The Blog of Rudy Amid

Almost a month since my Honda Civic Hybrid 2003 got into a major accident, and now deemed totally useless by the insurance company. Sad day indeed. The car had at least 3 more years of life. It could’ve saved me a bunch of money in gas, maintenance, insurance, and loan payments. When someone said a car is a liability, that’s such an understatement.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Bookmark to:

We went to Avilas El Ranchito today and McDonald’s yesterday.  The days were sunny and warm when we talked about:

• How to bargain in Chinese stores.  Russell Peters explained it very well.
• Alkaline Ionized Water purifier for drinking.  It does not have healing powers.
• Legal drinking age in the British Isle varies from 16-19 years old.  Not fully enforced either.  However, they’re strict on drunk drivers, with first offense punishable by jail time.
• Housing slump, especially with condos.
• Top Gear.
• Government jobs are filled with whiny and lazy people, creating a hostile work environment.
• The usefulness of remote offices.  They are generally empty. Remote workers are usually out on business trips, or work from home.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plans:  avoid them!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Bookmark to:

We went to Curry House Irvine.  It was a warm sunny day when we talked about:

• New car smell.  Apparently there’s a “new car” fragrance we can buy to simulate the smell in an older car.
• Beijing 2008 Olympics.   We all agreed it was a spectacular show, even though the “Footprint” fireworks were mostly computer graphics.
• Conflict between Georgia and Russia.
• The Bob Costas interview with President George W. Bush in Beijing.  The president handled the delicate questions quite nicely.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Bookmark to:

It’s time to add more stuff into my new car.   I don’t go overboard with the customization and accessories.  No fancy racing stripe. No F-1 spoiler.  No engine modification.  Instead, I thought about some modest additions like:

1. Window Tinting
   Southern California weather is 90% sunny.  In the summer, heat is a major problem inside a car.  Window tinting will help cool off the cabin.  Also, it cuts down on glare, especially on the driver’s side.    The caveat in California, I’m not able to fully darken the front side windows, or else the cops will give me a “Fix It” ticket.  Otherwise, it’s a must have and worth the $160 to get it professionally installed.
2. GPS
   Honda’s in-dash Navi is $1750 extra. Quite pricey.  Personally, I’m ok with the on-dash ones, such as a Garmin portable with anti-slip pad.  I can get one of those for less than $200.
3. Bluetooth Speaker Phone
   Honda dealers has the Blueconnect Bluetooh Hands-Free as a $700 option.  Why bother when I can get one from Costco for $70? Ok, so maybe it’s not as fancy and cool. At least it works!
4. Electrical Socket Expander
   With more and more portable gadget inside the car, I’ll need to expand that single electrical outlet (formerly cigarette lighter socket) into many.  There’s a variety from dual to multiple.  Too bad my Civic doesn’t have an outlet inside the armrest compartment.  Otherwise it would make organizing the cables pretty easy and out of sight.
5. Trunk Organizer
   I need a sturdy trunk organizer that will hold a lot of groceries and stuff.  The best ones are designed for the SUV and mini vans.  I also need a golf accessories organizer because I always carry my golf stuff in the trunk.
6. Velcro
   This one is kinda ghetto.  It’s an all purpose use to strap my portable MP3 player down so it won’t slide around during turns.  Also good for temporarily plastering things on the windshield, although it might be illegal according to California law.
7. Ultraman Dolls
   All Asian guys should have at least one Plush Ultraman doll in their cars. If only I can find one…

More ideas?  Please comment.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Bookmark to:

After many hours of searching, I finally got my new car.  It’s a 2008 Honda Civic LX.  I chose it mainly for fuel economy at 36 MPG.  I also like the design, both inside and outside.  The specs are quite impressive for a compact car.  The essential features are all there, including the ever so required MP3 CD and portable MP3 players (via AUX in).

I bought the car at my favorite dealer: Hardin Honda.  They have a good selection of cars and unbeatable prices.  They also throw in free oil change for life.   I also bought my 2006 Accord through them and never regret it.   They rank #1 for Customer Service.   I high recommend them.

Car shopping is not fun.  Since my money is scarce these days, finding a good deal is a must for me.  It’s making my car shopping process more complicated and a stressful experience.  Which car should I get?  Internet or drop-in?  Used or new?  Which dealership should I buy it from?   Can I trust third-party used car sales?  Many questions to ponder and ask.

Since I already have a list of cars that I’m interested in, I don’t really need to find reviews, although there are some good ones like The Truth About Cars and Yahoo Autos.  Last week, I started email inquiries to all dealers, and all of them replied back, some multiple times.

Last weekend , it was definitely an interesting car shopping experience day of my life.  First, I went to Los Angeles, and met with two guys who were selling their used 2003 Civic Hybrids as advertised through craigslist.  They didn’t take good care of their cars.  The cars looked dingy and dinged, with bumpers dangling.   Even worse, their MPG meter indicated 38 MPG, which meant they didn’t drive the car carefully (for fuel economy).  They basically abused their hybrids.  Buying a used car is like a box of chocolate: I’ll never know what I’m going to get.

Later on, I went to Honda dealerships and looked for a new Civic LX (non-hybrid).  They all told me this car now carries a mark-up price of $1000.  Worse, they would not budge below the invoice price of $17,450.  I was told the demand for this car was high.  What is it with California and their willingness to buy a marked up car?  I was disappointed.

So I tried for used Civic LX from sites like cars.com and autotrader.com.  The asking prices were not impressive, at all.  I met with a lady who was eager to sell her leased LX.  After a bit of researching, I found out a lease-to-finance transaction is not consistent among dealers.  Then there’s the matter of getting a hold of the title, once the deal is made.  Can I really trust the individual?   There was just a lot of moving parts, doomed for failure.

Then I considered the offer from a Toyota dealer for a Camry LE that was priced below invoice. But I didn’t want to buy a mid-size sedan with mediocre MPG.  Seems like a waste of gas.  I also didn’t know the dealer well enough to trust them.  Besides, I’m a Honda man, anyway.

I knew what I wanted.  I always wanted another Civic.  The LX was my first and last choice.   So when Hardin Honda presented a price that no other dealer else could beat, I went for it.  For a total of $18,950 I went home with a new car.

I’m so happy right now, I can’t even sleep - had blog about it.  I can’t wait for the morning to play around with it.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Bookmark to: