Signs of wear are normal for this '99 vehicle and the interior is has been maintained quite nicely after all this time! While some friends of mine express concern over the 177K miles on the odometer, I simply have no doubt that the good reputation of the Honda brand and its long term reliability will benefit my ownership for many more miles to come. Minus a sunroof and remote for keyless entry like the Jetta, the same power amenities are offered in this mini SUV model along with all wheel drive. One HUGE luxury I didn't want to give up from trading in the Jetta was listening to my iPod via an auxiliary input on my car stereo(I HATE the radio transmitters), and the CR-V's cassette deck grants me this via a $10 adapter!! I welcome the return of fabric upholstery after realizing that leather isn't necessarily a favorite of mine from my previous Chevy Tracker LT and Jetta models, and the high viewing stance on the road is amazing as well. There is even a spoiler added to the Honda to give it a sportier look (only a little bit) that I find very eye-catching.
This only proves that I didn't have to settle for just any broken down wreck to stay within my $5000 price range. As a matter of fact I figured that ANY vehicle at that price would most likely be racked with high mileage, so I thought it best to stay with only Honda and Toyota as my brands of choice. I had always heard and read that these two Asian manufacturing giants produce the absolute best in regards to road longevity, so I was willing to bet on that.
My online search for a used car on AutoTrader.com first led me to a Driver's World and a Carmax dealership. While these two didn't offer any options under $8000, I was willing to give them a chance nonetheless with a visit. My experience at Driver's World was basically a waste of my time since I spent an hour and a half with a salesman who didn't seem to know the inventory of his own place of work! I sat inside of a Suzuki Aerio SX and a Chevy Camaro, but none of these provided any desirable prices for me nor did they impress me. I did notice a black VW Golf model, but that had been sold to another buyer that same day. Though a bit discouraged at the time, I think that it was best to not go for any older model VW since their reliability wasn't as great according to Consumer Reports ratings I had recalled seeing. The cheapest prospect available was a Suzuki Forenza at $8500 with a sunroof and power luxuries, but I wasn't taken with its weak stance and wanted to keep looking elsewhere. Upon searching the online inventory for Carmax of Va Beach I came across a 2000 Dodge Status coupe SE model that struck me as a sporty alternative to my Wolfsburg Jetta. Excited about its power features, cassette deck and sunroof I test drove this V6 model and was almost certain that it was the one for me. However, upon reading many negative reviews on Edmunds.com from previous owners and realizing that $8995 was too expensive, I was turned off.
It was at this time that I remembered the good standing of Asian vehicles from Honda and Toyota. Now that my brands were narrowed down it was a matter of choosing a body style. Since my intent was to keep this used car for a LONG period of time to continue paying off debt, it was imperative that I be comfortable with my decision. Despite their gains in gas mileage when compared to the Jetta, I refused to consider a small sedan or coupe for the sake of my own personal taste and overall practicality. I remembered how disappointed I became in the Jetta's small form factor when I realized how little I could carry within its cubic feet of storage, so the mini SUV was the best move for somewhat equal gas mileage and better storage.
Since there were HARDLY any Rav4 vehicles available from my search that intrigued me, I ended up coming full circle back to the Honda CR-V. I had owned one a few years ago and had planned on keeping it to refinance the loan for lower payments, but I allowed myself to be convinced by a dealer to roll my negative equity into a new 2004 Chevy Tracker LT (worst mistake of my auto ownership). Renewed by this new found certainty of knowing what I wanted, I took to AutoTrader.com once again and found three choices at my price range! There was a $4995 CR-V EX model in Taffeta white with a sunroof and I was hooked, but only shocked to find that it had already been sold that same day when I called the dealer!! The final two were conveniently located at the same business, one being a 1997 red LX model and the other a 1999 silver EX model. Both were priced at $5995 and I of course was interested in the high end silver EX, but it unfortunately had a manual transmission when it was posted as an automatic online! I still figured I could give the red one a fair shot with a test drive, so I visited the dealership. I will keep the dealer nameless since what I am about to write isn't in its favor at all. First off, I passed this business by mistake because I couldn't see it from the main road when I expected to see a huge car lot like any typical car dealer. Upon making a U-turn I was shocked to see that this business was just a hole in the wall establishment!! The office was nothing more than a small house which was extremely unkempt on the outside and equally so on the inside. I believe that my suspicions of this unprofessional display were verified when I saw a housecat resting on a chair in an office!!! Despite my initial judgement, I decided to at least wait and see the red CR-V anyway...WRONG IDEA! I was given the key to the vehicle and told to take my time, but when I took first sight of it I was disgusted beyond belief. While it was understandable to have the red paint job fading on this 1997 model, I couldn't justify the car having 4 DIFFERENT tires!! Opening the driver door introduced my nose to a musty basement scent of horribly stained upholstery and sunburned plastics. Sitting in the seat amidst the filthy interior immediately gave me the need to shower as I turned the key in the ignition. The engine ran fine, but that was this vehicle's only saving grace if it ever had one. Turning on the fans instantly brought a surge of settled vent dust and more of that old stench into my face...I nearly vomited in my mouth. Not convinced that I had enough torture I turned the fans all the way to the max only to hear a loud rattling and buzzing sound from behind the glove box!! In fear of some instant detination of a mystery bomb in this forsaken example of a car I quickly shut off the engine. After turning it in on again and testing the fan controls I realized it was a glitch, which didn't say much for the dealer's maintenance of this thing. Opening doors to old cobwebs, dead leaves, insect carcasses, busted plastic surfaces and excessive staining was too much...this was all topped off when I noticed the "V" had fallen off the back emblem only to leave "CR-". My impression of this car was undoubtedly ruined along with that of the dealer...I was done.
I was ready to give up and keep my Jetta, but late in the night I decided to conduct another online search via Google instead of AutoTrader.com. I was led to Yahoo! Autos and came across the listing for a black 1999 Honda CR-V EX for $5000 at Casey Imports in Newport News, VA! It had more mileage, but was at least cheaper and newer than the red 1997 travesty I had seen earlier! I jumped on it the next morning, took a test drive in this well-maintained SUV and the rest is history!
I cannot express how proud I am of myself for remaining determined to find the best vehicle at the perfect price!! I could have settled for mediocrity, but I refused and held out with sound reasoning and patience. Though there are withdrawal symptoms from missing the Jetta, I know in my heart that this is all for the betterment of the bigger picture of my life, my finances and my well-being. If my sacrifice of the Jetta for a much cheaper vehicle doesn't prove my maturity and my commitment to finding balance in this life, I don't what know what else would. With time I will continue to keep my spending under control and my debts at bay, and I am eager to become the best man that I can be in the process.
TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71-2
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