Let’s be honest, looking for a new car is never the easiest task on planet earth. There are far too many things to take into consideration, but the biggest worry is that you make the wrong decision. Even used cars can be expensive, but it’s more the fact that you rely on your car every single day. If you pick the wrong one, your days will be ruined and everything will be a lot harder.
Bearing that in mind, what’s the first thing you look for when shopping for a new car?
New or used?
This is the first thought for many people – do you buy your car new or used? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with buying new cars, in fact, they do have some benefits. As a new vehicle, there’s no mileage on the clock, no previous repairs, and you’d like to think the potential to last for longer. Similarly, there’s nothing wrong with used cars – they’re more affordable, arguably better investments, and plenty to choose from.
What’s the budget?
Obviously, you have to think about your budget before buying a car. This will basically set you up for deciding what cars to look at, and which ones to ignore. Right away, you can rule out all the cars that are over your budget. This makes searching for vehicles so much easier as you only see options that you can afford. Setting your budget isn’t easy – it’s all about what you can afford.
How much mileage?
As touched upon before, this is only really relevant for used cars. When buying used, you need to be aware of how much the car has been put to work. The mileage on the clock is the best indicator of this – it tells you far more than the actual age of the car. You can stumble across a car that’s 10 years old, and one that’s only 5 years old. Instinctively, you assume the younger vehicle is in better shape. However, it might have done double the mileage of the older car, meaning it’s seen far more use. Generally, low-mileage cars are preferred as they should last longer and have few issues lurking about.
How much is the insurance?
Yes, you have to think about the insurance costs before you buy a car. It’s a good idea to look at the vehicles you’re interested in, then try to input the details on an insurance company’s website, getting a quote for how much it will cost you each year. Funnily enough, this can be enough to put you off a selection of cars within your budget. When you add the insurance to the equation, they suddenly don’t seem as affordable as they did before.
What type of engine?
Back in the day, you’d usually be choosing between diesel and petrol. Now, you have others thrown into the mix! Is the car hybrid or fully electric? For some of you, this is a huge decision as you may want to switch to electric vehicles, completely avoiding all of the petrol/diesel options on the market. Again, this is a great question to ask yourself as it will make the process of looking for a car much easier to handle.
What’s the transmission?
Depending on what type of driver’s license you have, this could be a dealbreaker of a question. If you only know how to drive an automatic car, you have to solely search for cars with this transmission. But, if you can drive a manual one, your options are wide open. This is where it becomes a toss-up between driving automatic or manual. Both come with pros and cons – automatics are obviously much easier to drive, but they tend to be more expensive. There’s no right or wrong answer, it’s up to your personal preference.
How many seats?
A big deal for any families out there that need a car. Some of you will be happy with a standard 4-seater car, others may even be content with a 2-seater! But, if you have a family, you might need a car with more seats. Again, it’s all about filtering through your results and landing on the cars that tick all the right boxes.
So, what’s the first thing you look for when shopping for a car? There are plenty of ideas and questions above, which can help you shop for the perfect car. Take your time when making this purchase – you want it to be good, and you want it to improve your life for many years.
