During my senior year of college, I moved out of the campus dorms and rented a house with a group of friends. The house was about three miles from campus, which is a pleasingly short drive but not a reasonable trip to take by foot or even by bike during the snowy winter months. A few of my housemates already had their own vehicles, but we all had different schedules, and working out a complicated borrowing and carpooling schedule seemed like a great way to stir up even more drama than we were already signing up for by living in such close quarters. The answer was obvious: it was time to get my own car.
This wouldn’t have been my first car, per se. When I first got my license in high school, my parents got me a used VW Jetta. I was on a Buffy kick at the time, so the car was dubbed the Slayermobile (complete with a custom sticker splayed proudly across the hood). It got us around town just fine, but it was distinctly old. That was fine for little trips around sunny Southern California, but if you have the funds to upgrade, it’s not the kind of thing you would want with college credits on the line in snowy New York.
So this was to be my first (and, to date, only) brand-new car of my very own. As to the shopping experience, I’m afraid I can’t pass on much wisdom. You see, my father spent his entire above-board career (leaving out some cash-under-the-table gigs from his hippie years) in the car industry. By the time I was born, he was a manager at a Honda dealership and had kept that job up until his retirement. So it simply didn’t make sense for me to haggle my way into a car for the first time on my own; even though he was a country away, I was much more likely to get a good deal by letting him iron out the details for me over the phone.
Early Days Behind the Wheel
In the end, I wound up the proud lessee of a black Honda Civic. (At the end of the lease period, I bought it out and switched to a loan; today, I’ve fully paid it off and hold the title free and clear.) The base LX trim was good enough for me, an automatic transmission was all I knew how to drive, and “sedan” was the body style I wanted; for my purposes, a securely sealed trunk is simply more useful than an open cargo area in the back. I continued my tradition of naming my cars and called this one Carlysle Ravencastle, Dark Husband to the Midnight, after a vampire character in one of my favorite podcasts. (CARlysle—get it??)
Having that car was immediately rewarding, not only for getting me to and from classes but also for allowing me to get odd jobs, explore more of the Hudson Valley, and go on memorable road trips. While I lived in New York, I worked at a casino, a haunted house, a murder mystery company, a small documentary production studio, and a carnival-for-hire run by the father of one of my favorite Broadway performers, and having that breadth of interesting work experience was a great introduction to the so-called “real world.”
During the spring break of my senior year, I decided to drive to Wisconsin on my own to see The House on the Rock, and taking that solo road trip taught me a lot about traveling independently. Spending miles behind the wheel during an icy March, I was glad to have a new car at my command, and I had a lovely trip with no incidents.
Here, There, and Everywhere
A year after graduation, I decided to move back to California. My mom and sister flew out, and we all drove back together in the Civic, making memories along the way. Since then, I’ve developed a taste for road trips. Glancing up at the scratch-off map of America above my desk, I can see the roads I took to visit friends in Seattle, go to my sister’s law school graduation in Michigan, and storm Area 51 in relatively nearby Nevada.
In all of these trips, I’ve only ever experienced car trouble once, and I can’t even really blame it on the Civic itself. The tire pressure system warned me that there was an issue during a stretch of desert highway where exits were few and far between, and the tire blew out shortly after. (I’m forever grateful to the CalTrans employee who helped us with the tire change.)
How I Feel About It Today
Just about a decade later, I’m still happy with my car. The only thing I would have done differently, if I could go back in time and push harder for what I wanted even then, was to choose the then-available hybrid powertrain. But for a traditional gas-powered car, the Civic is certainly an efficient choice, and long road trips tend to take me through parts of the country with lower gas prices.
As touchscreens have become ubiquitous in car cabins, I’ve actually started to dread the day when it will be time to move along to a new model. Hopefully, one day, an automaker will create an EV that uses fully tactile knobs and controls that are easy to operate on muscle memory without taking your eyes off the road. Voice commands are great, but because they interrupt my music or podcast by necessity, I wouldn’t want to be forced to rely on them for everything.
A Few Words of Wisdom
So, what advice would I give to folks buying a car today? Well, if you’re nervous about the shopping process, request guidance from a friend or family member who has more knowledge or experience; it can make a big difference to have an ally in your corner if you’re not a “car person” by nature. If you don’t know anybody versed in car purchases, though, you can certainly acclimate by reading a few articles here to help you learn the lingo and find out what’s out there. The more information you have at your disposal, the better you’ll be at making a decision.
I would also recommend sticking to your budget. Features like heated seats and ambient lighting can be great to have, and I certainly can’t say I don’t envy my friends who have them from time to time, but in my experience with having an entry-level trim, it’s worth sticking to the basics to avoid the stress of having a massive loan hanging over your head. You can always upgrade later if your financial situation changes down the road.
Finally, the most important thing you can do before choosing a car is to know yourself. Don’t worry about off-road features if you’re not outdoorsy, and don’t concern yourself with performance specs if all you need to do is commute; get a car that fits your lifestyle and your needs. If you love a good road trip, for example, you’ll want a fuel-efficient car that’s notoriously reliable and will serve you well for ten years and tens of thousands of miles (and counting).
