Don’t Buy a Car on a Rainy Day

Last night, my husband and I were at our friends’ house for dinner when they mentioned they would be venturing out today in search of a new car for the wife. My ears perked up upon hearing such news, mostly because I had a slew of information to prep them before they made their purchase. I love giving people advice on buying a car, which is partly why I started this blog today. I went through my typical “dealership preparedness 101” checklist with the couple, and they seemed to appreciate my two – more like 10 – cents. (I worked at a dealership in college. Doesn’t that qualify me to share my insider knowledge with my friends?) But this morning, I remembered one important life lesson that I picked up from years of being dragged along with my parents to buy “mint condition” (or close to it) used cars for my older brother, which happened about every year or two. This lesson comes from the time we bought Jon a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder, and it’s fitting because “the Mrs.” has her eyes set on a used Nissan Murano. Don’t buy a car on a rainy day! We drove about an hour to meet the private seller of a 1993 black Pathfinder with chrome bumpers and trim – much like this one. It was nighttime and drizzling outside. I remember meeting at a brightly-lit gas station so my dad could inspect every inch of the car in the best lighting available – flourescent! The car passed Dad’s inspection, but not without a few words of wisdom from him, “Don’t buy a car on a rainy or cloudy day,” he advised. “The lighting and moisture make it difficult to spot dings and imperfections in the paint. “We’ve had November rain all week, thanks to tropical storm Ida, and today was the worst of it. Upon remembering, I quickly emailed my friends with my dad’s sage advice. I encouraged them to put down a deposit today and wait until Sunday to buy the car when the weather would be sunny. Who knows whether or not they actually heeded my words.