Buying a Car

 

(I'm now the proud owner of a Hyundai Venue.)

On Saturday, Mom and I drove to the nearest Hyundai dealership. It was fifty minutes from our house. We stopped at a McDonald’s along the way for some coffee.

She said, “Are you sure you want a Venue? It seems kind of small.”

“Well, I’d rather have a Ferrari, but unfortunately I can’t swing it at the moment. It’s simply not possible on my waffle-boy salary.”

“Why don’t I give you five thousand dollars? You can add it to your money, and then can purchase a Tucson?”

I shook my head. “I’m fine with the Venue, and I can pay cash. That way I won’t have a monthly nut to cover.”

Anyway, when we finally arrived at the lot, we started looking at the automobiles. Mom turned out to be a huge fan of the Palisades. She liked all the space. It can comfortably hold up to six passengers. Yet you could probably squeeze in another two with some room to spare.

She said, “This thing is fantastic.”

I nodded in agreement. “Hyundai has a bad reputation, but they make some pretty good cars.”

A salesman named Don suddenly showed up on the scene. He was about my age with slouching shoulders, graying hair, and thick glasses.

He said, “Can I help you folks?”

I became defensive right away.

“We’re only looking.” Then I paused for a moment. “Why don’t you give me your card, and I’ll find you when we’re ready to make a decision.”

He smiled at me. “I tell you what. I’ll stand twenty feet away, and you holler if you need something.”

I soon realized that there was no need for playing cat-and-mouse games. After all, I now live in America, and I need a fucking car. So why all the intrigue, right?

I said, “I’m thinking of buying a Venue. Do you have any on the lot?”

He nodded. “We have five or six of them. Follow me.”

Don led us to the cars, and I found a white one priced at $24,000.

I said, “Do you think you could get me a deal on this?”

“Of course I can get you a deal. It’s Saturday, and that means it’s deal day. But don’t you want to take it for a spin first to see if you actually like it?”

“Sure. Take it for a spin. That sounds like a good idea.”

He walked back into the building to get the key.

Mom said, “Don’t do anything rash. There are lots of other dealerships in the area. You’ve also got Toyota and Ford and Subaru and Chevy and…”

“I’m going to stick with a Hyundai. I have faith in them.”

I lived in South Korea for about fifteen years, and I know how bad the driving conditions are over in that neck of the woods. Those people scoot about in their automobiles like maniacs—which means lots of sudden braking and the occasional traffic accident. So the good people at Hyundai have to make their product to last. If they put their product together in a slipshod fashion, then Koreans would be forced to ride horses to work.

Anyway, Don and I took the Venue for a spin around the block and struck up a conversation as I drove.

I said, “I’m currently looking for a job, and I’ve been thinking about car sales. Any tips?”

He sighed heavily. “Well, it’s not for everybody. But the good thing is that you’ll know after a month or two. We work strictly on a commission basis, so you have to sell or starve. It’s strictly survival of the fittest.”

“How long have you been doing it?”

“About twelve years.”

“And you like it?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not bad.”

Eventually, we pulled back into the dealership and walked to his office. He came down $1,000 on the asking price, and I bought the Venue with cash for $26,000—which includes tax, title, and license.

Did I get screwed? I don’t think so. But what’s a boy to do?

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