How car shopping/buying is like dating/marriage

So... I got a new car. A 2013 Hyundai Elantra Limited. It's pretty sweet. But anyone that knows anything about this knows what a process it was for me to get this car. I test drove 10 different cars over the course of a few months. But then, even once I decided on the Elantra, more decisions had to be made. It really stressed me out... To the point that I wasn't really even sure if I wanted to get a new car. My current car (Squeekers, a 1998 Toyota Avalon) was fine. Sure, he had over 245,000 miles on him. And his turning radius was pretty awful. And the MPG definitely could've been better. But he got me where I needed to go. He was comfortable and spacious. And I had so many great memories with him. Why would I need something else? But I did get a new car. And somehow, I drew parallels to dating and marriage. (Am I a dork? Oh well.) So here are some of my observations about car shopping and buying. Not all of them may fit with the dating/marriage idea (and who knows how accurate some of these are, since it's not like I have much personal experience in dating or marriage), but I'm sharing them anyways. Because the idea of this post makes me smile.

For me, I had to do a bit of research before I started test driving. I had to figure out what was a must have for me (good MPG and cruise control) and what's nice to have (Bluetooth) and what I couldn't stand (truly compact cars... I need my space). But you can only research for so long before you have to start going on test drives. That's where you get some more invaluable information to add to these lists. Like I discovered that I can't stand uncomfortable seats... even if they're the back seats (I want my passengers to enjoy the trip, too). And I realized I liked sportier feeling cars. I got so used to my slightly clunkier Toyota Avalon, that I didn't really realize that steering could be a bit easier. And that was nice. Going along with that, I had to figure out what quirks I was okay with (a car not having the best suspension in the world) and what quirks I wasn't (ugly interiors). Some of those qualities are things I never would have figured out if I hadn't actually gone out with the car for a drive. Or I at least wouldn't have really known it mattered until I went on a drive.

Some cars you take on a test drive and you know immediately that it isn't a fit. This happened to me a few different times when test driving and I couldn't wait to get back to the dealership to either try a new car or go to a different dealership. The car was fine, but for some reason, I could tell it wasn't for me... though it'd easily be a great car for someone else.

Some cars sound good on paper and not in actuality. There were a few cars I was super excited to test drive since they sounded so good from my research. But once I was with the actual car... it wasn't right for me. And the opposite can also be true. A car may sound not-that-great on paper or based on your perceptions and stereotypes, but is great in person.

Test driving cars can actually be pretty dang fun. Though other times it's not as fun because you don't like the car quite as much as you wanted to. Oh well.

Unfortunately, there is no perfect car. But that's okay. You need to find what works and what doesn't work for you and find the best fit for you.

You may freak out when you find a car that fits so well that you then question if it could really be the right one- so you immediately try out some others. Um... this happened with me with the Elantra. After trying a few different cars and nothing working out, I was surprised how much I liked the Elantra. But that made me wonder if that really was the car for me. How could something fit so well? That couldn't be right. So instead of buying the car, I immediately wanted to test drive more cars. I was definitely overthinking things. (I apologize, future husband, for the fact that this most likely will occur with you.)

Not to make a post about cars spiritual or anything, but I definitely made the decision about my with my mind AND heart. It had to make sense in my head, but I also had to love it. The Elantra was the only car that fit that bill for me.

Sometimes the thing you fall in love with is completely different than you originally thought. Honestly, I didn't like the Elantra to begin with. I didn't really like its look and I was a bit weirded out my its handling to begin with (since I was super used to Squeekers). I pictured driving something more like Squeekers... except updated. But I ended up loving the Elantra.

Picking a car can require quite a bit of patience and perseverance. But it can still happen faster than expected. I got so frustrated driving and researching cars. I wanted to give up. But it finally worked out. And then I suddenly had a car that I love. Whoo!

Sometimes you just have to ignore what others say and go with your choice. I definitely had friends who tried to convince me to not get an Elantra. That made me doubt myself for a while. I took their advice into account, but ultimately, I had to do what was right for me.

However, sometimes you need to let others' opinions influence you. Sometimes others have a different perspective and can see something you don't because you're too close to the issue personally. They can also let you know when you're overthinking things. (I didn't overthink AT ALL with the Elantra *cough*lie*cough*)

Sometimes people know what would fit you well and sometimes they don't. My dad actually suggested that I try the Elantra when I first was looking at cars and I resisted. I eventually gave in and loved it. Another friend told me to try the Honda CRV. Hated it. Didn't fit me at all. (Moral of the story? I should listen to my dad... even if none of the blind dates he's set me up with have actually worked out thus far. Haha.)

Once you make a decision, you need to stick with it. I kept wavering with my decision about the Elantra. But without making a decision, I couldn't move forward. I was stuck. But I did move forward. And even though it was scary, and even though I was still freaking out about my choice for a bit after I got the car, it was a great decision. I'm so happy with it. And as my dad predicted, I am falling a bit more in love with it every day.

But it isn't necessarily all sunshine and roses once you get the new car. Though it's awesome, there are definitely adjustments. The cruise control isn't where you're used to it being. You can't quite figure out exactly where your seat and mirrors should be placed because it's not already fit for you like you're used to. You can't figure out how to adjust the temperature or how to connect your phone to the car's Bluetooth. And it's a pain to figure out new insurance polices and pricing. Bur you are able to figure it out eventually and grow used to it and love it. And, of course, there are also some fun, pleasant surprises. Like suddenly remembering you have a sunroof! Or using the seat warmers when you're cold. And basically realizing how spoiled you are by having such an awesome car and wondering how on earth you got to be so blessed.

Me in my car!

Outside of my car when it was at the dealership.

Inside of car.
Also... My Elantra still needs a name. Any ideas?