Just wanted to jump in with an update! We ended up finding a used truck at our local dealership that was a great fit. It’s a 2022, very clean, and has low miles. Huge thanks for the recommendation to get pre-approved through the credit union. Once we looked into it, we realized rates weren’t as high as we initially thought for used vehicles, which gave us more flexibility.
We did take out a small loan but plan to pay it off this year. Interestingly, when we got to financing, the dealership claimed they could beat our credit union’s rate but initially offered something over a full point higher! My husband called them out on it, and after actually shopping around, they came back with a rate that was a point lower than the credit union.
As for pricing, we feel good about the deal – maybe not excellent, but fair. We always seem to land about $500 over our ideal number, but honestly, with everything on our plate (the accident, my husband’s mom has been in hospice since Christmas Eve, plus we have two busy teenagers with activities and college visits coming up), we just didn’t have the energy to haggle over every last dollar.Thankful my son and I suffered no major injuries, the other party was determined to be at fault, and we have replaced our vehicle. We are ready to move on.
Really appreciate all the advice – it was incredibly helpful!
