I deserve a spankin'

Published on: 1/27/2013

Hey, heard you checked out a Chrysler Concorde. Pretend you never did, pry one of the worst car designs in the decade, very poor car. Very very difficult to fix common problems. We send them to engine shops constantly

 

It's on my "never let people buy this car" list

Our youngest just went back to school after a month's winter break. While here he drove our Toyota while I used our oldest's 5-speed Sonoma pickup. He did have an insured vehicle to use, but because it's not licensed and has been determined to be unsafe...

Things went pretty well with him using the Toyota. He broke the interior door latch, but it was already half-gone anyway. The ice scraper didn't survive the ice storm of three weeks ago, but we have others. Happy to get it back with no extra dents, but bone dry? What's wrong with a little notice so I wouldn't've had to risk running out on busy Hwy. 164 on the way to work?

Needless to say, we did a little car shopping while he was here. He was looking at super-sized trucks while I was thinking more along the lines of something he'd be able to fuel up once and a while. His school is 300 miles away and my economical thinking was clashing with his "I've always wanted one," gas-guzzler, extended cab pickup mindset.

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE

I'm just about ready to jump at the first reasonably-priced sedan we see just because it's not a pickup. I finally do find one the day before Nick goes back to school. He was only able to catch a glimpse of it... at night.

Even I wasn't able to get a good look at it because the window tint was so dark you couldn't see inside. The person selling the car wasn't the owner, and knew precious little about it... This car had red flags flying from every available protruberance.

I spent a good hour or two researching all the issues this model year has had and should've been running the other way. I decided to take it for a test drive anyway, partly because I might learn something before we find a more reliable car, and partly because after reading so many negatives I was planning to low-ball any offers because we'd be out nothing anyway.

The problem was the car looked mint. It's newer and larger than the Toyota. They weren't asking too much. It looked and drove great. Lots of features. You take chances with every used car, and I didn't know any more about this car's history than I would a used car at a dealer.

After reading what the certified mechanic wrote me about the Chrysler Concorde I had very little intention of buying this car. Of course, after falling in love with the car, I had to make an honest offer they might accept. I already knew they weren't asking more than Blue Book for it. I thought another car like this may not come along again. I also knew other potential buyers were interested in it. It was now or never.

I may keep the Concorde for myself and let Nick drive the Toyota. Now, about that large mystery bag of items in the trunk of the car we don't know the history of...