As some of you have in a previous post, I bought a used 2017 Toyota Corolla a few weeks ago. My intent is to keep it well-maintained, something I did not do with the 1994 Honda Accord that I drove for many years.
For the Corolla, I’ve already cleaned the windows with a glass cleaner and applied a rain repellent. At least to me, when the water beads and runs off the windows, it’s way easier to see when you’re driving in the rain.
I’ve also bought a few things that are good to have if you’re a car owner. First, I bought a cordless vacuum that I can easily bring to my car. I live about 20 floors away from my car, so it would be a pain in the ass to haul my plug-in vacuum down to the parking garage. I’m also not sure where I would plug it in. I never vacuumed the interior of the Accord and I was pretty embarrassed at how dirty it was inside when I traded it in at the dealership. Once a month, I’m now gonna vacuum up the floorboards and the seats to keep everything nice and tidy.
I also bought a cell phone mount for the car. Yes, the Corolla has a built-in LCD screen with some limited sync functionality with smartphones but without actual Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, it doesn’t offer all the functionality I’d like. Having a smartphone mounted offers me more flexibility with navigation and apps.
Lastly, I bought a dashcam. I thought I’d never own one of these but it seems like the smart thing to do. It’s almost like having insurance, so it protects you as a driver of a car. These things are very affordable now and the one I got didn’t break the bank. It also responds to voice commands, so if I ever need it to do anything, it’s all hands-free functionality. Mine also comes with a quick-release mount, so if I need to take it with me, it’s super simple.
Buying a car doesn’t mean that you stop spending money after you buy it, as we all know but these are necessities in my book.