Whether you are 16 or 65, shopping for the right car can be a struggle. After all, it's a huge market! So let's get right down to the facts and get you well on your way to selecting your first or next car. For the average person, a car is a means of transportation not a collector's item or toy. Therefore, your car should be, at the very least, functional. So when you are in the process of looking for a car there are certain questions you should ask yourself:
1. What safety features would my ideal car have?
2. How many people will need to fit in my car?
3. Will I be moving any large objects with this vehicle?
4. How much money am I willing spend on this car?
5. What are my credit score and credit history?
6. How much money will I have to spend on insurance?
7. What gas- mileage to do I want?
8. Is this car reliable?
9. Is it presentable?
10. How do I know what cars are available on the market?
Safety is essential when you are on the road. Even if you are the best driver on the planet, you aren't immune car accidents. You could be driving down the highway when someone's tire blows out right in front of you, causing a car crash. Someone could pull out in front of you when you have the right of way and your car could end up totaled. I could keep listing incidents, but I think you get the picture: it's a dangerous world out there! From seat belts to airbags it is import to know how effective a car's safety equipment is, so before you buy it, check its crash test rating.
The type of vehicle you buy should correspond with your lifestyle. By type I don't mean make and model by any means. I am referring to whether you need and SUV, a van, a sedan, or a truck, as well as how many doors you need, the trunk space needed, and of course the interior space needed.
SUV's
• Tend to get poor gas mileage
• Have a dangerous tendency to roll over. (Initially this does not seem like such a big safety issue, after all, you're a good driver and wouldn't take that sharp turn at more than 20 miles an hour anyway. But let's imagine you are on the highway and the car in front of you stops on a dime. You know you are not going to be able to stop in time and so you swerve to avoid hitting the vehicle. At 65 to 75 miles an hour, how do you think an SUV would maneuver?)
Trucks
• Tend to get poor gas mileage.
•Can be used to move large objects.
• Tend to not seat a lot of people
Vans
• Tend to get good gas mileage.
• Have a low, well balanced frame so they maneuver well.
• Seat anywhere from 7 to 12
• Can be used to move large objects when back seats are removed or collapsed.
Sedans
• Tend to get good gas mileage.
• Are compact for those who don't have a lot of parking space.
• Have a low, well balanced frame so they maneuver well.
As my father used to say, "There are some people whose cars work for them, and there are other people who work for their cars." A car is a big purchase that will be taking a cut out of your budget indefinitely. Therefore it is important to make a budget and find a car that fits into it. The car you can afford will be limited by your income, but also by your credit if it is poor or undeveloped. However, credit can also be an asset especially if you know what your credit score is. Dealers and lenders can often be talked down to a lower price or percentage rate if you are confident in your ability to pay off the car and have the history to prove it. Another thing to keep in mind financially is that the higher the price of the car is, the higher the cost of the insurance will be, especially if you are an inexperienced driver.
To find your perfect car, you are going to have to do some research. It is important to think before you buy or else the hype of a car dealer could talk you into a car that doesn't meet all your need and maybe even make you pay too much for it. Therefore it is important to know what is available on the market and how much it is worth. This can be easily done on the in newspapers, at dealerships and on the internet. For me the internet is the easiest research tool, it is convenient because you can view cars and prices without even having to leave your home. I hope this has been a helpful article and of course, happy searching!
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