Looking for my first car, I felt totally lost in a masculine world. I knew with $3,ooo, I wanted a car that was cute and would get me to and from work.

Little did I know the long journey to finding the car of my dreams.

Baby Steps

The first two car places I visited flatly told me it was impossible to find a car for my price range. Then, weighing the risks and rewards of buying from a private party, I decided to look at a car on Craig’s List. Needless to say, the car did not run at all! And the owner wanted 5,000 for the car.

Some Wise Advice

A close friend and car affection-ado offered me some wise advice. First, he suggested I look for the kind of car I want.

Looking at how much I commute each day to work, how much I can afford in gasoline, and how many trips to the beach in each year, I could calculate my yearly  milage rate. Then, taking this rate, (15,000 miles for me) I went to the EPA website. After entering the specific year and make of a car, this website told me its highway and around town gas mileage.A car with a higher miles per gallon rate (mpg) might be great, but also much more expensive. Driving about 15,000 miles a year, I’d need a car with a gas mileage of 22-25 mpg to save on gas.

The next two factors I looked at were reliability and overall engine performance. Since I’m not mechanically inclined and just starting out, I went for a standard Toyota or Honda. But be careful- my friend advised me Toyota and Honda aren’t always the best- sometimes it depends on the year, make, and model of the car.I researched consumer reports and Edmunds.com to find the most reliable and affordable models in my price range.

The Hunt Begins

I hunted on cars.com, autotrader.com, and Craig’s list for a car within my price range. I was tempted by a VW Jetta that had all of the specs I’d like- plus leather seats and a great stereo. I loved the car in the test drive. But then, before making the final purchase, I looked at the consumer report- and discovered poor reliability ratings for the model.

So I hit the pavement. Persistence and prayer are key here. Each Saturday for a month, I went to different auto stores, dealerships, and other places looking. Finally, after much searching, the perfect car found me- a Toyota trade in at a new car dealership. With one owner, my little car was immaculate- and at the perfect price too.

Closing the Deal

After I got financing, the car was mine. Well, not so fast- I’m a new resident in my state. And, before buying a car, you needed to have a in-state driver’s license. But, to get the driver’s license transferred, one needed proof of car insurance. To get car insurance, I needed a car.

So I settled on breaking the deadlock and bought a state-issued ID card. Then, to the lot and I drove home my new car. And, got my new in-state liscense.

No Fear

Now the thought of buying a car doesn’t scare me. Rather, it excites me. I learned that through knowing what I wanted, the right places to look, and a lot of persistance in looking, it would come.  Have fun shopping!