One Year Later and Have to Endure Car Buying Again!

Last year, when I chose a 2024 Honda CR-V Sport Hybrid, I felt like I had been in a fight with two saber-toothed tigers. The endless test drives and smarmy salespeople who moved you through the process so fast, you could hardly have time to say you didn’t want the car. One saleslady actually had me in front of papers, even as I tried to tell her that the car was too noisy when driven. I had to get ugly, which is not my personality, and walk out of the dealership. I couldn’t make her listen. I was so tired of the process after nearly a month.

My husband insists on seeing what Consumer Reports says about every car, and I remind him that my 2001 Kia Rio was rated badly, but I drove it for 13 years and didn’t have a problem (I didn’t know its rating when I bought it). When I sold it, it didn’t have 100,000 miles on it! I loved that car, and it was the first car I bought for me. When I purchased it, I was single.

I decided that I wanted a green Kia Rio. I called my daughter to take me to the dealership because she had been driving me everywhere, and one night she asked in either tiredness or frustration at having to take me to a faculty party if I was ever going to learn to drive. I knew then that I had outlived my welcome, so to speak. You know the old line about guests starting to stink?

My 50th birthday was imminent, and I decided to take driving lessons as my birthday present. But, because people don’t want to loan you their car for driving practice, I chose to buy one, and I liked the Rio. I didn’t check Consumer Reports. I went into the dealership, told the guy what I wanted, chose the red instead of the green, because it looked sexy, and asked how much. Then, my daughter drove it to a parking lot. To my utter surprise, the salesman told me to drive it back because I was buying it, and I had a license. After he taught me how to parallel park and do eights through the parking lot to get used to the feel of the steering wheel, I drove it back to the dealership. I bought it. It was that easy!

Now, my wonderful husband makes it as complicated as a NASA liftoff. So many cars have to be driven and compared. We haven’t even gone to the first dealership, and I am already stressed! I have decided to make a choice and get on with it. I think another Honda, but smaller and not as long as the CR-V Sport which I added parking sensors to for comfort. He wants me to choose a sedan, but I need to be able to see over the steering wheel and many of the sedans don’t raise me high enough (I am 4-10 1/2), even with power seats. I also need a car I am comfortable parking, so a crossover, like a Honda HR-V. I may buy a used car, instead of having a car note at age 72.

I am going to the same excellent dealership where I bought the last car and hopefully the same salesman. I am sorry Consumer Reports but both the cars I have bought were not rated well but served me faithfully until I passed them on to a child or traded them in. Let the games begin!