Anonymous
Post 05/11/2018 14:09     Subject: Car buying help
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Thanks for the quick reply. I know he's always wanted a Jaguar XJ so it's big money for what I consider to be a toy but he's an awesome man and I love him. We had a rough year last year and he's always sacrificing for the family so I want him to have something that is entirely his.


I feel like if he's always wanted a Jaguar, he probably knows pretty specifically what he wants and doesn't want and has put a lot of thoughts (or dreams) into it. If you aren't aware of exactly what he has always wanted I think it's too much money to spend for him to feel even slightly disappointed about it.

I know involving him in the purchase ruins the element of surprise but if a lot of money is at play and you don't have tons of money to just throw around, it's important to include him.


I agree. I used to tell my wife about my dream car all the time, but I was extremely specific down to the trim, color, interior, and features. I would of course appreciate the gesture but the thing I'd never admit to her is that it wouldn't be the car that I actually wanted. Then again, you could knock it out of the park. Go with your gut.


Thanks for this feedback. It’s definitely a lot of money and not something I can return or exchange so I’ve given it some thought and I think I’ll reach out to his best friend for help. He would at least be able ask more detailed questions than I could. I’m pretty confident that I know what he’s looking for and I could probably search his internet history but that seems a little more sneaky than surprise-ish. I’m really excited to be able to do this for him though.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2018 12:40     Subject: Car buying help
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Thanks for the quick reply. I know he's always wanted a Jaguar XJ so it's big money for what I consider to be a toy but he's an awesome man and I love him. We had a rough year last year and he's always sacrificing for the family so I want him to have something that is entirely his.


I feel like if he's always wanted a Jaguar, he probably knows pretty specifically what he wants and doesn't want and has put a lot of thoughts (or dreams) into it. If you aren't aware of exactly what he has always wanted I think it's too much money to spend for him to feel even slightly disappointed about it.

I know involving him in the purchase ruins the element of surprise but if a lot of money is at play and you don't have tons of money to just throw around, it's important to include him.


I agree. I used to tell my wife about my dream car all the time, but I was extremely specific down to the trim, color, interior, and features. I would of course appreciate the gesture but the thing I'd never admit to her is that it wouldn't be the car that I actually wanted. Then again, you could knock it out of the park. Go with your gut.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2018 09:02     Subject: Car buying help
Anonymous wrote:

Thanks for the quick reply. I know he's always wanted a Jaguar XJ so it's big money for what I consider to be a toy but he's an awesome man and I love him. We had a rough year last year and he's always sacrificing for the family so I want him to have something that is entirely his.


I feel like if he's always wanted a Jaguar, he probably knows pretty specifically what he wants and doesn't want and has put a lot of thoughts (or dreams) into it. If you aren't aware of exactly what he has always wanted I think it's too much money to spend for him to feel even slightly disappointed about it.

I know involving him in the purchase ruins the element of surprise but if a lot of money is at play and you don't have tons of money to just throw around, it's important to include him.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2018 08:48     Subject: Car buying help
Anonymous wrote:If it’s a Jag or any car, you want to research the year and model to make sure you know what the problem areas are. Then take it to a independent Jag or Jag dealership to get a pre purchase inspection (PPI). It’s a nice gift so take your time looking for a nice one.


Thank you! I didn't even know they did pre-purchase inspections but I'll definitely do this.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2018 23:14     Subject: Car buying help
If it’s a Jag or any car, you want to research the year and model to make sure you know what the problem areas are. Then take it to a independent Jag or Jag dealership to get a pre purchase inspection (PPI). It’s a nice gift so take your time looking for a nice one.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2018 15:50     Subject: Car buying help
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:dh here. If you go to CarMax, you're not going to get the best deal possible, but you're going to get a decent car at a reasonable fixed price, and it will (I think) have the option to return within a few days for a full refund. So you'd be fine just going there and looking at a number of different cars in a no-pressure sales situation.

What kind of car are you thinking about?


Thanks for the quick reply. I know he's always wanted a Jaguar XJ so it's big money for what I consider to be a toy but he's an awesome man and I love him. We had a rough year last year and he's always sacrificing for the family so I want him to have something that is entirely his.


Sounds nice.

Have a look:

https://www.carmax.com/search#BT=0&Distance=all&ExposedCategories=249+250+1001+1000+265+999+772&ExposedDimensions=249+250+1001+1000+265+999+772&Page=1&PerPage=20&Refinements=4294962885+4294961865+4294962672&SortKey=0&Zip=20877
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2018 15:42     Subject: Car buying help
Anonymous wrote:dh here. If you go to CarMax, you're not going to get the best deal possible, but you're going to get a decent car at a reasonable fixed price, and it will (I think) have the option to return within a few days for a full refund. So you'd be fine just going there and looking at a number of different cars in a no-pressure sales situation.

What kind of car are you thinking about?


Thanks for the quick reply. I know he's always wanted a Jaguar XJ so it's big money for what I consider to be a toy but he's an awesome man and I love him. We had a rough year last year and he's always sacrificing for the family so I want him to have something that is entirely his.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2018 15:32     Subject: Car buying help
dh here. If you go to CarMax, you're not going to get the best deal possible, but you're going to get a decent car at a reasonable fixed price, and it will (I think) have the option to return within a few days for a full refund. So you'd be fine just going there and looking at a number of different cars in a no-pressure sales situation.

What kind of car are you thinking about?
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2018 15:27     Subject: Car buying help
I am trying to buy a used car as a surprised gift for DH. Admittedly I have only purchased 1 car in my life and that was back in 1999. I also don't know anything about cars. Are there mechanics that would offer support when buying a car? I'm looking for someone who can come along and take a look at it with me and would be willing to pay for their time.

Aside from getting a carfax or KBB report, is there anything else I should be looking for?