New-to-me-car

In early July, my trusty 2005 Subaru Forester started smoking. It also wasn't steering well. I took it to the mechanic and the problem was that power steering fluid was leaking onto the exhaust system, causing smoke. Additionally, the rack and pinion were going out. Repairs would cost way more than what the car was worth. My cute little Forester was basically on life support. I did routine oil changes and minor repairs, but it wasn't worth it to spend much money on it. 

I always said I hoped it lasted long enough to be 20 years old and it did. It even survived being sideswiped by a bus. 

On July 5 I headed out to look for a new car. I wasn't comfortable buying an expensive car that required a loan. I also hadn't had enough time to save up for a car. I prayed as I drove north. I also asked mom and my sisters to pray for me. I felt a lot of confidence as I drove to Layton to start my search. I wanted a Subaru CrossTrek. Then I test drove an Impreza and I really liked it. It's a cute little buzz around town car with great gas mileage. So, I decided I wanted a Subaru Impreza for around $10,000 with under 100,000 miles. I knew it was a needle in a haystack, but I felt confident I could find it. 

I walked into dealerships with confidence, telling the salesmen what I was looking for. We didn't quite find what I wanted, and I walked out, noting what they had in case I needed to come back. I stopped at Subaru dealerships and used car lots in SLC, Sandy, and American Fork. After striking out, I had a feeling I'd find what I was looking for at Brent Brown Toyota (now Orem Toyota). Years ago, I did follow up mail for many of the salesmen there, including their top seller, Bob Sanders. I had bought my Forester from Bob in 2017. I had called on Friday to see if Bob was still working there. A salesman called and left a message to reach out to him if I needed help. 

So, I went to Orem Toyota and asked for him. He was busy with a customer, so someone else started helping me look. Once he was available, I told him that I had worked with Bob. He told me that Bob had retired a few months back. Bob's son works there in the finance office and I got to meet him. I told the salesman that I wanted the Bob Sanders discount. We looked through their database, but didn't find anything. He suggested we go walk on the lot because sometimes cars are on the lot that aren't in the database yet. We walked and I saw it - a dark grey Subaru Impreza. He said that it was probably in my price range. He looked it up and it was, indeed, a great price. It wasn't in the database because they were going to send it to auction. It had a branded title because it had been stolen and not recovered within 30 days. 

It seems to be in great shape. I felt calm all day and I felt calm buying the car. I feel that my prayers and the prayers of mom and my sisters were answered. It's a bit nerve wracking to buy a used car, but I did my best by praying and listening to my gut. I'm happy with it. I still miss my Forester sometimes. I miss the storage spaces it had. I miss the sunglasses storage space. I miss the pen holder in the visor. It's ok, though, I'm enjoying the more powerful air conditioning in my new car. I'm also enjoying the great gas mileage and how sporty my little car is.