Car Shopping

We all come to that point in our life where we can no longer borrow or rely from our parents. Where we have to put on the big kid pants and make one of the first REALLY HUGE purchases ever. In our case - that big purchase is a car. We've been blessed to have two cars the entire time we have been dating and married. My parents bought me a car in high school - paid in full (thank you, thank you, thank you!!) - and I get to use it until it dies. Adam's parents have been loaning him and now us a car (thank you, thank you, thank you!!)- but sadly all good things must come to an end. Adam's youngest brother gets home from his mission next month and we are giving the car back. We could try and work it out with one car - but it might be difficult with my work and Adam's school in opposite directions. Plus... we are too accustomed - slash spoiled - to the two cars now.

via - The interior looks so sleek. It has a simple feel without
 looking boring. I love that each car comes with Satellite Radio
and Bluetooth capability.

So once Adam gets back to Utah... we are sort of in the market. What do you look for when you are buying a car? Do you look for features you love now? Or do you look for things that will benefit your future? So lets go through a few steps to buying a car.

Step One: SAVE YOUR DOLLARS! PLAN AHEAD.
I feel like this is a step that a lot of people miss. You see a car, you need a car, you buy a car... you take out a massive loan to buy a car? Pass... I am not huge on the whole debt thing. If you take the time to plan ahead you will be prepared to buy a car when the time is right. Adam and I are big on the 80-20 rules. We spend 20 percent and we save 80 percent. We are planning ahead for when we might need to purchase a car. Putting away the money into the bank now will save you from ruining your credit or tapping into your emergency money later.

STEP TWO: STAY IN THE BUDGET!
We all like those fancy cars. Ferrari. Wicked. Lamborghini. Siiiick. Porche. Awesome. I could go on and on... but will those awesome cars break the bank? Are they in the budget you previously set aside. If you have the money and a desire for a sports car - do it. But if your budget is $8,000 don't dream too big and don't look outside of that budget. A reliable car that wont get repo-ed is more important than a speedster.

STEP THREE: LOOK ONLINE - FIND THE FEATURES YOU LOVE.
Everyone has their must haves and who cars in a car. For me it is space, leather seats, a tush warmer (as long as I live in UT), automatic windows, A/C, and heat. For some people it is cup holders for their diet coke and a bomb stereo. What features are important to you? And why are they important. Here is an explanation for a few of my feature must-haves:

We are going to need to buy a car with lots of space. Adam and I are in a place right now that our lives can change at any moment. Right now we spend a lot of time with baseball. Adam needs a car that he can throw his gear in the back. A small car wont work for that. We need spacious storage. I need a car that I can feel comfortable driving for long periods of time so I can drive to Adam's games whether they are in Montana, California, or Nevada. Space is a big deal to me. Because I am not good at driving long distances... I want to be comfortable but I also want to be safe. I need to be in a car that control the road.

via - Look at all that space. The back row is optional. Fold it down
for family vacation. Pull it up for driving the carpool.

Space is also important because Adam and I are planning on starting a family within the next couple years - don't ask me when, I have no clue - but we are. We will need a car that can comfortable seat two adults, a child or three (with car seats), and all our luggage and gadgets. Also. To go along with the family - I need leather seats. Easy to clean for all the child spills.

STEP FOUR: NARROW IT DOWN AND SEE IT IN PERSON.

You have your features narrowed down. You have an idea of the model of car. Now narrow it down to a few picks and get out there and test them out. Go see them in person. Do you still love them the same way? If you don't - maybe you need to re-evaluate the features or make of the car. Head back to step three. If you do - great! Move onto step five.

STEP FIVE: PAY AND DRIVE.
Pay cash if you can. If you can't, make sure you have a reasonable month to month payment. And most of all, enjoy your car!

As for Adam and me... We have spent a lot of time looking around online and as we drive around town. Nothing too serious yet. We each have our favorites. But one car we can totally agree on is the Kia Sorento. So with baseball and our future family in mind - we've decided on a car for the future. Kia cares about safety and all of their cars come with a variety of features so you can find the car that fits your needs to the tee. The Kia Sorento seems PERFECT for what we need and what we want.  It has space, it has leather seats, it has a moon roof, it is an SUV, and I look dang good in one... don't you think!?  Are you in the market for a car? Do you have features that you prefer in a car? What car do you have your eye on? What steps would you include when searching for a car? 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Oh. And one more thing - GET READY for a giveaway later today!