I’ve purchased vehicles before from a used car dealership that one of my mother’s friend’s grandfather owned… one of those 7 degrees of Kevin Bacon type of deals. But this is the first time I decided to purchase a new-to-me car from a used car dealership where I didn’t have a hookup.
My goal is to get a car that I wouldn’t ever purchase new and I set my budget at $5,000 including the warranty. So I stumbled upon a car I thought I’d really dig at M&R Auto Sales in North Plainfield NJ: a silver 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series Vanden Plas. The interior looked really nice with many features my old Nissan had even though it was made 14 years earlier.
Meeting My Dream Car?
So I went to the dealership location on Somerset Street and was told that the Jaguar was not there. Apparently, M&R Auto Sales has multiple locations… luckily, they’re all in North Plainfield so it was a quick drive away. I wound up going to the West Front Street location where I met Larry (or possibly Gary).
He was very upfront about me about the condition of the Jaguar and dropped the price to $1,000 for me since it needed a new transmission (at the very least). I still decided to check the vehicle out for curiosity sake and that was a regretful move. It stunk to high heaven as soon as I entered, as if I was inside an ashtray.
I tried rolling down the windows once I turned the car on, but that didn’t help the smell. I couldn’t sit in there for one more second, so I went to get out… and the door wouldn’t open! Feeling trapped like a rat, I maneuvered the door handle and narrowly made my escape. But there was another car that caught my eye…
Interested in a Classic Car?
That’s right: a 29-year-old car that I couldn’t possibly find anywhere outside of a junkyard or by using a time machine was in front of me. It was a white 1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera that only had a few hundred more miles than the amount of business cards I have in my collection. Knowing I’d probably never see this type of car with low mileage again (and the fact that it didn’t reek), I wanted to test drive it.
And I enjoyed the ride I took. The car drove very smoothly and it looked clean under the hood. Turns out it was the M&R Auto Sales owner’s mothers car… apparently, she must have only driven to and from the store once or twice a year. But I wanted a car with more modern amenities like a cigarette lighter to charge my phone and a cassette tape holder to plug my phone into to play music or podcasts.
But, I found the used car dealership experience at M&R Auto Sales to be very honest and upfront. I never felt pressured once at all and got all the facts. Even though I didn’t buy from them, I’d recommend anyone looking for a pre-owned vehicle to go there.
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