It is, without a doubt and by far, one of my least favorite things to do. So many variables…too much deceit…
The anxiety of not being able to trust the person selling to me is overwhelming! As are the factors you need to consider in making the final choice – a newer car with more miles or an older car with lower mileage…an older car with better trim or a newer car with lesser trim…larger loan with longer term but lower payments or smaller loan with shorter term and higher payments…???
One of two things would resolve my dilemma and neither of them easily accessible:
Thing One – Money
If I were a rich woman…dibee dibee dibee dibee dibee dibee dibee dum…I could pay MSRP on whatever car I chose. Wouldn’t have to haggle with the salesman. No worries about checking for rust on the body, under the hood, or under the car because it’d be brand new. Loans? Schmoans! I’d just write out a personal check!
But I have the distinct feeling that money like that is not to be my lot in life…
Thing Two – Decisiveness
Technically, this one is far more readily accessible, and usually not much of a problem for me…but… Well, thing is, I know what I want, but I just can’t have it right now. My immigration status (or rather non-status at the moment to be precise), my credit score (looooooong sob story), and my plans for the future (which is consistently uncertain – no complaints) all coalesce into circumstances that mean I can’t have what I know I want.
When you can’t have what you want, but you need something nonetheless, what do you do? You settle. You settle for next best. In my books though, when I compare next best with next best, they all look the same to me – not best! Hence the indecisiveness…What can I say? It’s a personality flaw?
It Continues
And so my car search continues. As are most things in my life, it’s way more introspective of an experience than is expedient, but alas, I must accept me as I am 🙂 I’ve been learning a lot though and I have a couple of posts in mind from those lessons. Watch this space.
Take heart. I heard a report that women tend to make better car purchases because, expecting to be swindled, they work harder to know what they are getting into. Turn that uncertainty into discernment.
These might give you some firm measures to start from.
http://www.kbb.com/
http://www.carfax.com/
https://www.truecar.com/
I was blessed to buy my current car from a trusted mechanic (I’m keeping an eye on new cars, but this one won’t die). But if you can find someone who has logs of every oil change, tune up, repair, etc. that is a good start as well.
Thanks, Rob! Hadn’t heard about truecar.com. Will check it out.
Here goes turning uncertainty into discernment…
Let me know if you figure out how. I’m looking for bikes, and there are way to many variables!