The Panicking Moment of Buying a New Sports Car
I Did Not Expect It
Time to Trade-In
My husband and I were thinking it was time to trade in my car. I usually know what I want and don’t waste time looking at anything else other than what I decided on. We prepared ourselves to transition into the new vehicle as smoothly as possible and avoid wasting too much time at the dealership.
Now that I no longer have little ones to taxi around, I figured I can get myself a sports car. I knew what I wanted and the color too. Most of the time, buying a new car is exciting. But for me, it was the contrary. I felt claustrophobic and panicked. Here’s my story:
My husband, as usual, was supportive and on board with my decision. In fact, I think he may have been more excited than I was. He, too, is a Fiat fan, and so we headed to our nearest Fiat dealership. We arrived at the dealership with a clear picture of the vehicle I wanted — a red Fiat 124 Spider. At first glance, I didn’t see a red one. But the sales associate, Brandon, assured us they could get one. In the meantime, he asked if we were interested in test driving another color.
Test Drive Experience
“Absolutely,” we responded. We were so ready that we had brought along our bank’s letter of approval. Our intention was to take that baby home on the same day. So Brandon left to pull up the vehicle from the back lot. Less than ten minutes later, there it was, nicely polished and waiting for us to give it a spin. Since I would be the owner, I drove the vehicle. Here is my impression of what happened next:
- I sat inside the vehicle and noticed the convertible top was very close to my head. Strike one — I did not like that.
- When I turn to place my bag in the back, it startled me to see a panel very close behind me. Strike two — no back seat.
- I wanted to adjust the seat to accommodate my long legs. Strike three — the seats are not moveable so no stretching my legs.
Panting a little now, I thought, “No worries Debbie. Relax, you will most likely get used to it,” and continued to drive. Once around the curb, I came across a parked pickup truck. As I passed behind the pickup, a horrific thought crossed my mind.
Oh dear, what if this pickup were to back up, the driver would not see me and possibly hit the car, I thought. “Oh, heck no!” I told my husband. The test drive is over. I don’t want this car.
Of course, Brandon could not understand what went wrong with the test drive. He tried to convince us to look at another option. But I only had the Spider in mind. Nothing else was calling my attention at that moment.
I’ll Stick to the Old
So here I am with my lovely, old, comfy Fiat 500L with the extra room between my head and the sunroof. Which has a large enough back seat; a comfortable heating and positioning captain chair; and the SUV is high enough to be seen by a pickup truck. I guess I won’t be driving a sports car after all.
