My office is an easily bike-able mile from my house. And since much of my driving is for my kids and their carpools, in the last two decades, I’ve mostly driven Volvo wagons and mini-vans. But this time around, the allure of an electric car, and one with excellent range, was too much to resist. What I hadn’t predicted was that I was buying an undeniable luxury car.
My wife and I were enchanted with the car as we drove home from the dealership. When I picked up the kids, I was full of self-assurance and pride. “Look, kids. This car does everything – wait till you see it park itself!” And indeed, the car did park itself, and unlocked the doors for me as I approached. It even drove itself, allowing me to eat lunch in a rush or quickly check emails on the big screen, knowing I could reasonably trust the car would not run us off the road.
However, buyer’s remorse quickly set in. As I turned into the driveway on that initial drive home from the dealership, I could hear the car’s bottom scraping on the pavement. (Not a pleasant sound.) I called the company and they explained that the car is longer (and lower) than our past cars. “But the scraping won’t hurt the car,” they said.
Then my kids told me they preferred that I drive the 10-year-old minivan with the unreliable air conditioning for carpool. It embarrassed them to be seen in such a fancy car.
Then there was the fact that the car sat in the garage for days at a time because neither of us wanted to take the car on short outings for fear of it getting dinged. And did I mention the 1-hour drive to the closest service center?
Yes, it really was the “best” car I’ve ever owned, but it wasn’t right for us.
I called my friend on the day we returned the car and he thought I was insane to give up a car above all others. “Besides, you can afford it!” he rationalized. But I disagree. Some things are just too precious to be fully enjoyed. What we do enjoy is our freedom from the proverbial albatross around our necks. My next purchase: an electric bicycle.
Thinking of getting rid of your car altogether? Follow the journey of one of our advisors who is learning first-hand the benefits and disadvantages of being car-free for a year.
