About Five Months Ago, I Bought a New Car.

I got a new car! About five months ago!

After checking out lots of cars (Toyota Rav-4, Honda CRV, Ford Edge, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, and Subaru Outback) I finally went with the Subaru Forester. It rated well in the reports/reviews, and I've been so happy with my Outback that I felt content staying with a company that I liked. Plus, when I drove it, Jeremiah pointed out that I seemed the most comfortable.

Here's the shocker, though.

I ended up buying NEW, which I had no plans to do. But then I thought about it. I keep my cars a long time. I have never purchased a car and made the choices myself. And I wanted to make some choices and have a car that was MINE.

Emily's Car History:
1. Earl, a station wagon. Big safe car from dad. Had it for a few months. Ran over things (friend's garbage can) and didn't even know it because it was so big.
2. BBC (Big Black Car) A Cadillac Coupe Deville. LOVED this car. Had it for years - high school and college. Big enough trunk to store bodies (not that I've tried) and the ride was smooth. And it had the nicest leather. And it had a moon roof. And it was FAST. This one came from dad, who bought it off my brother.
3. Subaru Legacy - Dad bought Old Red (before it was affectionately called Old Red) and sold me the Legacy at an astonishingly low price. Newest car I'd ever owned. I loved this car. I felt safe and secure in it, especially considering I was logging over a hundred miles a day some days, between driving to Grand Haven to student teach and then to Grand Rapids to my grad classes.
4. Subaru Legacy Outback "Old Red" - Dad traded me when I moved to Phoenix because my car didn't have air-conditioning.

So you can see several things - One, being that my dad has been AWESOME in helping me out with cars. Thanks for that, dad. I always appreciated it but even more so now that I've done the whole car-buying thing.

Two, I've honestly never picked out my own car. I have loved all the cars I've had (minus Earl), and they were mine, but I wanted to choose something that was just for me.

So I did.

And I got picky. I developed a list of non-negotiables. I had a list of acceptable colors. And I didn't settle.

I wanted:

• Heated seats - and FYI? laughing at someone when they ask for this in a car is a great way to NOT seal the deal.
• Fog lights - again - don't laugh at me. I have bad night vision and these REALLY help.
• iPod hookup - not just USB connection, but the actual thing for my iPod.
• Steering wheel controls - because they are awesome.
• Blue or green color on the outside.
• Dark interior cloth or grey leather.

So one evening while working late - I was heading to Michigan for my graduation the next day - I got an email from a dealership asking me what they could to get my business. I said that they really did not have anything I wanted, as I wanted the blue Forester. If they were willing to make a deal on an upgraded (limited) forester in the sage green, we could talk.

He ended up giving me a great deal, plus covered oil-changes for two years, and hundreds of dollars in giftcards (Target & Subaru). I made a down payment to hold the car, and I bought it.

These pictures aren't the greatest, but here's my new car!

The coolest thing about it is that sometimes it looks green, sometimes blue, sometimes grey. I love it. Plus, it never looks dirty. Unless a bird poos on it. That you can see.

Bright lights.

I have bigger wheels with the upgraded limited. I am not sure what that means, but apparently it is impressive.

The back seat is amazing. The seats recline. Cupholders and armrests. Holders in the door designed for water bottles.

Huge back window for safety. And you can't see it, but it has a HUGE panoramic moon roof. Which I use. Not in the summer, but spring, winter, and fall.

Steering wheel controls! Bluetooth (which I never use, because I don't use my phone while driving.)!

Okay. I LOVE the iPod hookup. Love. As in, best thing ever. The limited also has the larger screen.

Love my shifter. Makes me feel sporty. Heated seats.

 I was able to make a very considerable down payment because every month I set aside money (as I did not have a car payment to make on Old Red).

The night I brought the new car home, it was parked next to Old Red. And I sat in the new car and cried. Jeremiah found me in the driver's seat, sobbing. He was trying to comfort me from the backseat by rubbing my shoulders.

Me: But.Sob.It.Sob.Isn't Old Red! Sobs.
J: You will love this car, too. You just need to get used to it.
Me: No I won't. Sniffles
J: Yes, you wi...Oh, my god! The cup holders back here are illuminated! They actually light up! I mean, I'm sorry. I know you are sad.

I have been driving it for about five months now and I can honestly say that I love it. It's a nice ride. I still sometimes have trouble believing that it is mine. Jeremiah has even declared it his dream car if he ever wins the lottery. It's a NICE car, Friends.

A few weeks ago, I sold Old Red. It was really hard, but I feel as though it went to a good home. Some biker who biked across the United States. He wanted a big car to throw his bike in to keep it safe. I got more money than I was expecting, so that was good.

p.s.
Oh, and just in case people were wondering about the other cars and why I did not opt for them:

Rogue - Not enough head room in the front seats. I am only 5'5''. I should have plenty of room. And I didn't. Plus, the lower models had NOTHING special about them. Everything was an extra or an add-on. Including the basic roof racks.

Edge - This was actually a close one. I LOVED the quick pick up. Then I tried to make a tight turn in a parking lot and it was horrible. The Edge is built on a truck frame, and it shows in the turns. Not a good car for city people. Plus, the Ford people were RUDE. One guy made a joke about us leaving by saying "What? You aren't going to buy from me because I'm Hispanic?" No, asshat. I am not buying from you because you are stupid. Two totally different things.  And.and.and. They kept my driver's license and I didn't realize it until I went to another dealership to drive another car and didn't have it.

Outback - Honestly, I loved it. Slightly more expensive. Slightly smoother ride. But something about it just wasn't right.

CRV - Used CRVs have hatches that open on the side, which bothered me for hauling stuff. The driver's seat and passenger's seat are not separated by a center console, which would have been problematic as I set my stuff on the floor of the passenger seat. Without that console, crap could easily roll over to the driver's side and become a hazard if it were to become lodged under a pedal.

Rav-4 - Didn't like anything about it. Didn't even drive it.

p.p.s. Also a big thanks to my brother and Jeremiah, who tolerated a lot of questions and offered suggestions. That way I was able to go in and not look like an idiot while talking about the cars. Oh, and my favorite line was from Jeremiah, who was constantly being approached by dealers about tricking out cars while I was shopping. He would say "You know, SHE's the one that you want to be talking to. SHE's buying the car. And SHE doesn't care about rims. SHE cares about safety features and heated seats. You might actually want to talk to HER."

Do you hear that, car dealers? Women can buy their own cars. With their own money. Shocker, I know.

 So there you go! Anyone else make any recent car purchases?