Caveat Emptor and Car Purchases

Having just recently bought a new car, I am now finding several articles explaining what preparations a potential buyer should make, what to look for in a car, and various takes on the gadgets and options available on new cars. Just my luck, all the advice was hiding until after I made a purchase. Sigh...

So, I thought I might ask the readers of this blog what attracts them to a new car?

One of the things I pay close attention to is the upholstery. I happen to like leather myself but I really don't want to pay too much to get it. I considered pricing 3rd party leather upgrades. I am not that picky, there are some Naugahydes I will accept.

But the sound systems don't mean much to me. I find a lot of car sales people like to talk them up. I like safety and driving enhancement gadgets but I find, like a lot of things in the car biz of the last couple of decades, that pricing of options has followed the cable company route. That is, if you want the backup camera and/or blind spot alerting, you may have to purchase a "package" that has a lot more than you want or need. And the price of said package may be prohibitive. I ran into that several times. I'd want a nice interior but find I could only get that with a package that includes a sun or moon roof (and, perhaps, "ground effects lighting" and/or a "spoiler" in the rear). I do not want, need, or like those roofs. Maybe I am old-fashioned. I know I am old. For the same reason, I do not even glance at convertibles. I got my fill of wind in my hair when I rode motorcycles as my primary (meaning "only") means of transportation.

Any thoughts? What do you look for in a new car?