Mrs. Hillbilly Mom Drives A Hard Bargain And A 2008 T-Hoe

What do you get a Hillbilly Mom who has everything?

A new car, of course!

We have been in the market for a replacement for T-Hoe since summer. That's because Farmer H won't get off his duff and get T-Hoe fixed. Always a reason why he can't. Like the ENTIRE summer, when I did not need a car, and he could have taken T-Hoe to work and had him serviced nearby. But no. He waited until I went back to school, then played that ol' "You won't drive anything else, so I can't take T-Hoe to get fixed" card. Pshaw! Farmer H is no card player. I can see through his bluffing. Besides, I could certainly drive my mom's Trailblazer that we bought half of from my sister the ex-mayor's wife.

Anyhoo...that plan fell through one Saturday when Farmer H had an arm-flinging pity party and stalked out because I wanted to wait 30 minutes past his planned departure time for car-shopping. After I'd done all that work looking up possible vehicles. At the time, we were in the market for a used auto, and planning to keep T-Hoe. Because Farmer H wants him.

We are still planning to keep T-Hoe. But after considering the cost of used vehicles, what with their significant mileage, and the difference in paying a bit more for a new one...we've decided on new. I spent many a workplace hour scanning the innernets during the last, disrupted, week of classes before Christmas break. And I came up with four Tahoes that were suitable.

So...Friday night, Farmer H's birthday, we went out to eat, and to drive by one car dealer and scope out my find. Of course Farmer H got out and joined in a conversation with a salesman. WHILE THE PONY AND I WERE WAITING TO EAT! To get to the restaurant before the Friday night crowd. He actually wanted to go back after eating, what with that dealer staying open until 8:00. But The Pony and I said no.

Saturday morning, off we went. To look at this baby:

It's a 2015 model, but new. So really, you're getting a new car at a cheaper price. We drove onto the lot and parked in front of it and got out to look. While the salesman was fetching the night-before salesman, who'd given Farmer H his card...I got to looking at a couple of other nearby vehicles. Because I really don't like the new body style of Tahoes, which started in 2015. That's why I had been fine with finding a used one before. These are just too boxy in the back.

Anyhoo...the salesman came out and offered to get the key so we could take this Tahoe for a drive. But Farmer H also asked him to get the key to a smaller car that I had taken a shine to. I did not enjoy my Tahoe ride. The console was almost up to my armpit, and shelfed straight to the radio area with nary a dip down to cupholders. like my trusty T-Hoe. I felt crammed in. Like an astronaut in my space suit, awaiting blast-off.

We climbed out and perused the smaller car. It was cuter from the outside. Still had all leather interior. I sat in the passenger seat. Delightful. More leg room than the Tahoe. Then Farmer H asked the crucial question. Was it 4WD? Um. NO. It didn't come in 4WD. However...they had ONE on the lost with AWD. The salesman went for the key. I did not want to drive it. But Farmer H insisted. So I took a low-speed tour of the parking lot.

I LOVED THAT LITTLE CAR!

That's when Farmer H started talking about buying it. We had plans to visit two dealerships for sure. For the Tahoes. I told Farmer H that I had no idea what these smaller cars cost, and how much I was willing to pay. We made it clear that we were still going to visit another dealer, then went inside to talk to the salesman. Of course he asked what he could do to make us buy today. I told him my bottom line. Or top line. He countered with a price $900.20 over. Which would have been fine. But of course his boss wouldn't accept it. The closest he could get was $4000 over my bottom line. Nope. Not paying a Tahoe price for a car not even 4WD.

So we walked. Drove to our next dealership. Where they had the Tahoe I had looked up but no longer liked. And none of my precious little car because they are a Chevy/Cadillac dealer, and didn't carry any new GMC models. However...they could do a dealer trade and bring one in from Pennsylvania with only 5.000 miles on it. For $1000 over my bottom line. Nope. We went back to the first dealer to give one more chance at my precious.

They came down by splitting the difference with Farmer H's new bottom line, $2000 over mine, which I told Farmer H they would do before we even got out of the T-Hoe. Nope. So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye. There was money still on the table, and it was THEIR table.

Back home, I looked up my new precious. A GMC Acadia. A dealer 30 minutes to the north of Hillmomba has nine of them! Two being crimson red, making them even more precious than my previous frost white precious. AND both of them with a list price $2000 under the bottom line of our unyielding dealer.

Farmer H is going by to talk turkey on THIS little beauty Monday evening:

He says it can be my Christmas present. Which is kind of a Farmer H way of getting out of choosing a real gift. But I'll take it.