Car shopping challenge drives me crazy

There’s a sad little Nissan Maxima in the James carport that has been on its last leg – or wheel, you might say – for a while now. It’s not too pretty to look at. It leaks oil. The front armrest is missing, there is a dent in the bumper, the sunroof sometimes opens at will, and if you open the door with a key, it panic honks until you unlock it with the clicker. These problems among others, coupled with the poor car’s 190K miles, have made the Nissan less and less desirable.

The worst problem is an ignition coil that needs to be replaced. You should feel the car spasm as it waits at traffic lights.

But despite all these issues, I’ve come to appreciate the Nissan a little more over the past few weeks. It’s my “bird in the hand.”

Car shopping is a pain in the neck.

It’s an experience that’s full of frustrating challenges: finding time to visit sellers in a busy schedule, trying to haggle the price, identifying potential problems that aren’t pointed out by the seller – and that’s when you can even find a car worth looking at, one that’s already in your ideal specs when it comes to year, mileage, style and price.

Cars that seem to fit the bill online don’t make as good of an impression in person. There’s rust under the hood, or the interior is unacceptable, or it makes a worrisome sound when you test drive, or it has a racing stripe.

I just don’t like racing stripes.

Three times now, a car we have liked online has sold before we could get to it. It’s mostly a matter of sellers not updating their online listings in a timely matter. Just add that to the list of car-shopping headaches.

Maybe we’re being too choosy. At the end of the day, I just want a reliable, well-functioning car – without too many miles, without any major problems, in my budget, that isn’t hideous.

Is that too much to ask?