In my experience, buying a new car is like preparing to have a baby – everyone who’s gone through it wants to offer you advice, even though every person’s experience is bound to be different. Not that these people aren’t well-meaning, they absolutely are, it’s just that buying a car is a unique undertaking, and is strongly influenced by your situation. Some of this advice might be on-point, and some may be a little misguided, although it’s hard to discern. For my last post as an official CarWoo! blogger, I’ll leave you with a little hard-earned wisdom about when not to pay attention to what people are telling you.
When they tell you not to buy new – Some people may try and steer you away from buying a brand-new car, often citing the statistics about how much a car depreciates right as you drive it off the lot. While that may be factually true in some cases, there are other factors to take into account. In my case, for instance, I had my heart set on one of the redesigned and overhauled Hyundai Accents, and that meant getting a newer model. Or you may come up against a choice of a used car with several thousand miles on it versus a new car for the same price. And you can’t put a price on the feeling of buying your first new car – it really is a thrilling experience.
When they try to talk you in to something more expensive – A lot of people are convinced that a car’s safety/reliability/performance all increase with its price tag, and they may try to talk you in to looking at cars that are outside of what you want to spend. They may even try and exert a little pressure on you to do so, imploring you to think about the safety of your children/cats when you’re making your budget. There are plenty of excellent cars in every price range, that’s the beauty of being able to select from the inventory of multiple car companies. You simply have to decide what your priorities are, and move forward from there.
When they try and send you to someone in their family – If you’re looking to buy a car, and someone says that a member of their family is trying to sell a used vehicle, run. Just say no. Seriously, kids. There are so many things that can go wrong with a used car transaction, before, during, and after, that it just doesn’t make sense to risk a friendship for the sake of a car. Trust me – spare yourself the grief.
When they try and talk you out of something you really want – Most people are fairly logical when it comes to a purchase as large as a new car. They don’t go around making it rain $100 bills just because they can, and if they can, then they can buy any damn car they want. If you’ve shopped around and done your homework, and someone is trying to talk you out of a ride you’ve got your heart set on, ask yourself why. Do they think you’re being unreasonable? Are they in charge of your finances? Are they just plain jeals and don’t want you to have all the fun? A car is such a personal decision, and you’ll be the one living with it for an extended period of time, so don’t let some Negative Nancy talk you out of the car of your dreams.
