With a variety of brands and models available today, choosing a car can be a long and tedious process, so we’ve put together an advice guide to help.
New or used
Your first decision should be whether you buy a new or used car, your budget will play a crucial role in this. If you can afford a new car, you’ll receive a manufacturer’s warranty, which usually lasts for three years. Buying a new car also means you can order the vehicle to your exact specification.
There are benefits to buying used cars, obviously, the car is much cheaper and many new car dealers also offer ‘approved’ used cars, so you can buy a second-hand vehicle with peace of mind. Unless you’re buying an older second-hand car, you should also expect some kind of warranty, as well as ‘aftermarket policies’ which can offer extra peace of mind. You’ll be able to check what is and what isn’t covered.
Petrol or diesel
What fuel you want your new car to run on should be the next question, some cars may only be available as a diesel, but the majority of manufacturers offer an option. However, Hybrid models are becoming increasingly common and a good choice if you do a lot of town driving.
Body style
Car makers tend to design cars around ‘lifestyles’, however, in recent times there have been some ‘crossover’ models, for example the redesign of SUVs and hatchbacks has made life easier for lots of people, as well as the possibility of soft-top SUVs.
You need to incorporate the purpose of the car and what you’ll be using it for into your decision, there’s plenty of reviews online that can help you out.
The essentials
If you have an idea of the size and shape of the car you’d like, think carefully about what you want to use it for. For example, if you have children, a crossover SUV would be suitable, if you plan on storing and moving things about often, then a large vehicle with seats that lie flat is a good idea.
This also includes features such as a sat-nav, parking sensors and leather seats, sometimes it’s more cost effective to get different features included together.
It can be tempting to stretch yourself as far as you can when setting a budget for a new car, but it’s important to ensure you involve your running costs as they are usually dismissed at the buying stage. This includes road tax, insurance, servicing and the cost of fuel.
Deciding which car to buy can be a long process, however it’s important to remember that time invested in finding the right car will benefit you in the long run!
Happy hunting!
