I didn’t buy my first car until I was 23, and when I finally gave up on slow public transportation, late night bike rides, and asking my friends for rides, I realized I didn’t really have any idea how to purchase a car. I had no idea what I wanted, or where to go. I wasn’t even sure what a good price was, or how to get my own car insurance. I decided to go to a used car dealership and was lucky enough to find a salesman who helped me decide on some very important factors.
I realized buying a car was entirely dependent on my budget as well as my lifestyle. Ultimately I had to decide what I wanted from a car. How much would I be driving it? Would I take road trips? What are the costs associated with repairing damages to the car? Was mileage more important to me than size? What about style and color? After I discussed that I wanted an easy to drive four-door sedan with excellent gas mileage, and that I intended to take my dogs on road trips across the Midwest at least once a month, the sales representative and I looked at cars which fit my needs. We found several that fit my specifications (and budget) from different manufacturers and at different price points.
I then test drove a few other ones before I made my final choice. I was able to call my previous insurance company and insure my relatively new used car on the spot – luckily I had spoken to my insurance agent earlier in the day and she was waiting for my call. I subsequently filled out the paperwork for the city and state including a Bill of Sale which contains my contact information, vehicle identification number, and selling price. I was officially a car owner.
What I learned was that the most important thing about buying a car is working with a reputable salesperson, and knowing what you want. Since I gave a lot of thought to my personal needs and priorities, I was able to find a car that suited all of them, rather than worry about the more superficial options like color or additional features. I also went in with a solid budget and knew how much I could afford to spend. Knowing what I wanted, and knowing what questions to ask made buying my first car a fun and easy experience.