Brigitte Ortiz | THE RIDER
I purchased my first car the summer before my first semester in college. I did not know what I was getting myself into. All I knew was I needed a car to get to and from school.
My parents guided me and tried to help me make the right choice. The process was long and stressful. One day, you see a car and start imagining yourself in it, driving and going places, and the next, you find out the car was sold. You start to lose hope and patience.
I was not working at the time, so I was looking to buy a car in cash, but almost every used car has something that needs major fixing. I had found one that was low on miles and, basically, worked fine. It was perfect for a college student just needing to get to school and back. Or so I thought.
The car gave me issues that were starting to become expensive to fix. So recently, I decided to get my car fixed and cleaned up to sell it. Although, I am not excited to go through the process of car shopping again.
From my first experience, I have learned to take my dad, or someone who knows about cars, with me to check any mechanical issues, such as the year and model, mileage, tires, the amount of space, the brakes or any other potential problems. All of these factors can make or break your purchase.
Car shopping is stressful and time consuming. To find the right car, you will need to do a lot of research and have patience. Maybe go to different dealerships and see what they offer you.
I have recently been in contact with different dealerships to try to get the best offers but even then, dealerships are all about business.
I don’t have any previous experience with dealerships, so I did not know about a co-signer or how the annual percentage rate worked. It was intimidating, and I backed out so many times. You learn that this is a long process that takes a couple of weeks, or even months. But in the end, you will find it rewarding financing or buying your own car.
