Of course, it is really nice to have my new Honda Civic and so many people have been really happy and excited for me. People have been asking me "what it's like" to have this new car, and my answers have revealed that I'm going through something called "new car syndrome."

Right photo: Me standing in front of my Civic in a neighborhood in Salida, Colorado.

New car syndrome is that mindset of wanting to preserve the newness of one's car and doing things they've never done before

Here are examples of things I find myself doing:

Where I park - With my brand new car, oh my goodness, I am so cautious about where I park in parking lots. I will not select a spot where it would appear an adjacent car's door could touch my vehicle. In fact, in many cases, I park way farther out so there are no cars around mine! When I visit the 7-11 in town, a place I visit often, I have found myself avoiding the few front parkings spots and parking next door in a real estate company lot that is usually completely empty in the early morning.

Preserving the new car smell - I will admit, this is bordering on being a paranoia issue. I have experienced some worry about the time when the new car smell would go away. One week in, that wonderful aroma still exists, but I wonder too much about how long it will continue. Perhaps I should bring this up to my therapist. ;)

No eating in my car - I have done absolutely no eating in my car, which is very out of the ordinary for me. I will not risk spilling something gooey or crumbly in my car that is going to sully the interior whatsoever. I will admit I have drank coffee in my car, but I have been very careful to not spill anything and have used the cup holder.

Worry greatly about scratches and other mishaps - Here is a good example: I just filled my gas tank for the first time yesterday, and I found myself especially careful to not scratch the car with the pump or spill any gasoline on the outside of the car. :p)

Want to keep car clean - If only you knew how messy I have been inside of cars! Right now, I am completely "packing out" anything that I bring into the car on a daily basis. There is no litter, no extra articles of clothing and no other items inside my vehicle whatsoever. And this is from a guy who once removed 16 pounds of garbage from my other Honda! Click here, here and here to see examples of how messy my previous Hondas have been!

Affects Where I Will Drive - Last but not least, owning my new Civic has me thinking about where I will drive and park my car in other ways. I'm asking myself: Am I willing to visit this friend in this city if I have to park in the street? Will my car be safe? It's a good thing I still have my 1993 Honda Accord ... perhaps I will be using it for such occasions. ;)

-Steve
Written on October 25, 2007