It's been 30 days since I bid my trusty truck farewell as she made her way to that Junkyard in the Sky. Although I've moved through each phase of the grieving process and finally accepted I must buy a new truck, I've recently been awash with a new feeling: frustration.

I've test-driven vehicles, set up Internet searches and purchased online title history services. I've shaken hands with too many dealership sales reps to remember and my coat pockets are about to burst with their business cards. But the question remains: Why am I not driving a new-to-me used vehicle yet?

I'm too picky. I take the consumer savvy that most Angie's List members practice to its ultimate high when purchasing a vehicle. I quiz the dealer or owner about every aspect of the vehicle's history including whether or not they've ever eaten french fries in it. I go for multiple test drives, putting the prospective vehicle through every condition imaginable and feasible. I even have my family friend, a former mechanic, thoroughly inspect anything I'm considering purchasing. I refuse to be suckered into overpaying, so I obsessively research retail values. One of my greatest fears in life (other than clowns) is buying a vehicle that later I'll regret. I refuse to buy something I'm only lukewarm about, and I won't pay more than a certain amount per month. It took six months of searching to find my last vehicle, and much to my wife's dismay (she's unwillingly sharing her car for the time being), it looks like it may take that long again. My mantra is 'I'd rather be patient than foolish.'

Thankfully, my List membership has helped guide me along the way. If I see a vehicle I like at a dealer, I check their ratings to see what other members say about their experiences. Being well informed is the only way to buy a car, new or used, and Angie's List is just another way to stay on top of my car-buying game.