I know it may sound strange, but I have never taken a car out for a test drive.

In our early married years, I refused to drive a big car.  I had learned and grown comfortable on small cars and that is where my comfort level stayed.  Once that second child arrived, however, we happened to be in a van on vacation with the whole family.  I was taken with how comfortable – and necessary – the extra space felt.  And so, right there on the spot, I decided that when we arrived home, we would buy a minivan.

Bill was onboard with the idea – but when it came to shop, I refused to take a test drive.   Bill took it out first, listened to the engine, checked the handling, and gave me his honest opinion. He is a car guy, after all. For me, that was enough to make the decision.  With my strong preference for small cars, however, Bill was very convinced I would never drive our new car.  He was wrong.

Personally, I prefer my first drive to be quiet and mine alone—no salesperson talking, no one  commenting, no pressure to react. Just me, the road, and the chance to get to know my new friend on my own terms. 

I drove that minivan into the ground and much to my husband’s surprise, as we bought new cars, continued to encourage us to move up in size.  Of course, my record of zero test drives remains intact.