In just a couple of months my very first car that I purchased new, my Honda Civic, will be four years old! Well… four years old to me anyway. I don’t know what month it was manufactured in! When I bought my Civic I bought it with the intention of driving it forever… Well, forever as far as cars go. I figured it’d last at least 10 years before it made sense to replace it due to repair costs of maintaining an ancient car.
It seems I’m a rarity when it comes to car buying behavior. Most people, as soon as their car loan is paid off, buy a brand new car to replace the car they just paid off! I guess people like being in debt and having a car payment, but I’m not a normal person. I did wonder, though, if I’d get the new car itch after the first few years.
Am I Looking For A New Car After Four Years?
HECK NO! That’s the short answer. Do I like looking at the new cars everyone else is driving? Of course I do. New cars are fun to look at! In fact, I like old cars too. But that doesn’t mean I want a different car for me.
I carefully selected the car I bought four years ago to meet my long term needs. I bought a Honda Civic because it got great gas mileage, was a reliable car and it’d last me a long time. I thought ahead and bought the 4 door sedan rather than a 2 door coupe because I knew I’d need the extra doors when I started my family, which I hoped to do while I still own my Civic even though starting a family is still a few years away.
When I bought my car, there were other cars that I liked the looks of better, such as a Pontiac Solstice or a Saturn Sky. Of course, there were nicer cars I liked too, such as BMWs, but they were quite a bit out of my price range for a car. So what was my reasoning behind buying my Civic rather than another type of car?
Why I Bought And Will Be Keeping My Honda Civic
I view my car as a method of transportation. It gets me from point A to point B reliably and it does have a few creature comforts for the longer road trips, such as cruise control. However, I do not want my car to be a status symbol of how I see myself fitting into society. I don’t care how fast it can accelerate. I bought it to fit my transportation needs.
Will I ever buy another car? Of course! I don’t expect my little Honda Civic to last forever but I expect it to last at least another 6 years at this point. I might even buy another new car down the road, although I would definitely buy a used car if it is a better deal at the time. Unless I’m wealthy beyond my wildest dreams though, it won’t be a fancy car and will likely only meet my transportation needs for the next 10 or so years!
How often do you end up buying a new to you car? Do you buy new cars or used (new to you) cars?
Leave a Reply