Buying a car is a considerable investment that can seem both exciting and frightening at the same time. Also, when faced with so many car choices, it’s not always easy to make the best decision. Hopefully, our top seven tips will help you make the right choice both for your budget and lifestyle.
The surest way to figure out if you like a car and if it’s in good condition is to take it out for a test drive. Ideally, you should do this on both a quiet suburban road and a highway to experience its performance in a variety of scenarios. Key things to look out for include safety, comfort and drivability. Ask some friends or family to come with for the drive so you can get some feedback from a passenger’s perspective. Remember to check if the car has enough room to suit your lifestyle… we’re thinking about frequent road trips and the luggage that goes with it, child car seats, bikes, etc.
This includes finding out all the advantages and disadvantages of the car. Go online, ask car experts/enthusiasts, and read reviews about the car make and model. Don’t limit your research to your country; extend it globally to get a balanced overview. A nice-looking car on the outside might not be as charming under the hood.
Everybody has an opinion, but not all opinions are professional or impartial. Talk to someone who’s highly experienced with cars, or a mechanic that has no connection to the dealership to get more information about any vehicle. Better still, find somebody that owns a similar or exact model and find out what they think. They’re probably in the best position to give you an unbiased review of the vehicle.
Avoid falling into the trap of choosing the first car you test drive out of excitement. Ensure you also test drive other cars in the same price range and category. This will help you make a more informed decision. The last car in the series may be the pick of the litter!
The monthly cost of a car goes beyond your monthly instalments, so remember to factor insurance, fuel and maintenance into your budget when buying a new car. You may want to opt for a cheaper car so that you don’t have to spend a fortune on insurance, or you may settle for a newer model so you spend less on repairs. Do your homework to find a car that is suited to your budget. This includes considering whether you can finance the car (what it will cost you monthly), the petrol expenses and the insurance quote.
You can get a quote for any service, insurance, or maintenance plan for free through MotorHappy today. We have a professional team that is always ready to help you shop for the perfect plan based on your budget.
There are a variety of online calculators that can help you work out your car’s depreciation rate. This can be especially important when choosing between two similarly priced cars since the better option would be the one with a lower depreciation rate.
A new car loses value as soon as you drive it out of the dealership and for most models, your car will lose around 40% of its value in the first year. For many people it makes sense to rather buy a good quality used car. Buying a previously-loved car could mean two things:
- You save money on the car you want, or
- You can get an even better model with the same budget.
Whichever you choose, it pays to check out MotorHappy’s online car marketplace. Through our partners, we’re able to connect you with thousands of pre-loved quality cars, all with a proven service history. Click here to start shopping for your new set of wheels.
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