I needed a car.
Though the engine on my 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee was still going strong even after nearly 200,000 miles, the transmission fluid leaked – drip, drip, drip – on our driveway, which my wife Nancy noticed and remarked on frequently. It also started to rust on the roof above the dashboard, which actually helped me to be able to pick out my gray and orange vehicle among all the others with solid gray roofs.
But then, the fabric inside began to come loose and draped like the curtains at the Paramount Theater. My wife said the thumb tacks I was using to keep the fabric on the ceiling were – well – tacky.
So it was time.
I figured I had three choices. Buy a new vehicle and pay $275 a month for the rest of my life; spend $16 to $20 grand for an almost new car; or find something for less than $10,000 that would give me 4 or 5 good years before it, too, leaked fluids, rusted and began to disintegrate. I chose the latter. I’m cheap.
Certainly there was one decent car out there under $10,000?
I looked on Craig’s List, I patrolled all the Used Car lots in town and even stopped by the Colonial Auction Center. Nothing suited, that is until I headed 25 miles north of Charlottesville and met a fellow named Dwight Foster, owner of Madison Motors.
He led me to a 2008 Jeep Liberty Sport that looked like new, drove great and handled like a sports car. The cherry red Jeep had a 6-speed stick in the floor that I fell in love with. I made an offer and Dwight accepted without a haggle. He even offered to take my Jeep in as a trade and I got a terrific deal.
If you need a second or third car and don’t want to pay a fortune, get to know Dwight Foster. He is as laid back as they come, but extremely knowledgeable about cars. He’ll listen to your needs, and if he doesn’t have it on his well-stocked lot, he’ll find it for you. Madison Motors is strictly a no-pressure operation and they stand behind what they sell.
Plus, if something pops up within 30 days of purchase, they will split the cots, up to a point.
But the thing I found most impressive was that Dwight inspects each car he gets in, regardless of when the current inspection expires. That way, he and his technicians inspect out over 40 different areas and if there is a problem, they fix it on the spot or send the car off to auction.
My Jeep is terrific. It’s a blast to drive. I look forward to many years of good service and I would certainly recommend Madison Motors to anyone buying a used vehicle. Nice cars, nice people.
Madison Motors is located at 2736 South Seminole Trail. The hours are Mon-Fri 9:00am-6:00pm | Saturday 9:00am-3: 30pm
Call them at (540) 948-3122 or e-mail at sales@madisonmotors.com. You can see current inventories at www.madisonmotors.com.