The Feeling of Accomplishment

Just so you know, we here at Payne encourage impulse buying. I, for one, find the impulse buy to be a thrilling experience - finding something you weren't looking for, but with just one look at it, you know you don't want to live without it.

Buying a car impulsively is an exciting experience. You didn't know it when you woke up this morning, but you are going to drive home in a shiny, new gold Tahoe!! There is a strange feeling of accomplishment that goes with an impulse buy, though there's often a tinge of guilt that goes along with it.

However, we only encourage it when you can afford it. Personally, I've pulled some mental gymnastics to justify making certain purchases in the past, but I always knew that it wouldn't really hurt me to buy X item, it would just prevent me from eating out for a couple of weeks, or I might have to put off making another purchase I was planning on. And I'm okay with that.

It is very rewarding to buy something after saving for it. When we were kids and our parents made us save for a new bike or video game, it was easy - you just save your money and you'll get it. Sometimes Mom and Dad will even help you out. But when we are grown we find out the savings doesn't exactly work that way - you've got so much stuff to juggle, you have to decide if you want to buy something outright or spread out the payments through financing, and you also have to budget special savings to expect the unexpected. It's a lot tougher and sometimes can take a long time.

One of the best things we see here is when a family has worked hard, saved up, and is finally coming to us to buy the brand new Equinox they've wanted for a long time. Maybe Mom decided she wanted it after seeing it on a commercial, and she thought it would be great for the kids. So she and Dad talked it over and saved. And saved and saved and saved. And they budgeted. And they quit going to Chili's for a couple of months. And now they are ready to buy, with no worries. It's a great experience for us and them, not only because they own one of the best cars on the road, but because of the feeling of accomplishment that comes with reaching a goal.

Few things in life feel better than reaching a goal that you've worked hard for. Maybe it's something you've saved to buy, or maybe it's a bill you've worked hard to pay off. Or maybe it's when you've realized your diet has been working when you can fit into your old Wranglers again. Or you graduated college after you thought you never would. This feeling of accomplishment is different than the one you get from an impulse buy. There's no guilt, no worry, just a sense of pride and excitement for the future. Finally, I can drive in style!

And for those that are still in the savings/working process, let me tell you, there's nothing like The Home Stretch. The hard part is over! All you have to do is keep doing what you've already gotten used to doing over the past few weeks, months, or years. Yes, it is stressful to be able to see the finish line but not yet cross it, but just think! How hard was it to start this process? How difficult was it when you realized you were knee-deep in it, and for a moment felt there was no end in sight? There IS an end, and as long as you don't start celebrating too early, you are in the clear!!

Everyone has goals. When you set a goal, you are not alone. When you achieve a goal, however, you become part of an elite club.

Every individual here at Payne has goals, and as a dealership existing in the middle of a tough time for the auto industry, our business has goals, too. Let's work towards our goals together, ok? We'll see you here when your ready to get that Equinox. In the mean time, good luck to us all!

New Decade, New Lineup: Times Are Indeed Changing

Many things are changing in the automotive industry. Every year, it becomes a more globally-oriented endeavour. GM has tried to acknowledge and take advantage of that fact as much as possible - for example, do you know the companies Holden and Daewoo? They are GM-related automakers in Australia and South Korea, respectively. Their ideas are often combined with the ideas of engineers in America and Europe to create the vehicles you find sold under the Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC brand names. Additionally, GM has entered China, and is now the top-selling foreign automaker there. Believe it or not, did you know the Chinese are crazy about Buicks? Who'da thunk, right?

Chevrolet has a lot of awesome stuff coming down the pipeline: the Orlando, the Spark, and, of course, the Volt (more on that for another day). The first item that we will be getting in at Payne Chevrolet, though, is the Chevrolet CRUZE.

The Cruze comes at a very important time for Chevrolet - the small car has never been a forte for American car companies, long eclipsed by Asian and European automakers in this area. The Cruze is described by Chevy's PR people as "a global car refined for America," and to be honest, it's hard to disagree with them - they did a really great job. The Cruze, as the successor to the Cobalt, will be a nice looking piece of work. The interior looks like one of a sports car, and the outside looks very modern. The mpg is expected to be around 40 miles per gallon. The car is both an improvement on the Cobalt and a new vehicle all its own.

However on that note, here is my candid, uncensored hope for the future of Cruze - that this nameplate will stick. I think that the Cavalier and Cobalt were both great vehicles, so why a name change? I'd like GM to pick a name for this car and stay with it, through redesigns and good sales and bad, because it builds a brand loyalty. People LOVE Camaro, through thick and thin, and it's partially because Chevy made a great car and stuck with it. Any car historian will tell you that not every single Camaro in history was a great as the current model (Camaro Iron Duke?). And yet, the Camaro is still one of the most beloved cars in history, and better than ever.

Also, look at the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla - both are horrible names for cars, in my opinion, but yet they are some of the longest-running nameplates and best selling vehicles in the business. The name doesn't matter as much as the brand created around it. The Cruze has the ability to be the best car in its class, and I think Chevy should believe in the nameplate enough to keep it for many, many years to come.

Here's to you, Chevy Cruze!! Can't wait for you to get here.

Some Hard Truths (and Some Blatant Advertising)

As of this posting, we still have four 2009 Chevy Aveos on our lot, back from when they were new. Aveo Sedans and Aveo 5s are the smallest vehicles we have, and even though they are not hybrids, they get up to 40 mpg on the highway. They are very fuel-efficient little vehicles, and are also really attractive.

However, it seems like we cannot pay people to come in and look at these. Why? Well, since gas prices went down, it seems we all have forgotten about taking care of the enviroment. And now that unemployment has just leveled off, people have already forgotten about saving their money.

My how we forget our troubles so easily.

Whether we like it or not, our lives have been forever changed since the events of the past ten years. We can't go back to the past, when we neglected the environment and didn't take savings or credit seriously. Everyday I see someone who is trying to pretend to live in that old world, where the cost of some temporary happiness doesn't matter, no matter how high.

Buying any car should be an investment in your future, based on consideration of what will work best for you. The Aveo is definitely just that - it is inexpensive, saves you gas money, and is a reliable and safe vehicle (just so no one doubts my credibility by calling these tiny cars "safe," they actually received 5 star crash test ratings).

So what if Aveo is not a big, expensive status symbol? It's a useful car, and should get more respect than it does.

So if you are are in the market for a new vehicle, consider the Aveo. Remember what it was like when we all had to try and be responsible? Let's keep doing that, everyday.

Mustang VS Corvette

YOU be the judge!!

The Learning Curve: A Glossary

As many out there know, this blog is new to the Internet, and its author is new to the automotive industry. As I learn things I've never known before, I will share them with you, so you will be prepared next time you enter a dealership or prepare to buy a car, hopefully at Payne Chevrolet.

Below you'll find a glossary of terms I have learned thus far. Probably most people will know about these terms, but do not know the exact meaning. I may not be as good of a teacher as Mr. Feeny, but hopefully I can teach you some valuable life lessons about car buying.

%APR or Total Cash Allowance: You hear this phrase on commercials all the time. However, I think most people have never paused to think about what it means. Basically, it translates to the discount you get on a new vehicle, either you get a good interest rate for the first few months (the %APR) or a discount off the total price (Total Cash Allowance). You choose which one works best for your payment plan.

GM Certified Used: You hear this a lot on commercials for GM dealerships. It refers to vehicles that are 2005 or newer, contain the GM warranty, have passed a 117-point inspection, and have a vehicle history report available. Basically, these are the used cars that are as good as new and even still have some or most of their warranty left.

Doc Fee: I had to answer this question to a customer today, so I thought I would offer an honest answer, one you won't get from most dealers. I've seen a lot of places online that say this fee is a scam and a total rip off. That's not true. The fee is meant to cover the cost of the paperwork, such as credit checks, vehicle history reports, etc, that we have to run for nearly every vehicle and customer. All of these things cost money to file and to request. So while it's true that some dealerships out there charge a lot for their doc fees and make a profit, there really is a point to these fees, it's not just pure profit. However, if your dealership is charging you upwards of $500 or is charging you several seemingly pointless fees, you might want to ask why. Here at Payne we have one flat processing fee and we keep it low.

GM: I have realized that some people still do not know what makes up General Motors. The cars that are GM are Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac. Previously, it ran Saturn, Hummer, Saab, and my favorite, Pontiac. When all the craziness in the auto industry happened, GM decided to discontinue Saturn, Hummer, and Pontiac (I did not like the decision to close Pontiac, but that's for another post), and it sold Saab to Spyker Cars, which I think was a good decision. In Asia, GM also operates the Korean car company GM Daewoo Motors.

LS/LT/LTZ: These are the trim levels Chevrolet offers on their vehicles. Special items like the Camaro have different trims (for example, the SS), but these are the main ones. LS is the standard package, LT is the second best, and LTZ is the luxury-style trim. LTZs almost always will have leather interior and all of the bells and whistles.

MSRP: Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. This is also called the "List Price," and basically is the standard price for most vehicles assigned by the maker. Unless the vehicle is in very high demand (like the Camaro or Equinox), you will likely get some form of discount on a new car from the MSRP. But don't tell anyone I told you that.

Rebuilt Title: This is the term for a title belonging to a car that has been previously totaled, and then rebuilt. At Payne, we would never have anything on our lot with a rebuilt title. All of our vehicles have "clean titles," which refers to a car that has never been totaled.

Short Box/Standard Box/Long Box: These are truck bed sizes. Most people know these terms, but don't know the size in feet. A Short Box is 6 feet (seen mostly on Crew Cabs). A Standard Box (the one on most trucks out there) is 6 1/2 feet. A Long Box is 8 feet long.

Tranny: A way of referring to a car's transmission. I haven't figured out if the service guys get the double-entendre, though.

Work Truck: A basic trim for a truck. There are no bells and whistles on these trucks whatsoever, they are manufactured that way, often to be sold to businesses. However, if you are not picky about wanting lots of features, these trucks are much cheaper than their fancy counterparts and do the same job.

Hope you have found this "insider information" to be helpful! I will post new glossaries as I come across terms I think people would like to know.

The Open Road

Surely, the day you buy a new car from Payne, the first thing you think about is driving that thing as fast as you can down Memorial Blvd.

Americans in particular romanticize the car-owning experience - you know the cliche about the wind in your hair and the open road? Owning your own car is associated with freedom - the freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want. And we all know how much Americans love their freedom.

Imagine this: heading south for the beach in your new Camaro, going as fast as you can. No one will get in your way!

Except you can only go 50 miles per hour, tops, on Memorial Blvd. And you've only made it to Greenbrier before a police officer stops you. Even in the mightiest of sports cars, you still have to stop when the light turns red and observe all speed limits.

For those of us who live in Nashville, it's almost unfair to live in the city when Chevrolet makes cars like the Camaro. I just moved one across the lot yesterday, and even while only going 8 miles per hour during all of two minutes, it was probably the best experience behind the wheel I've ever had.

So that brings me to another part of car maintenance - Enjoy it in every way you can! Take your car to interstate if you like to drive fast. Go for a drive with no destination in mind. Listen to the radio, for goodness sakes!

While we Americans love our freedom, it's true that we also work and stress ourselves way too much (apparently we have one of the longest work weeks of any industrialized coutry). Your automobile is not just sitting in your driveway to take you from point A to B; it's there for you to have fun with. If you've bought the right car, then you will want to have fun with it whenever you can. And if you've bought a Chevy car in the past couple of years, odds are you have great fuel economy and can afford to drive for no reason.

You made an investment in your car, and it's time you got something out of it besides the morning commute.

Just try not to get a ticket!


**Image by LimaFoxtrot**

Preventative Care

In our nation's healthcare debate, one of the big issues being discussed is the idea of getting health coverage for better preventative care.

Preventative care is basically just taking good care of yourself every day, and going to a general care physician frequently to make sure everything's in proper working condition, instead of just waiting to get sick. It could save people thousands of dollars down the road if diseases are caught early or prevented altogether.

Makes sense, right? Well, in truth, we also must do that for our cars. Any major investment one makes in life, whether it be one's house, car, or health, must be taken care of.

However, too many people don't take their cars in for check ups, or wait until something breaks to bring it in. This results in huge service bills that could have been avoided, or could have at least been evenly spread over time. It just makes sense to take precautions on the vehicle now, so you won't have to deal with major malfunctions later.

One of Payne's new services is a great example of preventative care: Nitrogen Tire Inflation.

Traditionally, your tires are filled with oxygen. As many of you out there know, as your tires deflate and lose pressure, not only is the overall performance of the car affected, but so is the gas mileage.

A fill up of Nitrogen reduces the chance of tire failure by reducing oxidation in tires, making them last much longer. It improves fuel economy by keeping a more consistant pressure level, even in all different temperatures.

In short: it keeps your tires, and your whole vehicle, healthier for longer.

Payne is using the NitroFill service to inflate tires with nitrogen. Using NitroFill doesn't mean that you have to buy new tires, you just have to bring your car with your current tires in and, 20 minutes later, you'll have Nitrogen-filled tires. If you want to go to NitroFill's website, you can check out an estimate of how much money you would save in gas with your current vehicle, to see if it is worth your money: http://www.nitrofill.com/

But even if you're not sure about Nitrogen-inflated tires, you should still be taking regular care of your car. Maybe just bring it into the service department for a check up? Your car will thank you, and you will return the thanks when it lasts you an extra five years than you thought it would.

Take care of you body, and your car. You'll want both to be around for awhile.


P.S. If you do want the NitroFill, mention that you saw this blog online and you'll get a discount at Payne!! Also, NitroFill offers a Triple A-like service to customers, so ask about it when you come in.