I finally got a new car, but...
June 17, 2008 was a very important day in my life. I blog about it so I'll never forget it because -
My dad bought me a new car.
Well, actually he leased it for me. It is a 2008 Subaru Outback Sport (http://www.subaru.com/shop/overview.jsp?soaModelCode=8LJ). I got it in Steel Silver Metallic/Spark Silver Metallic exterior with Carbon Black Tricot interior. It was obtained at Bird Road Subaru down in Miami.
I feel very lucky and fortunate to get that particular model; it was the only one in the lot, and for the past few weeks I've been Internetting and calling and sacrificing my blood to get it in that color and finally jackpot. It came to around $22K something.
Yes I'm very happy but...well here's what has become a real shame for me. After my dad took care of the legalities and agreements, and we got the key in our hands, he said he will drive it home and I will drive the car we came in (our everlasting and venerable 95' Camry Wagon, which, at 137K miles or so and the countless trips of packing my college stuff and other crazy heavy stuff of mines around, has given me great respect and humbleness for camrys everywhere...). Anyways, to make a long story short, my dad got my new car into a little accident in the dealership lot while backing out. From what I understand, he backed out of the parking space and hit the accelerator instead of the brake and backed up into a few cars...
Anyways he's ok that's what matters most, but also there wasn't too much damage (yes the head dealer came out and said its ok it happens), and as for the car its fine and intact and sitting in the driveway...but there is some side-damage to the driver door (the impact made it move a little more into the left into the grille and so it doesn't close quite properly, and there's some scuff marks where the paint job came off on the left rear bumper.
I should be mad but I can't. It was my dad's fault but...he got me the car. I can't really be mad at him (he already feels embarassed enough as it is), and I've a feeling this will all come to pass. I think the damages are all repairable, and I'll post some pictures soon to this entry...for posterity or something (I want to look back at them and just laugh...at damage on my first car already on day 1 and how it was all resolved in the weeks to come...I hope).
Before getting the Outback Sport, my dad and I did attempt to look at getting a Toyota Prius, but I want to say that today, hybrids like the Prius are quite a premium. They sell like hotcakes. And we did manage to see one in stock at Hollywood Toyota, but when sitting down at the negotiating table (with this Jamaician sales guy named Lance), it was painful to realize that the dealers would not let the car go for less than $30K. No way my dad could afford the monthly payments....might as well buy two BMWs!
Car buying is insane today man. If I look back at this entry in the next few years or decade I hope I'm laughing, and I doubt its going to get any better. I hate negotiating for a car/going to the dealership, but part of me wonders if I can't learn to love how to negotiate, how will I be when I advise my patients about their health? Do I not have to be a negotiator on them to seek treatment or do this or that with their health? Is it all completely up to them? I feel guilty if I don't be aggressive...yet that is not my nature...how will I reconcile it?
Anyways...I hope in the next few days the car thing will be reconciled by taking it to some body shop to fix it up and hope the incident is behind me. Insurance? Well my dad doesn't want it reported to the company cause it will obviously go up...yeah it wasn't documented...I don't know if this will end up being a good or bad thing, but what has happened, happened, and well gotta go along with it...gotta be optimistic.
My dad bought me a new car.
Well, actually he leased it for me. It is a 2008 Subaru Outback Sport (http://www.subaru.com/shop/overview.jsp?soaModelCode=8LJ). I got it in Steel Silver Metallic/Spark Silver Metallic exterior with Carbon Black Tricot interior. It was obtained at Bird Road Subaru down in Miami.
I feel very lucky and fortunate to get that particular model; it was the only one in the lot, and for the past few weeks I've been Internetting and calling and sacrificing my blood to get it in that color and finally jackpot. It came to around $22K something.
Yes I'm very happy but...well here's what has become a real shame for me. After my dad took care of the legalities and agreements, and we got the key in our hands, he said he will drive it home and I will drive the car we came in (our everlasting and venerable 95' Camry Wagon, which, at 137K miles or so and the countless trips of packing my college stuff and other crazy heavy stuff of mines around, has given me great respect and humbleness for camrys everywhere...). Anyways, to make a long story short, my dad got my new car into a little accident in the dealership lot while backing out. From what I understand, he backed out of the parking space and hit the accelerator instead of the brake and backed up into a few cars...
Anyways he's ok that's what matters most, but also there wasn't too much damage (yes the head dealer came out and said its ok it happens), and as for the car its fine and intact and sitting in the driveway...but there is some side-damage to the driver door (the impact made it move a little more into the left into the grille and so it doesn't close quite properly, and there's some scuff marks where the paint job came off on the left rear bumper.
I should be mad but I can't. It was my dad's fault but...he got me the car. I can't really be mad at him (he already feels embarassed enough as it is), and I've a feeling this will all come to pass. I think the damages are all repairable, and I'll post some pictures soon to this entry...for posterity or something (I want to look back at them and just laugh...at damage on my first car already on day 1 and how it was all resolved in the weeks to come...I hope).
Before getting the Outback Sport, my dad and I did attempt to look at getting a Toyota Prius, but I want to say that today, hybrids like the Prius are quite a premium. They sell like hotcakes. And we did manage to see one in stock at Hollywood Toyota, but when sitting down at the negotiating table (with this Jamaician sales guy named Lance), it was painful to realize that the dealers would not let the car go for less than $30K. No way my dad could afford the monthly payments....might as well buy two BMWs!
Car buying is insane today man. If I look back at this entry in the next few years or decade I hope I'm laughing, and I doubt its going to get any better. I hate negotiating for a car/going to the dealership, but part of me wonders if I can't learn to love how to negotiate, how will I be when I advise my patients about their health? Do I not have to be a negotiator on them to seek treatment or do this or that with their health? Is it all completely up to them? I feel guilty if I don't be aggressive...yet that is not my nature...how will I reconcile it?
Anyways...I hope in the next few days the car thing will be reconciled by taking it to some body shop to fix it up and hope the incident is behind me. Insurance? Well my dad doesn't want it reported to the company cause it will obviously go up...yeah it wasn't documented...I don't know if this will end up being a good or bad thing, but what has happened, happened, and well gotta go along with it...gotta be optimistic.