My parents took me to several dealerships over many weekends.
What were they looking for?
We were looking for a car for my mom.
It makes sense that your parents would go to multiple dealerships when looking for a car, because it's smart to get a good price on such a large purchase. You shouldn't just buy the first thing you see when you're dealing with something so expensive.
We tried out a bunch of cars but ended up buying a used one.
That's exactly the kind of result that shopping around will normally bring you.  You try a bunch of alternatives and end up selecting the best one.  This is why it's good to not impulse buy large purchases!