MY OCTOBER 2026 BLOG
If you read my last blog, I wrote about not feeling well. I had a bad reaction to some steroid injections I received. I’m happy to say I am feeling much better with the help of a medication change and some lifestyle modifications. After that two-week experience, I decided to move ahead with purchasing a new couch with recliners. Next on my wish list was a car. We'd been putting both off for a long time. I hate making car payments, plus the increase in auto insurance. But life is too short to deny yourself the things you need and want. We purchased our new leather couch with recliners on Labor Day. We’re enjoying it.
In a previous blog, I wrote about my quest for a low-mileage used car. I wanted to buy a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid because I liked Toyotas and had owned four. The most current was a 2003 4-Runner. I bought it in 2008 from a small car dealer in Crested Butte, Colorado, where I lived. It had only 22,000 miles, and I drove it to almost 160,000 miles. So, I wanted to downsize to a Toyota RAV4, and the hybrid version seemed ideal for better fuel efficiency and lower emissions. When I started looking, RAV4 hybrids were selling for over $30,000, so I considered other options.
That made me look at other used hybrids on the market. The 2026 Hyundai Tucson caught my attention. Maybe a slightly used one would fit our budget. But even used, they were more than my budget could afford. I also looked at the Kia Sportage—still out of my budget. Typically, hybrids sell for around $7000 more than a gas-driven model. I had to rule out a hybrid.
My 4-Runner didn’t have any of the camera safety features of newer model cars, something I desperately needed. Long Island is a series of strip malls from one end of the island to the other. Driving in those parking lots could be a challenge. That was another motivation, as I wanted a safer, more manageable vehicle that suited my current lifestyle and health considerations.
I decided to stick with a traditional gas engine. A newer, smaller car would be an improvement over my 8-cylinder 4Runner. But even gas models cost more than I wanted to spend. I had read some negative reviews about both the Hyundais and the Kias. A mechanic also told me the Hyundai had engine and fuel injection problems. So, I ruled those out and decided that another Toyota was in my future.
A couple of weeks ago on a Saturday evening, I decided to go ahead and look for a car. I saw a 2018 RAV4 on Facebook in my price range with low mileage. I called the Toyota dealership on Sunday morning. It was such a good deal that the salesperson said, “It sold before we even had a chance to clean it.” But he had another nice 2018 with 64,000 miles for a price I could afford.
I told him I couldn’t come to see it until Monday. He asked where I live. I told him, and he said he could bring it to me. It was a rainy day, and he figured the showroom would be slow. The car turned out to be nicer than I expected. I took it for a drive and was impressed.
We concluded the sale in the parking lot in front of my apartment. They gave me $2000 for my 4Runner that went toward the purchase, and I put down a sizeable down payment to keep my payments low. It resulted in a small bump to my insurance. The salesperson handled all the paperwork: submitting my loan application to my credit union, registration, and notifying my insurance agent. It was the easiest car purchase I ever made, and the salesperson was great.
Monday, I went to the dealership with a certified check for the down payment, signed the necessary paperwork, and picked up the car.
I love the new car and feel it is much safer to drive.
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