Monday, January 23, 2012

My old van died Friday. I’ve always been afraid to buy a used car – afraid of hidden problems. So, today I got a new 2012 Versa. Got it home and couldn’t get the key out. I didn't want to sit in the car all night, and I couldn't bring it inside our apartment, so I drove back to the dealer and the salesperson fixed it.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Hung out with the salesperson a few times today since he's the only one who can get the key out of my ignition. He came over to my kids' school at one point, and we paid him a visit after going out for a bite to eat. Didn't really plan on spending this much time with him.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

My new car is in the shop for a recalled shifter. They say I helped Nissan discover the problem. Go me. The guy at the dealer who gives rides to people with broken cars seems nice. He, too, has now visited my kids' school. The service guy let slip that they knew about my car's problem weeks ago. No wonder the salesperson had us test drive a different, "identical" vehicle.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Got my new car back from the shop today. Since Ray Charles could see I'm not a happy customer, they gave me a few coupons for free oil changes and car washes. I said, "Can I get a 30-day money-back guarantee on my new car?" They said, "We don't have that." I said, "Well, write one." They said they couldn't, but that they all personally guarantee my car. I said, "No offense, but that's not meaning all that much to me right now."

They reminded me that, because it's under warranty, all of these repairs were done for free. I said that with a new car I ought to be able to just drive from home to work without stopping by the dealer first, and -- comfortable as their chairs are -- I need to be at work if I'm going to be able to pay for this car.

Monday, January 30, 2012

This new Versa needs a written invitation to move forward. They say I have to get used to the CVT transmission. "You mean get used to driving like my Granny?" I said. They said I should keep driving the way I drive and it will get used to me. It will learn what I want and adjust -- improve it's response time. "You mean like my dog or my husband?" I asked. "If it's like my dog, ok. But if it's going to adjust to me like my husband did, cars don't last that long."

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

This CVT transmission has the get-up-and-go of soggy spaghetti! People have to move over to let me on the highway. I need a car-free block to make a left turn. Minivans leave me in the dust; elderly people honk behind me. I'm supposed to put up with this because it's supposed to get better gas mileage than a manual. [Manual is what I wanted, but it's no longer available except in sports cars, apparently.] I can certainly understand that not moving forward would yield good gas mileage. My living room, for instance, gets terrific gas mileage -- very efficient.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

This car is supposed to get 38/30 miles per gallon, but I'm only getting 25 mpg! I called the dealer. There's a breaking-in period on the miles per gallon, they say -- 500 miles. "Really? How does that work?" I asked. They can't say, they say.

Yeah, well I know how it works: While waiting for the 500-mile break-in, the driver gets used to 25 mpg (or, at least, tired of being mad), realizes the car has already depreciated 3,000 bucks, and gives up complaining. After all, what's the difference in a few mpg compared with the $3,000 depreciation? By mile 600, the driver has given up on good gas mileage and decided to trade this bucket in asap, and the dealer has found other suckers to buy his new cars.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

My new Versa was in the shop again today -- this time for an alignment problem. In the 10 days I’ve had this brand new car, I’ve been doing a lot of walking and bumming rides. A gal could get used to that if it weren’t for the car payment. I am saving money on gas though, since my car keeps taking time off and the nice man who gives rides to people with broken cars doesn't ask me to contribute. Still, today I asked the dealer if I could please trade this in for a good old used car. I am no longer afraid of hidden problems. After all, the chairs at this service shop are quite comfortable. And I’m beginning to see mileage as proof a car works!

Friday, February 3, 2012

My advice is: do not buy a Versa. If someone gives you one for free, drive it. But do not pay money for it. If you want a car, that is. If you're using it as a place to sit, talk on the bluetooth, listen to MP3s, each have your own cupholder, it's cute. But it doesn't move forward very well. It's like a cute little metal clubhouse. Mine was in the shop again today. It missed the guys there, not having seen them since yesterday. This time the battery and brake lights were blinking. There was a loose nut on the alternator causing the battery to not fully charge. "Loose nut" is an apt description of my feelings about the people who made this car.

Monday, February 6, 2012

I'm really trying hard to like this car. It is cute, and I do like the way it answers my cell phone for me, then patches the radio back in after the call is done. Like there's a little secretary perched on my visor. It's a comfort that she's there, in case I ever need to call for help because this car's glacial acceleration has gotten me stuck in the car wash door or rear-ended by a bicyclist. I've been watching the mpg display for improvement. I'm now getting 24.6 mpg - which is less than before. When I'm accelerating, especially between 0 and 20 mph, I'm usually getting about 3 or 7 mpg. Not so good. Then, when I'm coasting, it reads a lovely 99 mpg. But that's when my foot isn't on the gas. So, how special is that?

It kind of inspires me to put my foot on the gas as little as possible, though, seeing that pretty "99" up there. Is that the ultimate purpose behind this new CVT transmission? To teach us to drive less? Add the bluetooth and the mantra becomes: "drive less, talk more." Nissan has taken it upon themselves to transform the car -- in this 21st century global energy crisis world -- into a semi-portable media center. We are encouraged to telecommute as much as possible, and occasionally show up somewhere -- when we can get up the speed to break into traffic.