My name is Maria G. Perez, and I own a 2017 beige Jeep Wrangler. What I love most about my jeep is the color. I rarely see beige cars around, so it makes me feel like my Jeep is pretty unique. However, I do spend about $45 on gas, which makes me cry a bit. 

Wranglers always caught my attention every time I would see them on the road, so I knew I had to get myself one. I started working at my job and I was delighted when I realized that I had saved up enough for the down payment. Finally, the day arrived, and my dad accompanied me to the dealership. The paperwork process went pretty smooth and quick, so I’m glad I was able to take my Jeep home that same day. 

My monthly payments aren’t cheap, but it has made me more responsible for saving up. I definitely have to work harder since I’m paying for the car by myself but I would say the hard work is all worth it in the end because I do get compliments on my Jeep a lot. I really wouldn’t trade my Jeep for any other car.

Now, I want to share some stories from seniors who are also car owners. 

 Kiandria Ina –

“I drive a Lexus RX 350. It’s an SUV. I named her CoCo and I am in love with her. My parents bought my car for my 16th birthday and I was super excited because I didn’t expect it. I love my car, it literally suits me so well. It provides a lot of space and is super cheap with gas. My car is my life and a major reason why I’m always on the go. I love my car!”

  Layla Hinojosa – 

“I own a 2018 Honda Civic. I was hearing from my friends that the 2018 Honda Civic was such a great car to start with, so eventually, I had to get it. When it was time for me to get the car at the dealership, I was nervous but excited. Thankfully the process was easy since I had my mother with me. 

Once I was handed the keys to my new car I immediately fell in love with it. On the way home, I noticed that the car did not use up so much gasoline. The drive back was smooth and breezy. Everything was working quite well. 

One thing I knew that would be challenging was the monthly payment for it. Fortunately, I had been saving up and was able to pay a couple of months, giving me time to start working and earning the money left that I had to pay. I’m thankful for my car because I use up no more than $12 to fill it up with gasoline. From this experience, I learned that in the future once my car is fully paid for, I will look back and see how I was able to manage through the process. I am more than thankful for it to this day. My car may not be unique or name-calling but it is surely beneficial.”

Danielle Cruz – 

“I have a 2018 Fiat 500. I actually got my car as my 17th birthday present from my dad, so I didn’t have to pay for it at all. I recently had to buy a new battery for it though and that was expensive. I’ve been trying to save up, but that battery really set me back. 

The thing I love most about my car is that it is very very small, so it’s easy to park and make u-turns. Those are actually some pros. I can also get gas for $20 that lasts a week and a half. However, some cons are that if I ever do get in a crash, my car would be totaled on sight. If I could change my car, I would probably add a Bluetooth radio instead of the aux, make the whole radio system digital and also tint my windows just a bit because people can see right through them.

 My dad didn’t know what car to get me when getting my car, but the Fiat was my second car choice that I wanted. My first was a Mini Cooper, but I’m actually glad I didn’t get one because their parts are so expensive, so if anything happened to my car, it would be so expensive to repair. My dad told me that he chose the Fiat for me because it represented me. He sees me as a small, nice, hard working daughter. And that’s also how he sees the Fiats. When I first got my car, I loved it so much. The color is an espresso brown and I would have never chosen that on my own. I probably would’ve gone with off white or black, but I’m so glad I got the brown because it’s unique and I actually like it a lot. I love my little car.”

Adrian Interiano –

“I drive a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. I got the car last year and it was given to me from my dad. He did not buy it at a dealership either. He got the car crashed and rebuilt it. Only the front of the car was hit, but the motor and the rest of the car were still functioning. 

I really love my car since I have always preferred small cars over big trucks and SUVs. My car is white but for quite some time, from the windshield crowding, the car was a tan color since we replaced the parts that were crashed. I felt really overjoyed when my father gave me the car. What I love most about my car is how smooth it drives and how smooth the steering is. I also don’t have to spend much on gas which saves me a lot. Although I love my car, I would like to add some mods. For example, I want to add a small spoiler, a new set of wheels, and some coilovers. Having my own car has made me more responsible since I have to take care of it and do maintenance on it.”

Celeste Monroy –

“I own a red 2019 Nissan Frontier. Having a truck to me is very beneficial. With storms like Harvey or the recent winter storm, it’s always nice to have some type of elevation in order to stay safe. 

The biggest reason why I got a truck is because I’ve always liked trucks since I was little. Even though the truck wasn’t brand new, I took the opportunity to get it and use it until I could get a better truck. The color of my truck is barcelona red. The reason I chose that color was because Barcelona is my favorite soccer team. Saving up for my truck was a hustle. I had to work really hard during the summers, and take extra shifts just to have enough for it. 

I’m grateful for all the hard work I put in because this truck has come in clutch. It has saved me so much money for gas which I’m so happy about. One thing I don’t like is when I have to do U-turns because the truck is big and it takes up a lot of space to do so. But overall, the truck has been there for me in tough moments and I have made memories with friends that I’ll never forget!”