Don’t Tell Me This Is Your Last Car

I hear it all the time. You hear it from people calling into the Car Pro Show. And when I was in the car biz, it happened all the time. Someone walked into my dealership, looked me square in the eye, and said, “Jerry, this is probably the last new car I’ll ever buy.”

I've been hearing those words for decades, and after all these years, I've learned not to argue. I just smile, nod, and help them find the right vehicle. The reason is simple: life has a way of changing plans. In fact, I've sold some people their "last car" four or five times. A few have come back even more often than that.

A lot of people start thinking about their last vehicle around retirement. The kids are grown, the house may be paid off, and they're finally reaching a stage where they can enjoy some freedom and spend a little money on themselves. They want something comfortable, dependable, safe, and easy to live with. Most of all, they don't want to make a mistake.

I completely understand that thinking. A vehicle is one of the largest purchases most people make, and nobody wants to go through the buying process any more often than necessary. But I've also learned that many people make a critical mistake when shopping for their so-called last car. They stop shopping for the vehicle that fits their life today and start shopping for a vehicle they think they'll own forever. Read that last sentence again.

That's where things can go sideways.

Over the years, I've watched people buy giant SUVs because they were convinced they'd be hauling grandkids around every weekend. A few years later, those same grandkids had sports, jobs, school activities, and social lives of their own, and that big SUV spent most of its time carrying one or two people. I've seen retirees buy low-slung sports cars because they'd always wanted one, only to discover that getting in and out of it became less enjoyable than driving it. I've watched people buy pickup trucks because they were certain retirement would be filled with home projects, camping adventures, and towing duties, only to find themselves using the truck primarily for grocery runs.

The vehicles weren't wrong for them. Their assumptions about the future were.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to prepare for every possible scenario. They want room for the grandkids, cargo space for vacations, towing capacity for a trailer they might buy someday, great fuel economy, luxury features, the latest technology, and a price that still lets them sleep at night. The result is often a compromise that doesn't really fit the life they're living right now.

I can't tell you how many times I've watched a customer drive away in what they swore was their final vehicle purchase, only to see them walk back into my showroom a few years later with a completely different set of needs. Sometimes health issues changed the equation. Sometimes a move across the country did. Sometimes a spouse passed away. Sometimes a new grandchild arrived. Sometimes they simply decided they wanted something different.

Life has a vote in these decisions, and it's usually the deciding vote.

The reality is that none of us know what the next ten years will bring. Health changes, families change, and interests change. Some people move closer to children and grandchildren. Others become caregivers for aging parents. Some discover a love for road trips, while others decide they’d rather stay close to home. I've seen people who swore they'd never tow a trailer become RV enthusiasts, and I've seen lifelong truck owners decide they'd rather have a luxury SUV. The point is that life rarely unfolds exactly the way we expect it to.

Vehicles themselves are changing just as quickly. Think about what was considered advanced ten years ago. Backup cameras were still becoming commonplace. Adaptive cruise control was a luxury feature. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were relatively new. Today's vehicles offer safety and convenience technology that seemed futuristic not very long ago. It's impossible to know what vehicles will look like ten years from now, which is another reason I think people put too much pressure on themselves when trying to buy their "last car."

Instead of asking whether a vehicle will still be perfect for the rest of your life, ask yourself whether it's right for the next chapter of your life. Is it comfortable? Is it easy to get in and out of? Does it have the safety features that matter to you? Does it fit your budget? Most importantly, will you enjoy driving it every day?

Those are questions you can actually answer.

I've had customers tell me they were buying their last vehicle in their early 60s, then come back in their 70s for another one. A few years later, some of them returned again. Were they wrong the first time? Not at all. They genuinely believed they had found the vehicle they'd keep forever. Life simply had other plans.

One gentleman bought what he called his final truck, only to decide a few years later that he wanted a travel trailer and needed something different. Another customer moved from a rural area into the city and suddenly wanted a vehicle that was easier to maneuver and park. One man who was absolutely convinced he was finished buying vehicles called me several years later because he wanted something easier on his knees getting in and out.

I've heard hundreds of versions of that story over the years. The details are always different, but the lesson is remarkably consistent.

That's why I always tell people the same thing: don't buy your last car.

Buy your next car.

Buy the vehicle that fits your life today, serves your needs well, and puts a smile on your face when you walk into the garage. If it turns out to be the last vehicle you ever buy, that's wonderful. But if life throws you a curveball and you find yourself shopping again a few years from now, don't worry.

You won't be the first person I've sold their last car twice. Or three times. Or even five times.

Photo:  Budimir Jevtic/Shutterstock.com.