Daltono Seperator.png

It's about time for a new car 🚗💰

If you've been keeping up with my blog recently, then you know my car is getting up there in age. I drive a 2009 Audi A4 with over 167k miles on it. It still goes just as well as the day I got it and I love it tremendously, but it has recently become somewhat unreliable. Nothing is inherently wrong with the car, but things have started to break since it is so old. From where I drive daily for Instacart now, I don't want to keep pushing my luck any longer than I have to with my current ride.

I'm not in a rush to purchase a new vehicle, but I am on the lookout for the perfect car for me. Cars are one of my favorite things, so choosing the ideal match for me is very important. I've only owned two cars, both stylish and fun to drive. I don't want to break that streak of having a badass car, but I also do not want to break the bank.

15 years of driving has allowed me to determine what things I find most important about a car. I wanted to lay it all out here in a blog. This will allow me to refer back to it, but also might help somebody else looking to purchase a new car

Here is a list of things I am looking for in my next car...

1. Low Mileage

This is the main reason I want to switch from my current car. The older a car gets, the bigger the risk that parts will fail. I bought my current car used with about 56k miles on it. Ideally, I'd be able to stay under 75k with my next car. I wouldn't be opposed to slightly higher if it were close to perfect in every other way, but I definitely do not want anything much more than 90k miles.

2. Stylish and Mod-Friendly

As a car enthusiast, I can't help but begin to drool when I see or hear a cool car. I know how good it feels to do that and I like being able to give other people the opportunity to do the same when they see me driving. It's not about impressing people to me, but showcasing something that I love and letting others appreciate it. Japanese cars seem to be the most mod-friendly, however, European cars can be too, albeit more pricey usually. My first move is usually getting a new set of wheels to make my car stand out. After that, the possibilities are endless.

3. Four Doors

Although I prefer the look of a two-door coupe, it's just not as convenient as having four. This is especially important because, with my Instcart batches, I sometimes have as many as three orders at once. Having a trunk, back seat, and front seat makes it easy for me to keep everything separated. I would hate to have to fold the driver's seat forward every single time I wish to access the back seat to fill it with groceries. It's also just nice to have extra seats in case I ever have to have more than one person in the car with me at the same time. I prefer something like a sedan, wagon, or hatchback. I don't really want an SUV because I enjoy being low to the ground when driving, but there are a few SUVs I'd consider such as an Audi Q5 or something similar.

4. AWD Drivetrain

This isn't essential, but I've grown to love AWD systems. My first car, a 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse, was FWD and struggled in the snow and didn't always handle exactly how I hoped it would. My current car has Audi's Quattro AWD system and it handles so damn well. The snow hasn't ever been an issue either. I've trekked through some pretty big snowstorms in my Audi with no issues. I would still drive FWD or RWD, but if I had it my way I'd get something else AWD.

5. Fun To Drive

This is so huge for me! A lot of people just do not understand why this matters to me, but that's most likely because they didn't fall in love with driving at a young age. Most of the men in my family are obsessed with cars and love going fast. It's the same with me and it would crush me to get stuck in a turd that can't even accelerate quickly as I get on the interstate. I'm not a reckless driver, but I need a car that is meant to be driven hard.

6. Fair Price

Obviously, price matters a lot. I do not have infinite money yet, but probably will one-day thanks to HIVE. Until that day comes, I still have to manage my finances. My price range right now is somewhere between $13k-$22k. The lower the better of course, but for the right car I'd be willing to pay more as long as I knew it'd last me a long time.

7. Nearby or Cheap Delivery

It would be most convenient for me if the car was available to purchase somewhere less than 50 miles from me. I will extend my range to 100-200 miles to see what options there are, but it is less likely that I'd be willing to travel to buy my next car. Then there are options such as Carvana and CarMax. Sadly, my location doesn't have one of these types of places, so I can't get it delivered straight to me as easily. Most of the time they want you to drive to the nearest location. Although they will bring a car from the other side of the country, they won't bring it right to my house.

8. Modern Tech

This isn't as important to me as you'd think. As much as I love tech, I don't need a lot of it when in the car. As long as I have Bluetooth and a solid sound system with a subwoofer, I'm happy. I use my phone for navigation, I refuse to trust a backup camera, and I don't need a bunch of extra safety features. It would be nice to have Apple CarPlay, but even that is something that is not an absolute must. Adaptive cruise control would be cool too, but again not a must since I don't take a ton of road trips. I'd prefer something 2013 or newer, but the closer to 2023 the better.

9. Decent On Gas

Since my job involves so much driving, it is wise to consider how good my next car is on gas. I don't want to spend more than I have to at the pump. I'm already paying for Premium gas, which I'm okay with. I do not however wish to have to start filling up my car more than once a week. I'd love for my next car to get a minimum of 25mpg on the highway, but anything over 30mpg would be amazing. I don't want a hybrid and I have zero desire to go electric.

10. Plenty of Cargo Space

This one didn't matter to me years ago, but once again Instacart factors in here a lot. If I don't have the room to store all of the groceries that I will be delivering, then it will impact how much I can earn drastically. I love that my current back seats fold down and allow me to have a gigantic trunk. It is hugely beneficial when it comes to packing things like a giant canopy for a beach trip. I could probably deal with a car slightly smaller than my A4, but nothing super tiny. I also don't want something too huge, boy, I am picky.

That's where I stand as of now 🏁

No, I do not expect to find a car that meets all 10 of my requirements. I know the market doesn't always give you exactly what you want. I do think that it will be good for me to focus on checking as many of my boxes as possible.

Not everyone has the same desires as me when it comes to what they drive, but I have a feeling many other car enthusiasts will be able to see where I am coming from here.

Wish me luck finding my next car. I'm excited to see what I am able to get behind the wheel of next.