Big Hoss, Meet Barnum

Remember "Big Hoss," the 2008 GMC Sierra?

He don't live here no mo'. 

With all the you-know-what hitting the proverbial fan in the last month or so, we were less than thrilled about finding a new vehicle. After our paid-off "Big Chief Running Good" (1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport) was stolen from Nate's office parking lot in February, we had to decide how to replace two vehicles in one year. We did opt to lease (or "f-lease" if you're a Dave Ramsey fan) a Kia Soul ("Hammy") to replace Chief. Hammy has served us well and we really enjoy the Kia.

You probably saw our post from a week or so ago called Goodbye Hoss, so it's no secret that the lease we took over from my folks was up. We had a couple of days of leeway, but we had to find a vehicle. My father suggested that we would have better time finding a vehicle in our modest budget range through an individual rather than a small dealership. So, we did what any 21st century couple would do... We went to Cragislist.

I felt we were being pretty realistic in our requirements. Our requirements were as follows:

• Car (no trucks or large SUVs)
• 2002-2005 model year
• 80,000-110,000 Miles
• Decent gas mileage
• Automatic transmission
• Solid, running condition and nice external features with little-to-no rust or damage ("turn key")
• Owner had taken good care of the car (i.e.: "good owner vibe")
• $3,500 - $5,500 budget range (cash paid, no financing)

We both really wanted to look for a Pontiac Vibe, but because they get good gas mileage and they "last forever," nobody was selling at our price or in our mileage range. Everyone was telling us to get an HHR, but since it came out after 2007 (I believe), that would be out of our range. The PT Cruiser was a nice compromise between the two and we could both agree on it. (The PT Cruiser is essentially a Dodge Neon with a different body style.) 

So after deciding on a PT Cruiser, we narrowed our search to six available cars via Craigslist. One in particular stood out because its price point was so low. Most PT Cruisers with the specs we have above average $5,000-5,500 and this was much less expensive at $3,800. The owner posted knowledgeably with good photos, so we knew that he knew what he was talking about. There were a lot of calls about the car, which we knew there would be. We rearranged our schedules to make the first-available trip out to see the car. The fellow was very nice and told us what he had upgraded or repaired and also the troubles the car had, like the sensor for the air bags going off intermittently and the rear bumper getting knocked in a parking lot (it has a cosmetic crack, but no rust).  

Enter: "Barnum" or "Barney" for short. Get it? PT Barnum?Chuckle-chuckle!

We took the car for a test drive and knew that based on budget and the quality of the car, we would certainly make an on-the-spot offer. Normally we would've tried to talk him down, but based on our findings and the competition for the vehicle, it was, well, just a fair price for the car! He wanted to move it quickly and that he did.  We are happy with the purchase and after tax, title, and license we still have money to do a few minor repairs and end up in the black budget-wise.  This car should last at least four years or another 50-60K minimum, so we're feeling blessed and favored at present. It's definitely better to shop smart and use cash!

Desired	Actual
Car (No trucks)	Car
2002-2005 model year	2002
80,000-110,000 Miles	104,000
Decent gas mileage	17/23 (decent)
Automatic transmission	Automatic transmission
Turn-key condition	Overall turn-key condition
"Good owner vibe"	"Good owner vibe" - Very honest
$3,500 - $5,500 Budget	$3,800 sale price

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Featured @ Homestead Barn Hop (9/26/2011)