Economy

I will say this: that in the many years I've been purchasing cars (first one was a '59 VW Beetle -- convertible -- purchased in 1967) there has been a huge change in the information out there. In the 1980s, when my husband and I bought some cars, we'd go to the dealerships of car companies we considered reliable, and try to figure out what they were saying.

Once the internet became a thing, we could go on line and check out everything.

Here's another tip. If you walk into a dealership, even if it's your favorite car company of all time, and you don't feel comfortable, leave. There are plenty of other dealerships out there.

I was involved in the purchase of eight cars in something like three years. Needing a new car. Cars totalled. More of those than I wish to remember.

Late one night my husband and I got the phone call all parents dread. It was our younger son. "It's okay," he said. "No one was hurt but I think my car was totalled. It was not my fault." He was right. His car was totalled, and since he was due back at college in Oklahoma (we lived in Kansas) in about a week, there was a time crunch. We looked at lots and lots of cars, he test drove many, and we did find a car for him. The day we were to pick up that car, his older brother headed out to get himself lunch, called me seven minutes later to say, "I've just been in a car crash, and I think my car was totalled, but it wasn't my fault." The accident was about three blocks from our house, so I went over there. He was right. Not his fault, his car was totalled. My first thought was, "I know where every single stick shift car is in our area." He was likewise returning to college, and we were able to find a car for him in the very limited time we had. If you are in the Overland Park, KS, area, I will happily tell you about the many dealerships and one independent used car lot that I like.

I will say that those two purchases are only the tip of the iceberg. Which is why I'm fearless about buying cars. Most people buy one every three or five or seven or more years. Purchasing so many in a short time was in a way, wonderful. Even though it had been a while, when I went to purchase my Fit a few years ago, I wasn't bothered or intimidated by the process.