Handing Over the Keys

Me telling my son that safety is just as important as looks when it comes to cars.

Thank you to Capital One for sponsoring this Handing Over the Keys post.

Handing Over the Keys

As a parent, I truly believe that there is no greater reward than raising good kids. There are so many milestones and so many things to keep track of that it is tough to remember to stop and actually enjoy those human beings you are raising. My son and I have recently bonded (more) over driving lessons. We have spent no less than 50 hours driving in the car and he has done quite well. He’s a very safe driver and is so ready for his first car that he has started doing his own research. It seems like just yesterday I was lending a hand to tie little sneakers and today I am handing over the keys so he can drive. DRIVE.

What I see:

What everyone else sees:

This kid is 15 and has a learners permit. Where is my baby? Where did the time go?

Handing over the keys is not without responsibility, though. I still have to make certain he pays attention to the rules of the road and continues to be a safe driver. As his mother, I take that responsibility seriously. We talk about safe driving constantly. He has taken driving courses and driver’s training. When the time came, I shed a tear over losing my baby as I handed the keys over to this man he has become.

This summer he will be getting his first car after working hard and saving money toward a down payment. His homework for the next several months is to research new cars, which we are doing together with the help of Auto Navigator by Capital One. While he is pretty young to be car shopping, the tool provides us with transparency into a sometimes confusing process. By allowing me to pre-qualify before visiting a dealer, I can narrow down the inventory of available cars and determine what fits within my budget based on the money my son has saved.

By visiting the Auto Navigator tool on Capital One’s site, my tech-loving son can sift through an online inventory of millions of cars from thousands of participating dealerships across the nation – this is definitely one of his favorite parts of the process!

With Auto Navigator, I especially love that you can really drill down to find the monthly payment amount, car price, length of loan, etc. This is helpful to stay on budget and understand affordable payments.  Speaking of understanding, Capital One’s Auto Learning Center has been instrumental in helping us better understand the ins and outs of financing a car and everything that goes into taking care of a vehicle.

When it comes to car buying, we need things to be simple. We don't have endless hours to spend at the car dealership. What we need (and were excited to discover actually exists) is Auto Navigator by Capital One to simplify the car buying process. Are you looking for your next car? You just might need the tool as well. Happy shopping!