Oh S#!t, We are Buying a Car

Comparing Experiences

I hated buying a car in the U.S. I often felt like I needed a shower as soon as I got home from the dealership. But as we know at some point we will be leaving Cascais…it has to be done.

Among the 3 Things, I Don’t Know

There are three things I don’t know…of course there are more, these three apply to cars.

1. I don’t know anything about engines. You would think those weekends as a youngster that I took inventory in my father’s lawnmower repair parts department I would have learned something. But nope! I do know what buttons I want on the inside and how to initiate ApplePlay though.

2. I am not familiar with many European manufacturers. Yes, I have heard of Renault and Peugeot but had never even sat in one. And some names were totally “foreign” to me (Škoda, Seat, etc).

3. I didn’t know exactly what the process was here…tags, registration, insurance, etc.

First Stop MSCars

Our friends Lucille and Eric, who we visited last week, had purchased their car at a large dealership called MSCars in Faro. It is a car mall, so to speak, with nearly every brand and a large used car lot spread over two showrooms across the road from one another. They have a reputation for good pricing and excellent service. As we would have never found their beautiful new home perched on top of a hill about 1 km from the nearest village without their assistance, they agreed to meet us there. This gave us an opportunity to look around.

Frankly, there was very little new car stock. It seems a chip shortage is limiting new car inventory. One salesperson flatly said, “If you don’t see something you like in this room we likely won’t be able to get it for you.” We were told there are certain models that they no longer take deposits for as projected delivery is 13 months away.

But frankly, we wanted a lightly used usado (used car). Perhaps something within the last three years. Of course, if you aren’t selling many new cars, you aren’t taking many cars in trade…so there really wasn’t anything that fit the bill on their used car lot either. Besides, we don’t need it yet. We won’t be moving for months or years. Better to wait…yeah right.

A Different Buying Experience

Over the last week, I have spent a good deal of time searching the web. I navigated about ten different used car, and dealership sites. I watched hours of YouTube videos trying to find a small SUV/MPV that was reliable and offered good fuel economy. I “conversed” with numerous electronic chat assistants and got emails from sellers when requested.

I was particularly interested in a “serviço” vehicle at a dealership about a 30-minute bus ride away. After two or three no-pressure, but highly informative emails from Miguel at Santogal in Alcabideche, we decided we would take a look. One of the things we learned from Miguel was that a serviço is a vehicle driven by dealership personnel. After 7000-10000km the car is sold as an original title, with a full warranty but at a considerable discount.

The experience at the dealership, again, was very different from that I had experienced in the States. For example:

• The conversation did not start with, “What is your monthly budget?” A question that always caused my blood to boil. I wanted to know what the car cost and would determine later how I would pay for it (often cash).

• At no point did the salesperson have to leave me in his glass cubicle to “consult” his sales manager. The price was clearly posted.

• At no time were we made to feel stupid. Questions such as, “can you convert 5.1L/100km to miles per gallon” or “CO2 rating?” were answered thoroughly.

• Cost of ownership questions (insurance, road tax, routine maintenance) was explained before we asked.

• The sales tax was already included in the price! I love that about Europe.

We ended up spending about 2.5 enjoyable hours at the dealership. We paid a 10% deposit on a white Fiat 500L .3 (Diesel) Cross with 9193km and thorough instructions on what would happen next. Miguel drove us home, “It’s the least I can do, you just bought a car from me.” and I suggested to Denise we have a celebratory drink. Oh, and I didn’t take a shower.