How To Buy A Car With Your Spouse – Without Ending In Divorce
Adeina Anderson
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How to buy a car when your husband is a die-hard fan of one brand, and you love another.
Women buy 65% of all cars and influence the purchase of another 20%. This is about that 20%: The purchase that we decide on together, even though it’s my car. It’s a large purchase that impacts our budget and savings, my husband and I are both invested in making the right choice. Getting to that choice can be tricky, but it can be fun too.
I absolutely love my 2014 Jeep Wrangler Sport, but so many changes have been made in the last few years that when it came time to think about buying a new car, I wanted to find out more.
But when your husband is a die-hard GM guy, discussing a new car purchase can be hard, and convincing him to be open-minded about other auto choices can be tricky. He knows his cars. He watches all the auto shows on TV and constantly visits Youtube to see the newest and greatest choices and reviews. But this is my new car, and he as a guy, guys don’t always know what’s good for us gals.
This is what I learned that helped to keep waters calm between us so I got the car I wanted.
Start here: Research your purchase together.
Do Your Research With Your Significant Other
This is where the hubby can come in handy. I’m a simple girl. I want rugged and easy to use, and I want a CD player (why aren’t those standard anymore?) and I thought this would be easy to research. It wasn’t.
But my husband researched his last purchase for almost a year before he specially ordered his fully-loaded GMC Canyon. When we started to research my new car, he thought of a lot of things I might not have, and had some good experience navigating research sites, the manufacturers sites and dealership sites.
A Jeep Grand Cherokee I saw at an auto show sparked my interest; I test drove it on my journey. Photo: Adeina Anderson
Know What You Want: A Pros And Cons List Will Help
We started with a list, kind of a pros and cons list. Of course, most of his cons are my pros, and vice versa. Since we purchase new cars every 2-3 years we go through this debate quite often. And when we travel we study different autos – how they look, how they handle and most of all, what we both like about each car, truck, and SUV. So by the time we sit down to research a new car, we know what we want.
Tell Him What You Want, What You Really, Really Want! (I Really Want a CD Player!)
His ideas of what is necessary and my ideas of what is necessary are polar opposites. I mean seriously, I would be happy with crank windows as long as I have a CD player and great speakers.
He loves all the newest technology, from safety features like lane departure assistance and a rear view camera, and he loves the touch screens and the functions they offer. I love that he wants the best for me, but do I really need all that?
Further Reading: Is your car a dream car a match for you?
The Nissan Rogue I test drove. I liked this car a lot too, but it wasn’t perfect. Photo: Adeina Anderson
Check Out a Few Choices When It Comes To Buying a New Car
As a Jeep fan, I decided to branch out and look at the new Jeep Grand Cherokee. This was a hard choice for me as I absolutely love the ruggedness of my Jeep Wrangler, but I travel a lot, and gas mileage is a factor.
I branched out even further to check out the Subaru Crosstrek; I really have become a Subaru fan this year, and he has always been a Subaru fan, so this made him happy. Unfortunately, it didn’t have enough space for all the things that I take on my road trips.
I also decided to check out the new Ford Escape, though it seemed to have more cargo space, it just didn’t have the interior space I wanted.
The Nissan Rogue seemed to hit all the items I was looking for, and it was a strong contender, it drove nice, had great space, the price point was perfect, it even has the intelligent AWD that I wanted, but it just had to many blind spots for me. I really did like that one.
GMC Acadia – Photo: Adeina Anderson
Test Drive His Choice Too
To make him happy, I test drove the GMC Acadia.They have changed, he says. After the test drive, I decided it just wasn’t for me. Yes, there were a lot of nice changes and upgrades, but I didn’t like how they changed the exterior look of it.
I also added the Toyota 4-Runner to my list, though it’s a little out of my price range, but so is the Audi Q5 (also on the list). They were both amazing. The Audi Q5 had the most power out of everything I drove, and it had a cup holder that would cool or heat up your drink.
They were really cool, but the price point was a little out of my reach. The 4-Runner hit all the items on my list: cargo space, a roomy cabin, an SUV and a rugged feel, all except the price point.
The interior of the Jeep Grand Cherokee was nice– maybe too nice; I like a more rugged feel. Photo: Adeina Anderson
Do I Need All The Fabulous Features That He Thinks I Need?
Leather seats, heated cup holders, and amazing stereos, oh my. So many choices with each vehicle, how does a girl decide without letting her husband persuade her to buy what he wants in a car he won’t even be driving?
But this is a great place to listen. Remember, he’s a fan of all the car shows and magazines, so he studies what’s new and why it’s important. And some of these features, such as adaptive emergency braking, will not only prevent an accident, they can also improve the car’s resale value when I’m ready for my next car. And features like adaptive cruise control will make all the time I’m on the road a bit easier and less stressful.
The Ford Escape I test drove; while I liked it, it was too small for all my cargo. Photo: Adeina Anderson
The Test Drive: The Adventure Awaits
Test driving is the best part of this adventure: Feel the power of the engine, the comfort of the seats, and find the blind spots. And for me, space is a huge consideration. I need a lot of room for items that I haul all over the country.
As we head out on this journey to test drive what might be my next new car, MY new car, I make my list of what I am interested in, so he can go over it and give his two, or three or four, cents. Then, have your list ready and go when you head to each dealership so his enthusiasm for your purchase doesn’t overtake your mission.
Be strong when the salesperson comes out to help you. Tell him or her what you want and what you don’t want. Let your husband put in his opinion, but don’t let him make your decision. And make that clear to the salesperson.
And, don’t sit in the back seat on the test drive. Let your husband drive, of course, but be sure you’re up front the whole time so you can really see and feel the features of the car.
Dealing With The Salesperson When Purchasing A New Car
The best advice I can give you when you start to deal with the salesperson is to remember that you are in charge.
Don’t ever let the salesperson talk you into something you don’t want. More importantly, never let them make you feel like they are doing you a favor. Be strong and own the moment.
I go in with the attitude that I don’t need this car. I want it, but I can always buy it somewhere else.
If you are uncomfortable or just don’t feel sure about any part of the situation, walk away, and be ok with walking away from the deal. Believe me, all dealerships will have a deal.
Further Reading: Have you tried buying a car from Costco?
And finally–my new car! I ended up with a new Jeep Wrangler Sport. And a happy household. Photo: Adeina Anderson
Making That Final Decision
After test driving all my choices and a few of my husband’s choices, I figured out what I wanted.
So, what did I decide?
You guessed it: the new Jeep Wrangler 4 door in the Unlimited Sport Package. And, I love it.
Jeep changed the things I didn’t like about the last model, made it more fuel efficient and the sound system is amazing. There were enough great features to make my husband happy and the price point was perfect for both of us.
I even added a few things to make him happy, like an extended warranty. My favorite part is the tires and the higher stance that gives me a great view of the road.
My Advice On How To Buy A Car With Your Significant Other
Be open-minded and listen to your other half.
Check out the cars they like too; he’s trying to help you make the best decision.
You have to drive this car and be happy with your purchase, but also, you need to have harmony in the household and with the family budget.
And driving away in the car that is right for you and didn’t cause a battle between will leave you free to enjoy the ride.