Owning and Taking Care of Your First Car

It’s been 1 year since I purchased my first car. I still remember like yesterday: I got two vaccines from the doctor’s office on that same day ! And with those two sore arms and sore shoulders I became inspired to look for my first car.

Discerning Between
What’s Important and What Isn’t

So, you wanna buy your first car? Let’s talk about that initial contact you will have with a dealer. First, negotiating with dealers is not easy. I wouldn’t push the sale price down further than $1,500. You don’t have to do this all on the same day — don’t be like me ! Have a conversation with one salesperson, inspect the car for yourself & come back another day if you wish.

The first thing you want to do is look at your budget–how much are you willing to spend? Then–here is the magic trick–find one car that fits your needs AND COMPARE THAT one vehicle with other dealerships in your neighborhood.

ONE COMPARISON: CHEVROLET 4-DOOR SEDANS

Let’s take the most basic examples here: 2016 to 2019 designs by Chevrolet. During those years, one model for Chevy could have several upgrades. Here’s a chart to explain it for you visually:

Sonic	Trim #1	Trim #2	Trim #3
Impala	Trim #1	Trim #2	Trim #3
Malibu	Trim #1	Trim #2	Trim #3

Every Chevy Sedan has specific sub-models. Above, you see I wrote Sonic, impala’s, etc. Sub-models, AKA Trim Levels, greatly define how the car performs. So, there is a clear hierarchy inside of each company. And of course, with hierarchy comes a change in its price.

Whatever you do, you should compare how much it will cost you to do the same thing at different locations. That’s the rule of thumb !!

Appreciate your car as much as you can. The less you change about it & allow it to run on its motor the more money you’ll save. If it’s not necessary don’t do it. If you have some basic questions, ask your neighborhood auto parts store or mechanic.