[VaSteve]

I have been seriously looking for a new car (truck) to add to my fleet. I have targeted a Tacoma Double Cab (other threads debate the merits of this). On Friday, I thought I found a good one nearby it was red with a hard cover over the bed sold by a big area dealership. They took photos of the underside for me and I came to check it out. I was really disappointed. It looked like it had been parked under a tree for it's whole life, they washed and maybe waxed it, but it was a shabby job. LIke when the HS cheerleaders was your car. There was tree snot all up in the edges by the windows and such. The inside was clean. The big cover was a monster PITA, I didn't like it...IMHO a pick up should be open. The test drive took me all of 2 blocks to say no. It had a shudder at take off (a semi common issue). I was pissed I squandered an evening to see this thing.

Today I took off the morning and went to see a blue one at a large independant dealer. They are right across from on of the big auctions and do a lot of prep for the auction. They were running cars through in two lines, wash detail, paint fixing and were spraying undercoating in the fenderwells right as they left the cleaning line. I assume the truck I was looking at came through that line yesterday.

Truck looked good on the internet. When I got there, I think within 30 seconds, something told me not to buy it. The fenders and the frame has the same undercoating. I took it for a test drive, and felt good. It has some expensive radio with a nav built in, backup camera and a whole boatload of wiring for bluetooth. Some elaborate aftermarket alarm. I figured I could pull all that out and put a basic radio with an aux in there for myself. There was a rat's nest of wiring by the e-brake pedal. I liked the idea of the backup camera but I couldn't figure out how to turn it on. No wobbled in the driveline. I had them put it up on the lift and I could see some scaling rust on the trailer hitch and such and poked things with a tool. Seemed solid. I had spent about 45 minutes looking it over myself (it's a no frills place, they sell on price, not pushing you into a car). I kinda talked myself into buying it and sat down and wrote out some checks. My wife called in the middle and I stepped out to chat. She said I didn't sound excited. As I'm talking to her outside I'm again looking over the truck, it had a crack in the mirror shell where someone probably banged it into the garage door. She talked me out of in in 2 minutes. I went in a lied and said she wanted to check it out and I was gone. Took the windy roads home in my 10 year old BMW.

I don't know if my expectations are out of whack or what's wrong with me. I don't expect a used car to be just like a new car. But, I got cold feet on this big time and just needed a slight nudge to walk away. I don't get it. It wasn't one issue, it was just all of it I guess.

Though, I would have gotten an instant $40 rebate. When combing through the owner's manual and junk in the glove box, there was twp $20 bills in with all the paperwork. I left them.

(thanks for letting me vent/rant)