(no subject)

[nilchance]

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives."
~ Henry David Thoreau

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I am willfully trying not to freak out. My car (my 1995 Toyota Corolla BABY) was rear-ended by a student, and poor T was driving, and don't think THAT doesn't freak me out a little; if I get hurt, it's one thing, but if T gets hurt there's a serious risk to her spine.

So yeah, my car will probably be totalled, and I will have to go AUTO SHOPPING, and this is a deeply adult scary thing that is making my heart race as I think about it. I need an Ianto to deal with all my administrative day-to-day bullshit.

Meep.

Comments

[poisontaster]

Both my cars I bought used from family members, so I don't have a lot of useful advice, alas, but I would say that you should have a good idea of what kind of car you want (size, price, mileage, maybe even brand) before you even start shopping. And then stick to what you want. Don't let yourself get talked into more than you want or need by a salesman who's eager to up his commission.

Also, be prepared to walk away if the dealer can't or won't give you what you want. It's a sad and aggravating truism that car dealers deal differently with women than they do with men.

[jedidiplomat]

Ouch! I hope T's ok!!! As for car shopping start by just looking at the dealership. If they're NOT carmax (who I personally think are bastards but your milage may vary) go on Sunday when the lots are closed. Look around without the pressure. If you find something you like, look it up online. Kelly's Blue Book and carfax.com are great places. Once you get a price range, test drive a few. Don't be afraid to tell them exactly what you are and are not looking for. If you're getting used, and have a garage you trust, ask if you can have them look it over. If the dealer won't...walk.

I thankfully had my brother, who is an amature mechanic who went with me. He was quite blantant about what I wanted and didn't and wasn't afraid to tell the guy, "SHE'S buying the car, I'm just here to make sure she's not ripped off. You might want to talk to her, cuz she gets pissy about that."

Oooh, and my brother and I looked at the dealerships online too, to narrow down if they had the car I wanted instead of going there and having them push a car on me. That way I could print out their info about the car and go and say "I want to test drive this one and only this one."

Good Luck!!!