Scratch That Habit! Four Quirks of Car Lovers

Arguably the most common attribute of a car lover. Non-car lovers will never get it, but we’ve got your back. It’s never an issue walking 50 more metres to the lift lobby, if you get to park far from clusters of misaligned vehicles vying for the nearest lot to the entrance. Increasing your step count and protecting your wing mirrors and doors from scrapes and dents sounds like a package deal too good to be true!

And then you walk away from your car to grab a quick bite. But that’s not all - you fiddle with the keys, wondering if you have locked the car or if the auto-lock function has been activated. You take a couple of strides back, knowing all-too-well that you have locked it, but you are just giving yourself an excuse to take a second glance at your car. We get it, and we’re accused of doing the same, too!

When your car’s showroom-like lustre fades after a couple of months, you’ll contemplate ways to keep it in tip-top condition. But there is this particular surface on parts of the steering wheel, gear lever and air conditioning louvre blade that you have to wipe clean consistently. And it does not help when this material is used on touch points of the car. Yes, we are referring to piano black surfaces otherwise known as the stain magnet. It haunts you on a daily basis, with dust particles forming even without you going anywhere close to it. It’s a real pain, we reckon, and a material we sincerely hope will be featured way less in future cars.

No, your car is functioning perfectly and is in no urgent need of repairs. You’ve stuck through servicing cycles religiously, perhaps even tempted to give it a thorough check way earlier than the stated mileage. You even entertain the idea of having meals near your favourite workshop during office hours, just to “enquire” about any new parts that can be installed on your car. We get it, workshop visits are addictive - a habit that does not require any agenda! *Don't worry, this habit is well justified and you might even consider shortlisting more workshop visits with help from Carousell!

We’re entering dangerous territory here. Imagine rows of images of your car (or dream garage cars) from every possible angle over the months, leaving a small segment for memories of birthday parties. That’s not all - you reserve only two rows of precious moments with your significant other - a delicate situation that we are unqualified to help you defend!

If you don't intend to scratch these habits any time soon, we encourage you to shortlist pre-loved examples on Carousell where you can find thousands of cars on sale.

Credits: Gerald Yuen