BY AARDE WRITES for WEEKLY VOLCANO 11/7/25 |
Hey Aarde, I am finally at a point in life where I need to buy a new car. And when I say new, I mean brand-new, off the lot, never driven, first owner. As exciting as this is, it terrifies me. What if I buy something that loses value in five years? Or it doesn’t have the features that are important to me? What do I do if I end up with a car that I hate? I’ve worked so hard to get to this point financially, and it’s a significant amount of money. I am afraid I’ll make a bad decision. There are so many options out there, and I don’t want to be fooled by luxury appeal or name-brand status. I am nervous to go on the lots and get swindled into buying something I ultimately won’t love. I just want a reliable vehicle that makes me feel proud of the hard work it took to achieve a purchase of this caliber.
Signed, Hesitant Driver
Hey Hesitant Driver, congratulations on the work it took to get here! Seriously, not everyone has the opportunity to buy right off the lot. I don’t know what struggles you’ve had to overcome to reach this stage in life, and I’m sure it wasn’t a smooth ride getting here. Whatever things you’ve overcome, you deserve to drive away in a sleek ride, feeling on top of the world. When deciding which vehicle to purchase, there are a few key factors to consider.
Sit down and create the following lists. The act of writing it down helps organize your brain and keeps you focused when you move on to the other stages of research. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the many options available and their flashy advertisements, so having a focused search criterion can reduce some stress while you move through this process.
First, consider the primary purpose of your vehicle. Do you commute daily, take long road trips with friends, or go to the mountains every winter for snowboarding? Do you need seating for four, plus each person’s backpack or sports bag? Do you have an adventure dog, camping gear, or a canoe? Do you frequently move furniture, or are you primarily an in-city solo traveler? Do you need to present yourself as a successful professional by working in the field, showing up in your vehicle visible to clients? This will help you decide what you value most: fuel efficiency, safety, technology, comfort, towing capacity, cargo capacity, driving performance, or style, to name a few.
The next question to ask yourself is about your budget. I never encourage people to become house or car poor, meaning you don’t want to spend so much money on a house that you can’t afford to furnish it, and you don’t want to buy a car that you can’t afford to fill with gas. Be realistic; you are probably qualified to buy more than you can afford. So sit down with the math, and don’t forget to research the average annual servicing costs for specific makes and models of cars.
Once you’ve made these considerations, you’ll want to create your lists: List 1: Clearly rank the values you’ve identified to help refine your priorities and guide your focus as you begin the fun part of your search. List 2: Identify which terms are nonnegotiables, such as “hybrid because of my long commutes,” “four-wheel drive because I am often on logging roads for my job,” or “must be lower to the ground so my dog can get in and out easily without hurting their joints.” Now identify some negotiables, such as “It’d be nice to have a huge sunroof so I can see the stars on long overnight road trips,” or “heated steering wheel to comfort those cold early morning starts.” List 3: I suggest using AI to assist in finding the makes and models to consider. Provide the AI with the lists you created, including your ranked values and budget. (For those not interested in AI as a helper, feel free to use your own preferred research methods to narrow down your options.)
Even if these don’t top your lists, make sure you pay attention to the reliability and value retention of the makes and models you’ve narrowed down. There are a few brands that consistently retain value due to their reliability rates. Be sure to check depreciation trends and reliability rankings for the current year’s models to get an idea. Surprisingly, luxury models often depreciate quickly, so being modest can pay off in this regard.
You should now have an informed list of vehicles to consider, with pros and cons of each to compare. But you won’t really be able to make a decision without sitting in each one and taking it for a test drive. You got yourself to this point. Don’t allow a salesperson to push, dominate, or pressure you; you are the one with the power here. It’s recommended that you make an appointment with each dealership, which will also allow you a moment to inform them, “I have an appointment at such-and-such dealership after this.” When a salesperson knows that you are coming prepared, they will often allow you the space you need. Be transparent and inform them upfront that you are only test-driving and not buying that day. Don’t rush yourself; take the time to really see the vehicle. Plan a route that takes you up a hill, on the freeway, around a bend, and through a neighborhood with roundabouts and numerous stop-and-go intersections. Sometimes, bringing a trusted friend is beneficial in keeping your energy grounded and balanced, helping you stay objective and assisting in a reality check afterward.
Focus on how the car feels to you, what your gut reaction is telling you. This is often overlooked, so take some notes directly after each test drive to review later. When you return the vehicle, don’t worry about giving feedback right away. Tell the salesperson that you’re still processing and are thankful for the opportunity to test drive. Obviously, be kind, but you don’t owe them anything. Here is my unconventional tip for managing follow-up pressure effectively: do not give out your phone number. I like to create a “spam” email address for times like these, so I can still access it when I decide, but the emails don’t clutter my personal or work inboxes.
When the time comes to sign those papers, take a moment to celebrate. You’ve earned this. Every bit of research, discipline, and patience is a reflection of how far you’ve come. The car is just a symbol of the real achievement… the person driving it.
Do you have a question for Ask Aarde? Email them to: Jdaarde@gmail.com.
