Done with @Ford
Three dealerships today. All 90+ minutes from my client. Not one will give numbers over the phone. Yelling at me and consistently paranoid I'm cross shopping them. I'm not, I just need a Raptor at MSRP, which is a perfectly reasonable bid in this market. My client is a buyer immediately.
This isn't a one-off. Every single Ford deal I've touched has been a disaster. Missing accessories, wrong builds, last-minute changes, improperly delivered vehicles. No other brand comes close to this level of consistent disorganization.
@jacecraftmiller I may just need you on retainer at this point.
If you're a GM at a Ford store who actually runs a tight operation, my DMs are open. I have clients ready to buy. I just need a partner who can handle basic communication, math, and common courtesy.
Until then, I need an Avalanche Grey Raptor (non-37") with a Moonroof delivered to Charlotte.
This is what every car buyer deserves before making a decision.
My client was comparing three Subaru options: a pre-owned Ascent, a new Ascent, and a new Outback.
So instead of sending over quotes and expecting her to interpret the scenarios alone, I built a side-by-side breakdown and recorded a full walkthrough.
Lease vs finance.
Cash down.
Total cost.
Residuals.
Engine differences.
Monthly payment vs long-term costs.
Most buyers never get this level of clarity.
I make sure Motosaic clients do.
Would you take the lower total-cost Outback, or lease for the a space in the Ascent?
@dmbkparker I forgot to mention the granola
Charlotte is the most underrated city in the country and itโs not even close
โข Affordable
โข Nice people
โข Great weather
โข High paying jobs
โข Cool neighborhoods
โข Short drive to the beach or mountains
@irentdumpsters You know you made it though when you look back at them and feel like theyโre the delusional ones for staying in the hampster wheel theyโre caught up in
This one mistake could cost you nearly $3,700 on your next car purchase.
Let's go through a real scenario. See if you can spot where people go wrong.
2026 Toyota Highlander XLE
Financed amount: $47,000
Interest rate: 6.97% (current average for a well-qualified buyer)
60 months (5 years)
Monthly payment: $930
Total interest paid: $8,800
Total amount paid: $55,800
72 months (6 years)
Monthly payment: $801
Total interest paid: $10,672
Total amount paid: $57,672
84 months (7 years)
Monthly payment: $708
Total interest paid: $12,472
Total amount paid: $59,472
The difference between a 5-year and 7-year loan on this vehicle: $3,672 in extra interest.
And there's the mistake.
People will take the lower monthly payment, even though it means paying more over the life of the loan.
I know it doesn't make sense to you and me. But I've seen it happen. And I would never recommend it.
And at 6.4% over 84 months on a vehicle that depreciates as fast as a Highlander does, you'll be underwater on that loan for a big chunk of the time you own it.
60 months or fewer is where you want to be. 72 months can make sense if the interest rate is low enough to justify it. 84 months is a trap.
thats perfect, i try to walk in by 6am...get the right routine, bed by 10ish and it's pretty much clockwork. I go to a gym thats 15 mins away with no traffic at 5:45 too so it's really not even 'that' aggressive of a routine.
I don't understand how you can be consistent in the afternoon unless you have an incredibly predictable job.
Nobody wants to hear this. But I'm going to say it anyway.
Your car is not an investment.
It's not a reflection of your success or a statement about who you are or where you're headed. Okay, maybe for some people with a ton of money it is.
But in reality, it's a depreciating asset.
The day you drive a new vehicle off the lot it loses somewhere between 10-20% of its value. No, not in the future. That same day.
By the end of Year 1 most vehicles have lost 20-30% of what you paid for them. By Year 3, you're looking at roughly 40-50% of the original purchase price depending on the brand.
That's the financial reality of car ownership regardless of what the car looks like in your driveway.
My advice: unless money really isn't a factor for you, don't buy emotionally.