Time is Money!

The way a car sale comes together is really an amazing thing.

So recently, I was put into a conundrum - a customer had to get in and get out very quickly, and we just weren't able to put things together fast enough for what he needed. Everything worked out in the end, but it got me thinking about car sales and about making serious decisions in general: would you ever go into a car dealership to purchase a vehicle on a day when you had an important appointment?

We all say we wouldn't, but then I think about it, and realize that I've made plans before on days when I had important, time-consuming things to take care of (like the day I took the SATs!!).

Buying a car is a time-consuming process - even a simple, in-and-out cash deal takes a few minutes longer than one would expect. Here at Payne, we certainly don't want to waste your time for no reason; we take the steps necessary to make sure the deal gets worked the right way. After all, we'd hate to call you AFTER you've drove off the lot with your new Tahoe to tell you that there's something wrong! (That being said, we still try to get you out of here in a timely fashion.)

A car sale is actually an incredible thing. It's difficult to predict how long it will take to contact the bank that will be loaning you money, or the bank you owe money on your trade in, or for the clean-up department to wash your new car and clean the window stickers off, etc. A good salesman can get you to agree to buy a car, but a great salesman can make sure that all of these things all happen as quickly as they possibly can. It's almost like conducting an orchestra - you have so many people involved, and they all have to work together. You can't be sure that the Oboe Section is going to play their part exactly right, but you have to do your best to make sure that they do.

And even then, things can go wrong, so we always appreciate when customers are patient, and preferably, have made plans expecting that buying a car takes time, and we want to be careful so that you have the easiest experience possible.

Family Cars Through the Years

The Station Wagon. The Minivan. The SUV.

The "Family Car" has always been a staple of American life. It has fuzzy memories for many who grew up sitting in the backseat of a station wagon with their sister on a family road trip, and for the parents that bought them, so full of hope for their young children.

It also comes with some negative connotations: many modern women, for example, balk at the idea of being considered a "Minivan Mom." These ladies reached their peak of cultural dominance in the 1990's, when it seemed like half the cars on the road were french fry-filled family vans.

Those moms and dads of the 90's, of course, where switching to minivans because of their dislike of the station wagon, the family vehicle of choice for the previous thirty years. The station wagon is hardly seen anymore - despite attempts at revival over the years, in seems only Volvo is still seriously in the wagon market. (In all honesty, Volvo wagons are pretty sweet. Here's hoping they never go away.)

This author's childhood spanned the course of the 90's (ages 3 to 13), and I remember the last of the station wagons, a dying breed amongst the Minivan takeover. The family of a friend of mine exclusively bought the same Volvo station wagon, over and over - same color, same everything, just a newer year when it was time for a trade-in. We all thought the choice of a wagon was an odd one. Her mom would just shrug her shoulders - hey, they knew what they liked!

Then in the 2000's, the Minivan Moms all migrated to the SUV. This was especially popular for families with children who played sports, because all the football pads for Josh's football games and the catching gear for Caitlin's softball tournaments weren't going to haul themselves around. I remember this era, too, because I had a sports-playing sibling and my parents had a Tahoe for that exact purpose. I remember seeing Chevy Suburbans all over the place at those little league events, and realizing they call it a Suburban for a reason.

Now today, in the 2010's, there's already a marked change in Soccer Mom and NASCAR Dad's vehicle of choice. (Well, maybe Mom's vehicle of choice. Dad's always wanted a Silverado truck, but Mom usually wins that fight, doesn't she?) With gas prices on a rollercoster ride up and down (usually up) and a society that has become decidedly more eco-conscious, the Crossover SUV has taken the lead for the most requested family car.

The Crossover offers a lot of the best features of all of the previous family vehicles rolled into one. Let's look at the Chevy Traverse, for example, shall we? It's got power and towing capacity like an SUV. It has got the seating capacity of a Minivan. There's got room to haul equipment, just like an SUV or a station wagon (it can even create more room with the removeable third seat row). It's styled as a mix of a van and a SUV (with a little bit of Jeep-style thrown in), but it gets much better fuel economy than either one. The price is also considerably cheaper than an SUV. And, let's face it, the Crossover SUVs like Traverse just look cool.

(SIDENOTE: This is good news for folks with kids who are looking for a really cheap vehicle: very nice Minivans with good features and low miles are currently being sold for dirt cheap, just because they aren't the hottest product anymore. Something to keep in mind for families on a budget!)

With Traverse's little brother, Equinox, currently the hottest product GM has to offer (Traverse isn't doing so bad itself, either), it looks like these Crossover vehicles are here to stay.

At least until the next big thing for families comes around. If the current timing of consumer tastes continues, I would guess we'll know what that vehicle is in 2020. See you in ten years, Soccer Moms!


**The photo above is an advertisement for a 1969 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate station wagon. Ain't it adorable?

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!