Car shopping adventure and I am not handicapped

Told myself that once I got back from my Holiday, I really need to get a car and not continue to be hampered by lack of transportation or in degratory term, HANDICAPPED. Thanks to the Internet, I did most of my shopping research online. So will it be a Ford Focus ZX3 hatchback or a Mitsubishi Eclipse? American budget car vs Japanese street sports car?

VS

The Ford Focus ZX3 was initially my 1st choice and the 1st vehicle I view during my two days car shopping. It looks like a sporty and fun looking car in picture untill I actually went down to the dealership and take a closer look. Forget about the scratches on the exterior body or the cigarette burn mark sprinkled around the seat and forget about how great it looks on the exterior, the shape the profile and the nice butt it got. The passenger seats is just too small and everything in the car is mechanical. You got no power window, no power side windows, no power seat and basically no power for the car rated at 2.0L during the test drive. And at at pricey US$6200 before tax and licensing, it better to take the money else where and get a better creature comfort car with power. Lots of opinion about Ford vehicles for its poor reliability or lack of style. Ford Focus ZX3 is one of the best looking in my opinion but the performance and interior space and features just shamed its look. And thinking back that I use to drive a Ford car a few months back and trouble I went through... I say...NO MORE FORD...lets go to Japan instead.

Enter the Mistsubishi Eclipse, one the popular street sport coupe (2 door) car in US market. Very popular with street racing as seen in 'THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS" due to the abundance of aftermarket parts to "zeng" your car. With a Japanese engineered inline-4 engine rated at 2.4L, the power in drive is abundance! Got enough power to overtake on the highway instead of been seating ducks while lane changing. Scouted one priced at US$6429, a black 2001 Eclipse RS model , own by 1 lady driver. It was a flawless piece of machine! There was no dent, no scratches and all the panel lines up perfectly on the inside and outside. Next was the test drive that shows that it have taken the fine lady characteristic of its previous owner. The vibration was lower, the suspension meets all the bump with little complains and the power of acceleration makes me goes "YES, I got to buy this baby". The black stallion roar with strength as it accelerate aggressively from 1st to 3rd gear. Than came the grinding noise at 4th gear, 4000 rpm. It came from the front transmission and its sound like metal grinding. The sound disappear suddenly as the car went to 5000rpm. Such an Anti-Climax, its like when you are watching a romance film and just before the long lost couple kiss each other, the cinema blackout. Ended the test drive with a sigh of disappointment. After inspection by a mechanic, it turns out that the transimission case got a crack in it. The deal is off.... what was a fine lady turn out to be a disaster in disguise.

Went to the next car dealer and the sales guy was Neal. Very friendly over the phone. Shows me exactly the same car but priced at US$6400 but its silver this time round. It does not have a flawless bodywork like the "Fine lady" I saw earlier on and interior panels are not all well secured with some missing screws here and there. Been in the mechanical job for few years, this are just small little, non critical problem that can be easily fix by DIY. The Engine and the Transmission are the critical component for any vehicle and of course power. The test drive was excellent. It brakes right and it accelerated without hiccups. Goes through every gear from low to high rpm with no strange noise out of the engine or transmission and the handling and high speed was "finger strength" indicated a good wheel balancing and alignment. Althougt the milege is pretty high at 110,000 miles, its just indicate that this year 2001 car have been on the highway more often rather than a lot of stop and go traffic that result in more wear and tear for the engines and transmission.

Young car with high miles= less stop and go traffic (city traffic), less wear and tear
Old car with high miles= Mix highway and city traffic...higher wear and tear
Old car with low miles= Some one tample with the odometer

I think I am just too exhausted and tired of looking around for better option and holding on to this deal. Furthermore the car have a clean history in the CARFAX record. So decided to just sit down with the salesman and negotiated the price to US$6200 . Listed down all the individual, little, little flaw of the car to arrived at such price. You gonna squeeze every drop from this blood thirsty sales man. Shook hands and sign the paper work and out of the sudden, we notice that the VIN or Vehicle Identification Number on the sales document did not tally with those on the VIN number on the CARFAX record. I nearly got myself into trouble for signing something I am not suppoe to buy(cause I sign the sales for the wrong car) and nearly driving a car away that I did not even pay for (cause I did not sign the sales for the right car)!!! Its like taking the wrong baby from the hospital.

Thanks to Dave sharp eyes, it saved me much trouble next time. I was too focus on getting the deal close that this details just slip my eyes. Learn a lesson, to be in control of the sales and not to be more Kan Cheong than the sales man to close the deal...watch the details. I was pretty pissed at that moment for I got to take the trouble to go through the whole paper work procedures again and the expression on the salesman was one of frustration. Whats make the whole episode even more exhaustive and frustrating was when the correct VIN number was keyed into the CARFAX website it indicated the vehicle history was in an accident before and been repaired at a facilities. A vague statement on the record, never mentioning if its major or minor bumper to bumper collision.

Base of the test drive and the visual inspection I conducted earlier with Dave and for the fact that I am not even able to get a used car with US$6100 in Singapore, let alone one without a single accident on Singapore roads... I decided to go ahead with deal but cornered the salesman in the boxing ring with a US$5400 offer for that accident record and his folly that almost got me into trouble. Balls in his court, see the anxiety on his face. Salesman retreated to the manager office and spoke to the boss and return with a US$5800 offer. He even got the cheek to ask me if I were to be kind enough to make it US$5900 for him. For the trouble I went through. NO. Settle for US$5800, S$9160 knowing that its as hard as a bargain for him and I am tired too but not too tired to check the details of the paperwork process to close the deal. After one bad episode, once bitten twice shy.

So heres my baby till the end of my tour of duty in United States. The 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS. Inline 4 Engine rated 150hp stock condition. Nick name- Unicorn...