Take Us To Your Dealer…and get your tires in a row for a pleasurable car-shopping experience

For many, shopping for a car is not a pleasurable experience; definitely not like shopping for clothing. Or shoes. Or anything that isn’t a car, pretty much. Me personally,

I’ve always liked the hunt. I think it’s something about the research, which is actually the key, so allow me to fill you in on some crucial car-shopping tips as you hunt for your next vehicle.

Decide What Kind of Car You Want to Drive

There are so many choices! I’ll narrow it down to a versatile little list of some whips I’ve recently test- driven for your reading pleasure: the Nissan Versa Note, Infiniti Q60S, BMW 435i X-Drive, VW Jetta SE, Hyundai Tucson, and Audi A3.

The Versa Note is a tiny, urban car with surprising amounts of room, while the Q60S, 435i, and A3 give you performance and rail-like handling for the madman driver in all of us. Then you have the Jetta and the Tucson that live a more subdued life focusing on daily tasks and affordability. Whether you want a truck, SUV, CUV, sedan, coupe, or convertible, you need to decide the vehicles you want to test drive before going out to the dealers.

What Do You Love and Hate About Your Current Ride?


This is one of the most important things to figure out before you go shopping for your next car. For example, I love the Q60S’ power, but find the confined cockpit hard to live with for long periods of time. In the 435i, I like the control and high-tech feel of the interior. (On the minus side, the front seats have always seemed flat and a little stiff.) With the A3 2.0T, you have great performance and good trunk space, but no rearview camera. The interior space is ok for two, but tight for four. Then there are considerations like value for the money. The Tucson gives CUV buyers flexible space, and lots of available features, but won’t drive as crisply as the German Jetta, Audi, and BMW. Write down your loves and hates and make sure you review them after test-driving each new car.

A Lifestyle Vehicle or a Vehicle to Fit your Lifestyle?

This may seem like a strange concept, but vehicles like the BMW 435i XDrive and Infiniti Q60S are really lifestyle vehicles. They’re sports cars and their makers don’t apologize for the lack of rear seat room. That’s ok — owners are mostly after the performance and curb appeal. The Jetta and the Versa Note tend to fit the compact lifestyle owners are living. The Versa Note is a city car with a hatch that makes it flexible for storage yet easy to park and, frankly, more tolerant to city scuffs due to its lower price point.

The real key to changing car shopping from a blood-boiling experience to an adventure is knowing what you want. Most times, we’re pressured to find a car and constrained by budget, time, and availability. So my final piece of advice is to make sure you know your budget. Vehicles like the Audi, BMW, and Infiniti live in the $35K–$55K range. The Versa Note will be mid-teens, the Jetta starts just under $20K, and the Tucson will run you between $20-30K. So when you look at what you want to spend, my best advice is to narrow the search by testing only the cars that fit your budget. Enjoy the ride!