A day off

It's time to shop for a new car. For the next few weeks I'm chronicling my search, reviewing the process, the products, the marketing, the sales experience and the transaction.

Day 9: Buying a new car in a small town stinks

I was in Chicago yesterday and was unable to return home in time to stop by the Ford dealership to drive a Fusion and Taurus. But as I drove past several dealerships in the western suburbs, I realized that I'm hamstrung by geography in my search to find the perfect new car.

Not only do I have to leave Sheboygan to drive Euro brands like BMW, Audi, Mini and Saab, but I can't even find the models I want in Chevy and Ford.

The Chevy dealer here didn't have a Malibu LTZ and was not interested in finding one for me. He wants to sell me what's on the lot.

When I checked the inventory online for my local Ford dealer, it shows I'll have one 2010 Taurus and one 2011 Fusion to choose from. Not much of a choice.

By contrast, there are five Ford dealers within a ten miles of where I was in Chicago yesterday, and any one of them has multiple 2011 Taurus and Fusions equipped the way I want them.

I'm going to be in Madison today, so I'm going to stop by a dealer there to see if they have the cars I want.