We've Got A New Ride

As we were getting ready to start the car shopping process, Matt laid out the ground rules.  The only thing missing was a shirt that said "Coach", a whistle, and a clipboard.  

If you know me personally, then you are aware that I generally do not take direction or being told what to do well, or at all.  I am sure my husband and parents will testify to this, but we aren't going to ask their opinion on the subject.  However, he has bought and sold several cars and has more experience with this than I do.  

Add the fact I haven't had a car payment in 2.5 years and the thought of having a car payment was giving me heart palpations, I was fine with letting someone else take the reins.  My job was to follow his rules and find a vehicle I liked enough to drive for the next several years.

The Rules For Car Shopping

1. Ask as many questions about the vehicle as I want.  Make them show me how every single feature works.
     
2. Matt will handle the negotiations, which I was fine with because we already had agreed upon our budget and what we were looking for.  If I remember correctly, at one point during his pep talk he told me to "sit there and look pretty".  I'm pretty sure I smacked the last guy that said that to me, but since it was Matt, I let it slide.
     
3. I can never, ever say "I have to have this car" or "I love it and must have it".  And if I let it slip out, it had better not be in front of the salesman.
     
4. The reason I can never say "I have to have this car" is because I have to always be willing to walk away.
     
5. Remember, we are paying them and that means we are in control.

And then we high-fived.  I wanted to put our hands in the middle and yell "Go Team!" but Matt said no.  So I settled for a high-five.

Hello Minivan!

It took most of the day, several test drives, multiple nervous pees on my part but we finally found a vehicle we liked (2010 Dodge Grand Caravan) with a price we could live with.  Matt did a great job with the negotiations and we left the Mazda behind in our new minivan!

Minivans are not sexy, but they are affordable, practical, and I can open the sliding doors with a click of a button.  I'm definitely a function over form kind of girl.  I've noticed people are firmly in two camps: pro-minivan and anti-minivan.  I think my minivan is awesome, but I also realize they aren't for everyone.  To each their own.  

Do I still get surprised when I walk into the garage and see a minivan instead of the Mazda?  Yes.  I imagine this will go away after a few weeks.  Can I park the minivan between the lines on the first try? Not yet.  Can I back the minivan into a parking spot?  Uh no, I couldn't do that with the Mazda and its just not going to happen in the minivan.

Its an adjustment for everyone but I think we are all going to be very happy together.

Thanks to everyone who let me know that I am not the only one who has emotional attachments to their cars.  I appreciate you sharing your experience and it made me feel better about my reaction to saying goodbye to the Mazda.