My very first car that I purchased on my own was the GEO Storm...a little 2 door sports car that looked like a toy. Everytime I saw it on the street, I took a second look. Although I was a novice driver at the time, I liked the fact I could buy it at the Chevrolet dealership down the street from my office. It was also close to home. I could "buy" it, drive it 5 blocks to home and it would be easy. The year was 1991 - and I walked in on my own and did exactly as I imagined. I paid cash and a week later, the car was ready for delivery. I had it all set in my mind. I would make sure the car was facing the right way...towards my home and in my head, imagined driving it straight into my indoor garage. Sure enough, the car was facing the correct way. Yay but then the salesman threw me a curve. He happily told me that I would get a free tank of gas and we needed to go to the gas station. A gas station in an area I wasn't all so familiar with (it was only a few blocks away but to me it could have been on Mars!) I panicked and even told him I didn't want it which, of course, puzzled the poor man but then I asked the salesman to make the drive and pump the gas! Which he did. Quite funny to think of it now. I made him drive the car back to exactly the same spot where he started from and then shooed him on his way! Taking a deep breath, I got behind the drivers seat and looked at all the dials and doo-dads and gingerly started the car up and moved it along its way. I might have held my breath the whole way home and parked it in the indoor gagage and left it there! Less than a year later, it was stolen and I replaced it with a souped up model of the same car, same blue color. It did serve me well and everyone in the neighborhood knew me with this car. When I finally got rid of her the beginning of this year...she was almost 20 years old and had less than 80,000 miles on it. That's how much I drove. But she still looked pretty cool.
Stock photo but very similar to my Storm
1999 led me to another head-turning car. The Mitsubishi Eclipse. I loved the way this car looked. I heard it was known as a lady's sports car. Once again, I went to buy the car on my own but now I was abit more experienced in driving. I found a dealership in Queens that I needed to take the subway. Again, within a week, my car was ready for pickup. I drove it out of the shop with much more confidence. The Eclipse was totally me. I loved her alot.
But as with all cars, they grow old. And my poor Eclipse had been through alot this past year with the accident. Last week, her transmission was needing some fixing and I knew it was time to put her to pasture. And as much as I am a sports car kind of girl, I am also getting older (ugh) and have to think more practical and less frivolous. Darn! So it was with all that in mind, that I settled on the Honda Civic. The 2 door coupe would have been more to my liking but I went with the 4 door.
I found the Honda dealership near me and for the third time, purchased the car on my own. But this time, I walked in at 11am and drove a brand spanking new car out at 5pm! Amazing! She drives like a dream and is a beauty. All in all, my passengers will be the happiest riding in the roomiest car I have ever owned!
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