They ve come a long way, baby salesmen, that is

Despite the fact that many carmakers had a banner year last year, the average age of cars now on the road is 10 years. My still-dependable 12-year-old Toyota Avalon has carried me safely for more than 160,000 miles, but since I drive constantly for business, I have been thinking about buying what I am sure will be my last car.

The operative word here is thinking about. Actually, my looking started due to a freak accident. Leaving a movie theater with a friend, I returned to my car, only to find that my ignition key had mysteriously disappeared from my still completely intact key chain.

My friend Nancy Elderbaum helped me search my purse, the snowy ground beneath the car, the movie theater itself ... all to no avail.

We had to return to my house to pick up my spare car key, still completely bewildered as to how one key could leave a still-tight key ring. The very next day, I went to the Toyota dealership in Westbrook to get an additional key made. They informed me that sometimes, after much use, the plastic top part of a key develops a crack and separates from a key ring. Mystery solved. While waiting for the new key to be made, I wandered into the showroom to take a gander at the 2012 models on the floor and was immediately greeted by a 19-year-old salesman who wasn’t even out of diapers when I moved to Connecticut and purchased my previous car, a blue and gray eight-cylinder Oldsmobile.

However, to his credit, he was friendly, and unlike the Olds salesman, not at all dismissive. I shall never forget how the Oldsmobile salesman, after giving me some basic information, had told me that he would give me his best price when I was serious and returned with my husband.

To which I rather heatedly responded that I was buying the car for my own use and that he need not come up with any price; he had just lost my business forever. I did buy an Olds, but from another dealer. Today, salespeople apparently have come to realize that women are capable of making their own decisions, and this past week, I have been courteously treated ... no make that courted, at Honda, Hyundai and Subaru, the additional showrooms I have visited.

Although I have informed all the salesmen that I am just beginning to look, I have immediately received form letters and a call or two asking about my “decision.” Since even a low-mileage “new” car now costs as much as our first home, I intend to do some thorough research and weigh all factors, which could take weeks, even longer, before making a decision.

I must admit, however, my Avalon suddenly appeared a bit dowdy after viewing all the shiny new cars with their heated leather seats, rearview cameras, built-in navigation systems and Bluetooth phone capability. The options are as varied and sometimes as confusing as ordering dinner in an upscale French restaurant.

I have been looking at what the industry calls a “crossover,” which is part SUV and part passenger vehicle. For an aging person with a bad hip, they offer ease of entry. Additionally, there seem to be so many vans and SUVs on the road now, sometimes driving a sedan feels like being in a ditch.

I thought some of the pristine white models quite beautiful until I took one for a test drive and couldn’t get over the feeling of being behind the wheel of an ice cream truck. All that was missing was the bell to summon buyers. Meanwhile, any email comments or suggestions from recent car buyers would be welcome and appreciated, although as I said, so far, “I’m only looking, thank you.”

Contact Jean Cherni, certified senior adviser for Senior Living Solutions and Pearce Plus, a helpful, full-service program for seniors contemplating a move, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at 101 Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

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