful of manufacturers actually have depreciation rates less than the national average. Those 'luxury brands' - BMW, Lexis and Cadillac ? They may have a high resale, but they still depreciate faster than average. By factoring in the depreciation over the period you plan to own the vehicle, you are able to calculate the real cost of the car. Brands to look at that depreciate slower than the national average? Toyota, Honda, Acura and Volkswagen, among others. Check out "That Bargain may not be a deal come resale" for more.
• Critical Illness Payment Insurance. There are all sorts of insurances you can purchase that guarantee your payments will be covered should something happen leaving you unable to work or make them yourself. Why is Critical Illness particularly important? 1 in 3 women that purchase it, end up making a claim on it (according to the financial coach)!! Wow! Does it worry anyone else more that cancer, MS, and other terminal diseases are that prevalent in today's society? Yikes!
• Do your research. It's kind of a no-brainer, but I bet there are more of us out there that make our decision before really comparing our options and the true cost of the vehicle. What features do you really need and what can't you live without? How does fuel mileage compare? Insurance payments? Make a chart of your likes and dislikes, then start comparing your options to see what fits.

There were some important points I think were missed in the seminar. For obvious reasons, they pushed the value of extended warranty. Myself, I believe extended warranty is primarily a revenue-generator for businesses. I once saw an upside-down bell curve of the percentage likelihood of product failures. The majority occurred within the first year or after ten years. Using that justification, you could assume that in most cases if your product fails, an extended warranty would not offer you protection anyway. You would either be covered already (within the first year) or the extended warranty would be over. I think the particular article I read referred to electronics, but nevertheless, its an interesting concept to ponder.

Especially, since extended warranty does not cover normal wear and tear. When I look back on the life of my 8 year old Jetta, most of my major expenditures have been breaks, belts and tires. All would fall under normal wear and tear, or would not have been within the allowable extended warranty time frame.

The takeaway? Seriously consider if you will get any value out of the extended warranty! Worried about being stranded on the side of the road? Get CAA. It's probably a smaller investment, and I have found year after year, it pays for itself through use and peace of mind! Plus you can get great travel deals also!

Happy Car Shopping!

The Adventures of Savvy Cargirl Continue!

It is rare that my ability when I have car trouble comes close to being savvy, but this weekend some my car know-how surfaced - in the form of a flat tire.

I immediately knew something was wrong with my tire, when I was heading to the train station on Saturday. With the warm weather, I had my windows down, so the strange 'clack' noise coming from my front, driver's side was very audible and not normal. A moment later, there was a pop and then nothing. Noticing that the road and pavement was even, I had a gut feeling that I had either run over or had just lost something that was wedged in my tire and there was now a giant, gaping hole in my tire.

I parked at the train station, preoccupied by catching the train to the city. Assuming that my little Jetta's brakes had not suddenly decided to act like air brakes, the hiss from my deflating tire was unmistakable. I strategically moved my car to a location that would be easily accessible for a tow truck and headed to the city.

In hindsight, I should've dealt with the tire right then. I could still drive on it (for a very short distance), and there was an Active Green & Ross and a Canadian Tire around the corner. Failing to do so, I was met with the flattest tire I have ever seen, when I returned from the city. Anticipating this, I had already placed a call to CAA, but I decided to try my luck at changing it anyway. Before I knew it, the spare tire was on and I was yacking to the CAA girl about how empowering it is to change your own flat!

"I know," she exclaimed! "Doesn't it feel amazing?! Good for you! " She asked. Does it ever! I definately stood a little taller, as I explained to the Active Green & Ross guy that I needed a bit of air and someone to look at my old tire.

One note about this - they were booked for the day and would not be able to fix my tire. He gratefully offered to check my spare, make sure the pressure and lug nuts (bolts that hold your tire on) were tight and safe. My spare is a real tire, as opposed to a donut, so I was safe to drive on it until I could get mine fixed. With my past, negative Canadian Tire battery experience fresh in my mind, I decided to wait until Active Green & Ross could fit me in, rather than go to Canadian Tire.

If I could make a recommendation for all women drivers out there, especially the single and fabulous ladies that spend multiple hours a week in your car - learn to change a tire! In fact, learn to check the oil, change your windshield washer fluid, learn all the basic maintenance tasks to keep your car running and on the road, especially if it is older and/or high in mileage. Also, consider CAA. It has saved me many headaches and paid for itself over and over again! They even have Car Advice for Women here.

Have you ever been incredibly empowered by a similar experience? Do you have any great recommendations for women driving?

Savvy Homegirl is NOT Savvy Cargirl!!

So, no big surprise here, but I arrived back at the airport last night to find... my car would not start!! I even disconnected the battery before I left, because I heard that it was going to be cold this week.

Turns out, at -25 degrees every night, even that tactic does not work. So, after freezing my tootsies off in my Kansas City-suited footwear (which doesn't stand up as well to the frozen, white north), the parking lot attendant boosted my car, and I was on my way again. A hassle I could do without after five hours of travelling? Most certainly.


Needless to say, since I still haven't bought a block heater or trickle charger, the car's attempt to start this morning was pathetic at best. Now I am waiting for CAA to come out again to give me a boost.


It could be worse. I could be sitting in the dark, waiting for CAA, like many Torontonians are probably doing this morning. That reminds me, I should pick up a flashlight and candles when I get a trickle charger.

Update on the Car Battery Situation..

Car batteries are NOT returnable!! This is valuable information. When I thought I had a no-good battery in my car last week, I bought a new one without knowing for certain. When I learned that my battery only needed a charge, I called the retailer to inquire about returning the battery I had just bought. I was told that I could.

Mistakenly, I assumed (NEVER assume anything) I could return it to a store in any city. After removing the post covers and testing my battery, a very rude parts clerk and parts manager told me that batteries were not returnable. They then proceeded to accuse me of returning a used battery that was 'no good' and did not have a charge.

Visibly upset at being treated like a 5-year-old, I took my battery and left the store. I called the store where I had purchased the battery. I was indeed informed they do not refund batteries, BUT, they would in this case. The next day, I drove to the orginial store of purchase. The parts clerk was expecting me, and he gladly accepted the return. He was also confused that the battery had tested bad, so he tested it himself and showed me the result... "Good. Battery charging." Interesting...

I was amazed at the difference in customer service as I left the store, refund in hand. So amazed, that I am considering a formal complaint at the first store, but before doing so, I am going to send a letter of appreciation to the second. Afterall, we always complain about the bad service, but when do we reward the good?

Savvy Homegirl Takes on Her Car Battery

I returned from Christmas holidays armed and ready to tackle the dead battery in my car that I had discovered before leaving for Christmas. I was sure that it was time for a new battery, so with my new (heavy) purchase in hand, I set to work changing the battery. I discovered very fast that, without the proper tools, this is a challenging job. Finally, a good friend reminded me that my CAA covered battery boosts and install if necessary. Once the truck arrived, I learned that my battery was perfectly fine!! It just needed a charge, and I almost dropped $160 into it on a battery I didn't need.

The driver explained that when your car is off, it still takes a small amount of charge from the battery to power the clock-radio, security system, etc. When a car sits for an extended time in cold weather, the drain on the battery is much quicker, and it can even run your battery dead.

Luckily, this can be easily avoided. Here are some tips to get you out of the cold and get you going next time.

• Buy a block heater. Most often seen in Western Canada (because no matter how new or how good your car is, it won't want to move any faster than you at -45 degrees), block heaters are also common in diesel cars in Ontario. If you don't have on in your diesel vehicle, they are fairly affordable to install. The downside? It must be plugged in, so unless you're in Manitoba, chances are you won't be able to plug it in at the airport or away from home if its going to be sitting for a few days.


• Buy a "trickle charger". Again, you need to have a plug, but a trickle charger will charge your battery when it starts to run low. Once charged, it shuts off again. Just don't forget to unplug the charger when you drive away!


• Disconnect your battery. The easiest way to prevent battery drain? Disconnect the ground post, or the negative side (black), of your battery when you know the car will be sitting for extended periods of time. Keep in mind that this will also disconnect your security system. This might not be a good idea if you are worried about theft.


• Get CAA! They will come out for free to test, charge, boost or replace your battery if needed. You may need to wait 30 minutes to an hour, but the cost of your membership will nearly be paid for with one call.