7/9/05; by Ruth Zaslow
- What kind of car do you have?
We have two cars. A Nissan Maxima and a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Actually, we're about to replace the Jeep. That'll probably happen in the next few weeks.
- What are you considering?
We've narrowed it down to two: a Jeep Liberty or a Honda CRV.
- How will you make your final decision?
The both have the features we want. So it'll come down to price. I expect to go to the dealerships and see what they're willing to do for me.
- What features do they both have that you're looking for?
They're in the right price range. I don't believe in spending more than $40,000 for a vehicle. I think it's fiscally irresponsible. Safety features-they both have them. Although, in the Jeep, some of them are optional and in the Honda they're included.
- What kind of safety features?
Four-wheel disk brakes. Side air bags. They both have great seating. They're big and comfortable. Maybe not as big as a full-sized SUV, but we don't need that. They both have four-wheel drive, although I don't regard that as a must-have. They both just come with it.
- Tell me about the kinds of driving you do.
Work mostly. It's usually in-city. We drive to church and to church related activities. We don't have a daily commute.
- What happens for you on a typical drive for your work? Describe it for me, from the time you get in the car at home to the time you arrive at your final destination.
There's a lot of conversation going on. So we need it quiet. That's real important to me: quiet inside the vehicle. Most cars are pretty quiet when they first come off the lot, but that quiet degrades some, different rates for different cars.
- What else happens for you on a typical drive?
I'm using the phone, talking to clients, potential clients,the babysitter, what-not. The phone is hands-free, voice-activated. I'm looking at Bluetooth for the future, but not quite yet.
I don't have the phones for it right now. It's an expensive extra package-near $1000 if I remember right. If it were rolled into the cost of the car, it might be attractive, but seeing a separate sticker for it . . . no.
- Other technologies you're thinking about for the future?
I like some of that guide technology. I see us using it to help clients we're driving around. Those things are feature rich. They can point out restaurants, places of interest. People can see themselves driving on the map. But we're not going for it just yet. We have some techie clients, but for most people right now, the technology would be so new that it would be distracting.
- Do you know of other real estate agents using these technologies yet?
No. I don't think realtors for the most part are more technologically proficient than other people. And I'm not using these technologies yet, because even if they work, there can be problems down the communication chain. For example, let's say I get my Bluetooth and guidance system working, but the MLS (multiple listing service) is down. All that technology is a waste.
- You've mentioned that in your driving for work, you have conversations and talk on the phone. What else goes on inside the car?
Snacks and drinks. Have to keep the client's blood sugar up. That reminds me: a good cup holder is worth a lot. Those flimsy plastic things in some cars just don't cut it. There should be a good quality cup holder for each person.
- What else is going on in the car?
Notetaking. Sometimes lots of notetaking.
If I have clients in the car, they take notes a lot on what I tell them about the house, area. And when my wife and I are on our own for work, like after we view a new listing, she's taking notes, summarizing what we like in the property. So when it comes to the two of us, the car is meeting time for us. It's like our conference room. And after we're done, we go our separate ways.
- What do they use to take notes?
Clients are usually using pen and paper, though sometimes PDA's. My wife uses her Palm to enter data and synchs it up with our PC.
- Are there other ways you or your wife use a Palm in the car?
That's mostly it. When we work with buyers, we focus on the motivated, ready kind. The deals go pretty fast, especially these days. So most things about the buyers we don't have to capture on the fly and we don't have to know it for long. If it's important, we remember it. With sellers, yeah, my wife makes notes on the Palm, but that doesn't have anything to do with the car.
- How do you keep track of your mileage?
We use the Quickmile on our Palms. It tracks mileage and expenses.
- Let's talk about your history with cars. What was the first car you ever owned?
Owned or drove?
The first car I ever drove was my dad's 1973 Cadillac Sedan DeVille. 454, big, white leather seats. Then I got my own car. A 1978 Ford Bronco. Whoo, I loved that car. I wrecked it in '82. Fell asleep at the wheel and flipped it. Totaled.
- What did you love about the Bronco?
It had a Pioneer stereo, nice speakers, a CB. It had four-wheel drive. And I rigged it with a four-wheel drive box. That was me, the “guy who helps people in bad weather or in trouble.” I had jumper cables, a shovel, tow straps, all that stuff.
- What else did you love about that car?
It rode high-higher than other cars. There was a feeling of power. It never got stuck. I didn't go off-road much, but I could if I wanted. You know, lots of testosterone. I had good, loud music, and other people down the road knew I was coming.
- How about your later cars?
After I flipped that car, I drove my sister's Corolla for a little while. Then I got a Nissan 280 ZX 2+2. That was a great car. Then I sold it and got the Nissan we have today.
- See, I've done a lot of driving in my life. A lot of distance driving. I used to work on the road all the time-a consultant for Anderson. I was based in Houston and drove out to Atlanta, Charlotte. And San Antonio-I did Houston/San Antonio as a weekly commute.
- When you were doing all that distance driving, what was happening for you in the car?
I liked driving at night. I'd listen to music, books on tape.
- What kinds of music and books on tape?
Music-many kinds I have very eclectic taste. Books on tape-whatever I could find. The selection is pretty limited.
- What did you like best of the limited selection?
Grisham, Malcom X. I also subscribed to CD collections for abridged versions of business books. I probably had 50 of those. I liked listening to the business books. Seemed constructive. They were engaging. There was certainly more continuity there than in 3 minute pop songs. It was much easier to kill an hour listening to a book than listening to three-minute songs.
- Thinking over the driving you've done in the past, and are doing now, what would make your life easier in the car? What would you like to see as standard in a car, say, 10 years from now?
You know, I'm not sure I want or need a lot more bells and whistles. What I really want is for the things I need for my work to work seamlessly. That's the real challenge, the real goal.
I like the Bluetooth because I hate the cords and cables. But what I really want is to just set the phone down and have it work. No hassles.
I have mixed feelings about some of the entertainment technologies. I know DVD players are becoming popular. I have an eight-year-old and it would be nice for him to have something to do on long trips when we want to keep him out of our hair. But those are just a few trips. If it's standard in the car, he'll want it all the time. In the end, I don't think that that's good for him.
What I'd really like is for the car not to be the source of new technologies, but just a seamless conduit of technology. I'd like my Palmtop to work in the car seamlessly. I'd like to get to my address book seamlessly. I don't care if it's through the phone or another device.
I also like those On-Star technologies. My sister lives in Houston. She's married to a guy who really doesn't like her to drive at night. I think if they had some kind of On-Star system, he'd be OK with it.
You know what else I'd like? To receive a fax easily. I'd like to see printing technology made seamless in the car.
- As far as being able to print in the car, would you prefer a mobile device you could bring into the car, or a device that was affixed to the car?
Probably the latter, but for me, as long as it works seamlessly, I don't care.
- Is that true too for the GPS and some other systems you've mentioned?
Individually, I don't care if they're affixed or mobile. But I probably don't want to have to drag twenty pounds of electronics out to the car every time.
- Over the years, what's changed and what's stayed the same in terms of what you look for in a car?
What's changed: these days I nave no need for all that size, power, all the trappings of youth. I think about my family, the kid. What's stayed the same is that I look for quality. I call it “tightness.” Best way to describe it is the difference between closing a door on a BMW versus on a Chevy. Anyone who's ever done that knows what I'm talking about.
- What else has stayed the same?
I care about materials. I'd pay an extra $500 to have the cheap, bloody plastic taken out. Even if they just replace it with better quality plastic. We looked at a Saturn at one point. But the stuff on the dash-my eight-year-old would tear that off in a minute. I like materials that are timeless, like leather.
- What else has stayed the same?
I like room to move. The Bronco was open. The ZX doesn't fit that mold, but the Maxima does. It's roomy. One the cars we're looking at now, the CRV has a folding table in the front center, so you can pack it away and reach down to the floorboard. So my wife knows just where she can put her purse. They put the shifter on the dash to regain that space. That seems strange, I'm not used to it, but in general, I like the idea of finger tip controls. Better safety and convenience.
- You've mentioned some of the features you like in the cars you're looking at. What don't you like?
The design. I think design has dragged. I think we've all been ready for these new designs much sooner than they've been available. The Chryslers, they look great. Very tough.
- What makes them look tough?
Low, stretched out. Pushed out around the wheel wells. Tough. Others are behind the curve. The Jeep looks tough. The CRV looks mousy, petite.
- What is your general attitude toward cars?
Well, when you're young, it's all about the car. Today, I like to feel that when someone gets into my car, they feel good. Safe, secure. And there are limits as to what I want to pay for: $40,000 is a top price. I'll probably never own a BMW or Mercedes or Landcruiser. I just won't pay for it. And it's not that I can't afford it. I can buy what I want. When we buy cars, we pay cash. My general attitude toward cars? Cut down the number of gadgets and increase the quality. That's what I'm willing to pay for.
Posted at Jul 10/2005 02:42PM:
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