The Jones Girls

Lately our minivan has been really reliable and has spent too much time and way too much money trying to fix it and figure out why the darn thing stalls out on me when I try to start the car.

We saw the news and commercials about the Cash for Clunkers.  I want on the government website, and wouldn’t you know it!!  Our minivan would qualify for a $3500 or $4500 credit for Cash for Clunkers.

Since Cliff needed some quiet time here at the house to work, I decided to take the girls with me and go check out minivans.   I definitely didn’t want another Chrysler Town & Country since that is what we currently have and I have not been happy with the unreliability of it.    Dodge Caravan is the same maker as the Chrysler T&C.

I checked out Consumer Reports and it showed and suggested that the Honda Odyssey was rated #1 for over 10 years and still continues to be #1.  Apparently, most American-made minivans begin breaking down at 100,000 miles.   The Honda Odyssey, you are just breaking it in at 100,000 miles!!  Now that is the kind of dependability I need in a car.

So I drove the girls down to Buena Park Honda to investigate what the Honda Odyssey is like.  More importantly, if my beloved pile of unreliable steel on wheels would qualify for a Cash For Clunkers moving into another new minivan can be tricky…

The first sales guy, John Kim, was a real mud in the hole.   I walked in there looking for a sales guy and this guy looked at me blankly and I had to ask him if he was a sales man and could he help me.    He said “ok”.  Wow, this guy is bright – NOT!!   Anyway, he walked me over to the minivans and he really didn’t know much about the minivans.  I had to ask all of the questions, he didn’t offer any information at all.    He displayed annoyance with me because I was a Cash for Clunkers lookie loo.  This guy was striking out with me.   He didn’t really want to spend any time with me and then had the audacity to walk ahead of me 15 feet, sit on a bench and not speak to me!!    Did I have B.O. or something.  I checked my pits and breath to make sure.  Nope, I smelled like roses.     He made me feel substandard and embarrassed to be there.

I walked out of the showroom and dealership frustrated and then the tears started rolling.  This John Kim was a terrible example of a salesman for the Buena Park Honda Dealership.    I was getting in my car and then the manager, Bernie, and their top sales man, Magnum came to my rescue.    They listened to my story while I was full of tears.     Just as this was all happening, I swear Cliff’s ears must have been ringing.  He called me and I sputtered to him through tears what was happening.  He was in shock, upset and said he would come to the discuss and slap some people up for treating his wife this way.    My night and shining armour to the rescue!! 

Bernie and Magnum profusely apologized for my horrible experience and begged me to give them another try.  They coaxed me out of the car, promising my girls a full playroom full of dolls, all of the popcorn and drinks we could all handle while they worked up an analysis for my cash for clunkers qualification and also to give me a total inspection of all of the Honda Odysseys.  Bernie immediately told me good news, we qualify for the cash for clunkers!!   My sweet blue piece of crap is going to minivan heaven!!!   

Now this is exactly the kind of treatment I thought I was going to get with El Crapo Salesman John Kim.    The manager, Bernie, sent John Kim home and told him he was suspended and to piss off.   Way to go Bernie!!

Cliff and I checked out all of the models of Odysseys.    It was getting late…about 10pm.   We will have to go back tomorrow and continue our search and then see if we are going to put ourselves into hock, I mean debt for a new minivan.

I do have to say our super sales man, Magum, is Magnificent!!!  woohoo!!