Tags: car shopping
Published : 10 months, 2 weeks ago (Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:31:30 PDT)
Searched: car shopping
http://taqaisenu.livejournal.com/133061.html 0 links
Related posts
*Note: This is not exactly in chronological order, as I technically did one test drive before I did much perusal of the models on my list.
Armed with my list and a notebook, I went off in search of the cars. Just as a plan was needed to create the list, a plan was needed to pare down the list through perusal. I needed to determine if I had any deal-breakers: criteria that would have to be met before I even got behind the wheel to test-drive the vehicle, criteria that could not be properly assessed through Internet browsing.
Turns out I do have one, and it's a big one. Jellybeanicity: how much the vehicle resembles a jellybean.
To measure the jellybeanicity of a vehicle, hold up a jellybean to eye-level and rate the vehicle's silhouette as to how closely it resembles the jellybean, on a scale of 0 (not at all) to 5 (very much so). For an obvious example, a pickup truck has a jellybeanicity rating of 0. However the Toyota Matrix rates a 4.75 on my scale.
The Mazda 3 sedan, however, scored a jellybeanicity rating of a 2.5.
Notice how the trunk kind of curls up? That lowers the jellybeanicity rating, as does the definition where the front hood meets the windshield. If the jellybeanicity rating is too high, I consider the vehicle hideous. Too low, and you're sacrificing streamlining and maybe even some fuel efficiency. While I did not devise a rating system for them, Wedgie-Cars, Box-Cars, and Pregnant Roller Skates were also not to be considered.
Mike and I were browsing in a Mazda dealership, hoping to take something out for a test drive. However, the salesmen were all busy and would not help us. Inside the dealership on display was a 2009 Mazda3 5-Door Hatchback. Taking out my jellybeans, I held one up to the silhouette of the vehicle and declared it a 5.
(The model I was looking at did not have the rear spoiler, as appears in this photo. This particular version of the Mazda3 5-Door Hatchback) rates a 4.75, as spoilers can reduce the jellybeanicity of the vehicle.)
The salesman we first ran into outside entered the dealership with his customers in tow. He caught me admiring the hatchback and assumed the wrong reasons.
Busy Salesman: *excitedly* Oh, is that the one you're looking for? Me: *emphatically* Oh no. No, it looks too much like a jellybean. Busy Salesman: Shhh, not so loud. Those people over there just bought one. Jellybeanicity ratings caused all Hondas and one Toyota to fall off of my list, narrowing it down from seven to four.  The best part about scoring jellybeanicity ratings is you get to eat the jellybeans. Jellybeanicity ratings alone do not a good vehicle perusal make. I took plentiful notes while peering inside windows and reading the white sheets.  My notes were mostly my impressions – abundance of cupholders, location of dials and consoles, how small do the backseat and trunk appear, and any potential issues that I will have to be certain to look for when test driving. I'd verify the white sheet numbers against my own from my research, mostly to make sure that I was looking at the proper vehicle. Speaking of impressions, the gear shift in the Hyundai Elantra greatly resembled the controller from The Flight of the Navigator. Perusing that car made me want to go home and watch the movie. Speaking of the Hyundai, that, too, fell off of my list while perusing. Peering in through windows, the interior appeared nearly identical to the Mazda3, one of my front-runners. Externally, the Elantra is very similar to the Mazda3, as well. What made it fall off my list was the base model, while cheaper than everything else, comes with nothing. Non-negotiables of mine, such as air conditioning and cruise control, are optional packages that tack on several thousand dollars. By the time I customized the model to my liking, I'd be paying as much as – or more – than the base model of the Mazda3 or the Corolla SE that come standard with everything that I want. Leaving me with three models left on the list: the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, and the Toyota Camry. Not to spoil the outcome, but as of this moment in time I have test driven one of the above, another has fallen off the list, and I hope to test drive the third this evening. I don’t know when I'll be able to actually make the purchase, but it is entirely possible that I will have made a decision by the end of this week. |
