What to Consider When Buying Your First Car
Buying your first car is a very special occasion and an incredibly exciting purchase. Prior to picking your first car, however, you will need to put a great deal of thought into the decision. You will no doubt have been looking at a car buying guide or two to try and figure out which is the right car for you, but have you considered all aspects of purchasing a car? Whether you have just passed your test or you have just finished saving up enough money, here are the areas of consideration which you ought to be thinking about before buying that first vehicle.
Budget
The first place to start is with the financial side of things: determining your budget and what type of car you can afford to buy with that budget. The reason you need to make this decision sooner rather than later is because it can be easy to get sucked into spending more money on a car once you begin to look at them. Instead, get your budget together and stick to it. Remember that cars cost quite a bit of money to run as well, so don’t blow everything you have on buying the car.
Insurance
As a first time buyer, your car insurance cost will be very high due to your lack of experience or driving history. This, coupled with higher prices for more powerful cars, could lead you to pay an awful lot for your car insurance. With this in mind, it’s best to look for a relatively low powered car, perhaps a 1.1 or 1.2 liter, and one which is slightly older.
Needs
Next up, you need to think about how you will be using the car and what your driving needs are. If you are simply going to be doing a short journey to work and back each day, with the occasional weekend jaunt, a small, economical car could be the answer. Alternatively, if you are going to be going on longer journeys with regularity, you should be looking for a bigger car, and potentially a newer one, which will be able to handle such long drives without breaking down or costing too much on gas. Don’t think about getting yourself a powerful, fast vehicle unless you can afford it; generally speaking, your first car should be something pretty basic to help you better understand driving and to minimize the cost of your car insurance as you build up a good driving reputation.
Monthly costs
As mentioned before, running a car costs money which you must consider before choosing which make and model you will buy. Monthly costs include car insurance fees, gas, general maintenance such as cleaning, and annual service. You will also need to have some money set aside in case of a breakdown or your car needing new parts. Naturally, each car will vary in terms of monthly costs. Some are more economical than others, some are more likely to break down than others, and insurance costs vary from car to car. Make sure you have considered the monthly cost of your chosen car.
Once you have been through these important decisions, go and get that car!
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The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.