Top Considerations When It Comes To Buying A New Car

At some point in your life, you will need to purchase a new car. However, it may be some years since you purchased your last car as they are certainly built to last. New car technology is constantly evolving so you may need to do your research and shop around as to which car you would like to invest in. When you purchase a new car, you need to be sure that this car will stand the test of time. You don’t want to be forking out for a new car every five years or so as they keep going wrong. If you are unsure of what to think about then take a look below for some top considerations. 

How You Plan On Using It

Will your new car be used for work life, home life, or both? This is a key question to ask yourself as you don’t want to be getting a big, fancy car if you will ruin it with workwear. For instance, you may be using it to stick cement and other building equipment into. If you are using it for both then you need to find a decent balance between the two. There needs to be enough room for both your work stuff, yourself, and any family members who will also use the car. 

Size Needed

Think about how big you need your car to be. If you have a big family then you will need a bigger car such as an estate or SUV. If you envision your family growing then plan ahead when you buy the car. If your family ends up staying the same, then enjoy the extra space. You need to make sure that there is enough room in the front as well as the back. Some cars don’t have three full-size back seats so be aware of this when checking them out. Always make sure to see the cars in person before you commit to anything. Check the boot space as well, these are usually measured in litres which is hard to judge. It is much better to just open the boot and see for yourself. 

Finance Options

When you buy a car there are a few options when it comes to paying for it. You have the option of buying it outright and then owning it with no further payments. This is rare, but it does happen. You also have the option of applying for finance through the car dealership. This means you pay a deposit of however much you have available. You then make monthly payments until you have paid back the value of the car plus a bit of interest. Last but not least you can also take out a loan from your bank to pay for your car. This means you own the car outright but will have to pay the bank back each month. 

Maintenance Costs

Cars are not cheap, there will come a time when you will have to pay for all maintenance work to be carried out. This happens after around three years when you need to have annual services to check your car is still roadworthy. Be sure to find a reputable garage that will help you with all your repairs and tyre changes. Make sure you are aware of how much these will cost you, tyres normally range from around $50 to $200 each. 

Another thing you will need to have for yourself and your car is insurance. If something were to happen then this will cover your costs and anyone elses if it is your fault. Take a look at no-fault insurance laws to see where you stand in the event of an accident. 

Fuel Type 

Depending on the type of car you want you will need to choose the type of fuel you want your car to run on. Currently, there are four options for this, whereas previously there have only been two. You now have the option of diesel, petrol, electric, or hybrid. If you choose an all-electric vehicle be sure to keep a check on how much electricity you still have left. If you run out of charge, a lot of them will stop dead where they are. Charge it at every opportunity to be double sure this won’t happen. 

Transmission 

Finally, as well as the fuel type you want your car to have, you will also need to decide on the type of transmission. There are still only two types available here, automatic and manual. They are both very different and each comes with its own pros and cons list. If you have an automatic, this is much easier to drive. However, they can run into significant and expensive problems with the gearboxes after some time. Manual cars run much more smoothly, however, you do have to remember to change gears so you don’t damage your car.