Everyone, this is Bandit. He’s a 2020 Kia Rio5 and, despite my dad (and most men) hating his maker, I love him! (See, he really is a bandit! But that’s not where his name came from…)
In March 2020, I was in the middle of the biggest spending spree of my life. You know the one I’m talking about. Remember when I moved into my own place, bought all new furniture, went on a couple trips and put everything on credit? Yea, that spending spree. Well, right in the middle of it, I decided it was time to buy a car.
At that point, I had been without a car for just over 2 years. Roxy, the 1999 Hyundai Excel I learned how to drive on, died in my college’s parking lot and I couldn’t afford to fix her for the umpteenth time. So, I became a girl who took the bus. I took 2 busses to school, 1 bus to work after school and 2 busses home from work. It’s safe to say I spent at least 90 mins. on the bus every day.
In March 2020, I reached a point where I just couldn’t take the bus anymore. Call me spoiled but the freedom that comes with having your own car does, in fact, have a price. After a month of researching and test driving, my price was $17,764.60 (interest and taxes included). And it’s been worth every penny.
Sure, I probably could have spent between $5-10,000 for something used. But at what extra price? Would it breakdown? Need any parts replaced? Leak oil? Need constant trips to the mechanic? No thanks. I am reminded of why buying a new car was the smartest decision for me, on an almost daily basis. Here’s why:
1. The Price
After putting $2,500 down, I financed $15,264.60 over 5 years. And that includes the 1.9% interest rate which totalled only $709 over the term of the loan. If I had bought a used vehicle, I still would have had to finance and at a much higher interest rate. This way, I make payments of $117.42 bi-weekly, so it continues to stay affordable. Yes, that means I’ll be making payments for another 2 years, but I’m happy to pay that small bit of interest for minimal stress.
2. The Gas Mileage
I have learned with this car that what it says on the sticker is a lie… but I do get great gas mileage out of Bandit. We’ve driven up our mountainous island and back (400+ km) for less than $30. I remember paying $35+ for 250 km’s in old Roxy. Oh, Roxy…
3. The Maintenance Fees
I don’t know what other dealerships charge for oil changes, fluid changes, tire rotations, etc. but it feels like I’ve been getting it done for free. Ok, not seriously. But in 3 years, I’ve only paid about $225 for 4 visits to the shop. Who can argue with that!?
4. The Warranty
Kia offered the best warranty of all the dealerships I shopped around at. I have 5 years of coverage on basically every part of the car, up to 100,000 km (60,000 miles). Today is our 3-year anniversary and I’ve only put on 32,000 km (19,880 miles), so I don’t think I have anything to worry about there. Oh, and I’ve had to use the warranty once, to get new door handles. I’m sure they wouldn’t have been expensive, but it was nice to get them put on hassle free.
5. The Security
Oh, my goodness, why did I save the worst for last? I am a huge dork and thought about a lot of things when I purchased this car: airbags and how easy it would be to get a child in and out of a car seat included. Clearly, I’m nowhere near that stage in my life but I knew whatever car I bought would be mine for a long, long time.
My mom bought Roxy brand new in 1999. Despite not working for a couple years, my dad eventually fixed her up and drives her all over town now. She’s 21 years old and still zips around like she’s 5. On top of being one of the top-rated cars that year, I bought a Kia because it’s owned by Hyundai. And if my mom can get 21 years out of Roxy, I am positive I can get at least 15 out of Bandit.
So, there you have it. I bought a brand-new car in 2020 and don’t regret anything about making that decision. And if I ever did regret it, I’m sure the heated seats would try to change my mind again.
Oh wait. You want to know how Bandit got his name? I think it’s one of those you-had-to-be-there moments… One of my girlfriends and I went up to Courtenay, B.C. for a weekend, to visit a friend. On the Saturday morning, we decided to go snowboarding. We drove my car to the ski hill’s bus stop and left it in a random parking lot. Probably still out of it from the night before, I said, “Car, if you can fight off parking tickets and tow trucks, and be here for when we get back, your name will be Bandit.”
Needless to say, we found him in one piece.
