Adventures in Used Car Shopping

The first car I ever drove on a regular basis was a wood paneled station wagon. Driving it was like butter. My high school classmates made fun of it of course, but I sacrificed flashy for peace of mind. After hitting a parked car while driving a very expensive, three-year old SUV, I opted to drive the station wagon instead because ruining that car wouldn't be such a big deal.

Then my older brother came home for the summer from college and decided to bogart the SUV, which meant my mom needed the wagon, and I was forced into sharing. No, no. That just wouldn't work. So off to the used car lot we went to find me a car! The first car I could call my own. It was glorious. I was 17 and could not test drive, so the brother did. He test drove one car.

"I love it! Let's buy this one!" said I.

He test drove another.

"This one is even better! Let's take it!" said I.

He test drove a third. This time it was a make I had decided on even before stepping on to the lot despite my lack of car knowledge. I still don't know why I decided on that make of car, but I did.

"I WANT IT!" And so it was mine.

It was a little over three years old. When I first started driving it, I actually didn't like it. It made weird noises. It wasn't butter. It wasn't the colour I wanted in the first place. The thickness of the frame made it difficult to see.

Seven years later...I had fallen in love with Noah (the car), and when he started dying (and costing me thousands in repairs), I was in denial. "Maybe I can fix him." When the repairs cost more than the resell value of the car, it's time to trade up.

Today (or rather yesterday, since it is now after midnight) I went used car shopping. Why used? If a car has been driven a bit, it's probably not a lemon. Plus, the whole peace of mind with a little more worn car (there's too much pressure with a brand spanking new car!). One person's trash is another person's access to multi-mile mobility.

5 dealerships
8 test drives
2 nice salesmen
1 flippant salesman
1 rude but honest salesman
1 typical used car salesman
1 car that wouldn't even start
10 hours
1 sandwich, chips, and drink combo from Wegmans
1,000,000 papers to fill out and sign

and 1 new used car named Simon. Unfortunately bought from the typical used car salesman, pushy, fast-talking mumbler spewing what he thinks you want to hear.

Even though Noah had been my car, my mom had purchased him and had the title. Simon is the first car that is really all my own. No cosigner, nothing. Mine!

It's kind of nerve-racking.

It also means an additional monthly bill of $305. Recalculating my monthly/yearly finances, I have determined that I need to work 35 hours at Job #2 every week in order to pay off all my crap. Job #1 is for food and fun. I shall see how that all works out.

As for Noah, instead of trading him in for chump change, he is still sitting at the mechanics waiting for his fate, which may now be to get fixed by one of the brother's friends and privately sold. I will miss driving Noah. It was a good 7.5 years. He was my only constant during those years. He was with me through the end of high school, all through college. He took me to the dozens of jobs I have had. We went on some road trips together. Good times just getting from point A to point B while listening to music and singing along.

Noah, my darling, dear friend, farewell.