Millions of people buy cars every year across the world. Everyone has their own reasons for buying (or leasing). Some buy because they want to own the latest model, others because their older car is falling apart. But everyone who buys usually goes through the same emotional stages. You may not experience them in this exact order, but here are the ten emotional stages you go through when buying a car:
- Thinking about buying a car and then over-thinking about buying a car
- Browsing for cars online until it becomes a near obsession that consumes your life
- Nervously calling up dealerships to ask random questions at all hours of the day
- Finally, driving to the dealership to look at a car, but definitely stopping for a coffee on the way
- Curiously and carefully walking around the lot until you spot “the one,” and everything changes
- Going for a test drive where your personal feelings alternate between pure ecstasy and cautious optimism
- Sitting down to crunch the numbers and nervously hoping the payment works for you, but knowing that even if it’s a bit higher than you expected, nothing is stopping this train
- That moment of anxiety before you sign the paperwork, knowing you’re definitely signing but basking in the few seconds before you buy
- Starting the car you just bought and putting on your favorite music station with a huge, almost painful smile on your face
- Pulling out of the parking lot and feeling like a million bucks, heading to celebrate your new purchase at your favorite restaurant
