At What Point Does a Car Stop Feeling New?

Maybe that's today for you, who knows? But you might be familiar with that feeling when nothing is necessarily broken or dirty, but your car no longer feels exciting. You're not being super careful not to shut the door too hard, and you wouldn't have a panic attack if you spilled your coffee over the floor.

Yep. That's what happens when a car doesn't feel new anymore. 

The odometer hasn't hit a high number yet, and there are no scratches on the paint, but that initial excitement has passed, and now it's just like driving any ol' car. 

When exactly did that happen? 

When You Stop Being Extra Careful

Let's go back a bit and think of that first moment when you drove your car from the dealership. 

You probably know that the moment you've driven that car off the lot, it loses a good chunk of its value, but did that bother you? Heck no. 

You had a new car, and you were ecstatic about it. 

You were so aware of every single bump in the road and every other car that got too close, it was insane. And when you had to park it, you chose the farthest corner possible because you were afraid someone might scratch your precious new baby. 

You probably even wiped down a clean dashboard that first week. So much that you could eat of it. Not that you would want to – you don’t want to get it dirty.

Why is that? Is it you just being pedantic? Or are you perhaps a closeted germaphobe? No, probably not. It’s most likely pride. That car’s YOURS. And you made that possible with your own two hands. And that feeling… It’s pretty cool.

But slowly, gradually, but inevitably, this starts to change. 

You stop taking the less busy roads simply so you don't get a rock chip, or to avoid a rough road. You see a bit of food on the flooring, but you’re like, “I’ll get it later”, instead of freaking out, pulling the car over at the side of the road, and having an emergency cleaning session. 

Then you don’t spend 10-20 minutes looking for the perfect parking spot. You even catch yourself taking your car to the car wash instead of cleaning your car with the most expensive microfiber towel and pH-neutral shampoo you could find.

When you notice that, it’s probably over. The honeymoon phase has passed.

Kinda sad, right?

It's not that you're neglecting your car. You're still keeping it clean, but a speck of dust no longer gives you anxiety. You've invested in a PPF wrap, but you know you'll survive a scratch (or rock chip) or two. You're comfortable in your car, and it's just another part of your daily routine. 

And you can't prevent this from happening because that's just how familiarity works. 

The Little Things That Change How Your Car Feels

If you're looking for some sort of a-ha moment that changes the way your car feels to you, that's not going to happen. The 'new' feeling kind of wears out over time, little by little, without you noticing it. 

It's like you wake up one day and the car feels lived in, not in a bad way, though, but in a good, 'I'm so comfortable here' kind of way.

Here are a couple of very common signs that your new car is no longer new.

When You Stop Listening to Every Little Noise

In those first few weeks, it's like your ears are working non-stop because every single creak is an emergency. As more and more time passes, however, that stops. You get used to the sounds, and you pay no attention to them anymore. 

And that's a good thing because you have to be able to separate a normal sound from something that could be potentially problematic. 

When You Don't Look Back Anymore

In the first few weeks, you'd double-check if you locked the door or not, and you'd take a moment to glance at the car just to admire it. You can't help it, it's just so shiny! 

And then one day, you don't look back. You're used to it, and now it's pretty much a way for you to get from A to B. It's still nice and shiny, but you don't feel the need to stop to look at it anymore (like you used to #sad). 

Conclusion

When you find yourself getting excited over your new pair of sneakers more than your car excites you, you might have a problem. We don't really want to go there, but somebody needs to say it – cars are like girlfriends (sorry, all offended girlfriends that hear this, but hear us out).

First, it's all exciting. You shower 10 times a day. You do your nails every 2nd day instead, only when you go travelling, or when you have a doctor's appointment.  You take in a new close. Butterflies. Everything you do together is super exciting. It's never going to end. And then it ends. Sure, you still love each other. But the super-intense excitement's gone. Does that mean you should get a new GF now? NO! Of course not. You love her, and you care for her still. 

It's the same with the car. Well, that needed to be said.

You can even go as far as saying that that 'new car' feeling doesn't really ever go away; it only changes – It becomes comfort and trust.

Is it exciting? 

Well, no. Not really. But wouldn't you take reliability over excitement any day of the week? 

You know, like, isn't it better to have something you can count on to do its job when you need it, rather than you just looking at it?

When you have this mindset, that 'new car' feeling only becomes a checkpoint on the road to what's WAY better – reliability.