Buy new vehicle, trade in Honda
1/50: Buy a New Vehicle, trade in Honda
In November 2022 I cancelled a chemotherapy appointment with my husband because of the weather + road conditions. I immediately began asking questions about what a safer vehicle would be for the area that we live (in very hilly terrain) and for me as the sole driver. I purchased the 2017 Honda Accord we drove for the duration of our marriage back in 2016 before meeting my Mister and for whatever reason we left the car in my name for the entire time of our marriage.
It was paid off and a very reliable car. In fact, I thought I’d always be/stay in the Honda family. It was what was easy + familiar.
But, as Mark came to the end of his life, I became less focused on the vehicle - which he could no longer ride in - and a friend stepped in to do the heavy lifting for me. Her dad knows a lot about the car industry and buying cars and narrowed the list (to include my biggest concerns: safety + price) to three options. The options sat for several weeks before I finally went in to test drive the top option on my list; the 2023 Genesis GV80 in black.
While the salesperson looked for the key to test drive the one I thought I wanted, I started looking around the lot at a few of the other options.
The GV80 was a bit too much car for me. I knew I wouldn’t need three rows and that I’d be the sole driver and primary person enjoying the car. So, I started to shift my expectations to my reality…
The salesperson couldn’t find the key for the GV80 so we took the 2022 GV70 Sport (Winner of Best SUV Award for the Year) for a spin.
I got snatched!
What was supposed to be a day of test driving turned into me seeking input one trusted person, sharing the news with my son + lots of prayer for God to discern His voice in the whole thing. I drove the 40 minutes back home, cleaned out the Honda, grabbed the registration, title + verified that I had my insurance card in my wallet and returned to the dealership a couple of hours later ready to buy.
I’m not a great negotiator. It just sends me into a panic attack. And the small talk…Lord. Have. Mercy.
I had some numbers in mind as to what I’d hope to leave with and the sealed deal for me was the warranty they gave me as if it were a new vehicle (it’s pre-owned, one owner) and that the trade-in value for the Accord was almost $6K more than I’d anticipated going into the purchase. The experience of purchasing things like a car can make me feel taken advantage of + quite frankly, ignorant too. Instead of focusing on all of the anxiety of the process - because it was a 3.5 hour process - I chose to use the time to read my book, pray and share about God’s perfect love. This was the day before my 50th birthday, but I’m counting it as part of my “fifty at 50” list anyway.
I’m so excited about this gift and am eager to pick y’all up from the airport when you come to visit.
