I've been looking for the right '08 C4S Cab and keep uncovering misidentified options and untold "stories" from vehicle advertisements. I don't feel I'm asking too much for a little honesty from an ad about the vehicle being sold BEFORE an inquiry.

If the vehicle has had (repaired) damage and it is not disclosed upfront, what else is being hidden? Not looking for a storied vehicle. Does the vehicle have NAV or not? Phone PCM is NOT Bluetooth.

Just a rant...felt like venting.

Dave in Dallas

 

I feel your pain. People say the search is half the fun, but I completely disagree. It's really no fun at all, it's a chore.

 

One of the reasons I've pulled my car out of the market on a couple of occasions is that, once I sell it, then I have to start all over again searching for a "no stories" vehicle. Fully understand!

 

Understood. I had the same experience when I was searching. Many cars were 'fully loaded' when in fact they weren't. Dealers don't care when you bring the incorrect ads to their attention. They just say they have someone managing their ads and mistakes happen. Good luck on your search.

 

Totally agree. The used car market, in particular, right now does not favor buyers. I searched for 3 months without much luck. Finally, decided wth, I'll just get a new one. I think I got a fair deal. Depending on your area, I've seen some really nice discounts posted up. Why not get out there and throw some offers (even lowball ones) out there? All they can do is say no.

 

Buying used is really the art of detective work. You have to like it or not. Used car Brokers make their living doing that work for you, but you have to pay them their commission.

I personally like the challenge. It may be a little sick, but digging for the gold for me is half the fun. I assume any used car I'm looking at has a story, so I keep digging until I find it. And I hope the story is a small issue that has been properly corrected.

New cars have many of the same issues as a used car, but you get your own chance to fix any issues right, but with the cost of a huge depreciation in the first year alone.

It is a toss up, but bargain hunting does take effort.

 

I dont bother looking at the options list on the ad at all - its wrong 100% of the time. I use pictures to eliminate those cars that obviously dont have the options I'm after then use autoatlana's site to get the full options list on the rest..

I love the ads that start with "110k MSRP fully loaded...." and show a base S with 0 options...

 

I feel you pain! I just got mine and it took me forever to find. If I can help be on the lookout for you please let me know.

 

I have purchased numerous vehicles as can be concluded from my signature, but it seems there was more honest disclosure and accuracy until recently.

I sent another inquiry last night to have a quick 30 second conversation this morning that the vehicle was in a freakin' flood! Not one mention in the advertisement. Thanks for wasting my time.

I agree that the fun should be searching for the one that will make me happy, albeit for about 2 years or less, but this is ridiculous. I am willing to fly to view and purchase the right vehicle, but I am increasingly concerned my (personal) travel budget will be blown before I am successful.

I went and looked at an "immaculate" version several weeks ago. We clearly had a difference of opinion of immaculate. Curbed wheels, large intrusive scratch near the driver's door, large chips on hood WITH and THROUGH the 3M. Speaking of the clear bra, it looked like my 12 year old installed it with huge bubbles (not kidding).

Glad you guys are accepting and understanding of my rant. I am very meticulous about my vehicles, probably OCD.

Dave in Dallas

 

Searched for my car for months online, when I gave up on the P car and wanted something else, the exact car I wanted was sitting at my local dealership with heavy discounts. Go figure... I completely overlooked it because it was too misadvertised online, had to see it in person to realize it was the one I wanted.

 

I would like to be so lucky with (3) dealers in my back yard to grab a CPO, but not necessary.

Plenty of tips to choose from, too bad - not interested.

 

Well, be prepared to change your spec when hunting for a car. Some options are more important than others. In my case, I was looking for a nice contrast between interior and exterior color. This time I wanted to have a bright exterior colored car but gave up as most Porsches are just plain boring in the color department as I believe that the majority of Porsches are leased when new and as such, drab (!) colors seem to be able to lease easier. So back-up plan was to have a nice interior color knowing that that is what you are looking at when you are inside driving the car. Ended up with a nice natural leather and a basalt black on the outside. Good for skipping the cops too. Doing that opened up the options to others interesting things that were available on a variety of cars like ECU flashes, headers and exhaust systems, 19 inch rims and other personalized items that would cost a fortune to get to that stage.

 

Can't disagree. My options have moved back and fourth as I explore available vehicles. One option not open to is a blemished history report.