Car shopping can be an overwhelming process, especially when it’s been a while since you have purchased a new vehicle. There are so many choices; it can be hard to know exactly what you need. Here a few tips to help you find the perfect vehicle for you.
· Decide what you can afford: Loving a vehicle is no use unless you can afford it. A good rule of thumb is to allocate no more than 20 percent of your monthly household income for all the cars in your household. This not only includes the car payment, but also the gasoline, insurance, and preventative maintenance costs. Make sure to crunch the numbers before making the decision to purchase.
· Decide between new and used: There are trade-offs with each, you need to decide what is more important to you. Buying a used car means you can get a more expensive car for your money, but you risk having a shorter warranty period and possibly not knowing the cars full history. Buying new means you’ll get less car features for your money but you will benefit from the full warranty and lower interest rates.
· Narrow down your buying choices: Make a list of cars that you’ve noticed around town or at your local auto show and begin researching them. There are many reputable sites that can help you learn about the features of the cars so you can narrow down your list based on what’s important to you.
· Assess the cost to own: An independent site like Edmunds.com can help you research the cost of ownership of different vehicles in your area. This will give you a better idea of whether or not a particular car will fit in to you budget
· Don’t rush the test drive: To get the most out of your vehicle you’ll want to own it for 5 years or longer, so make sure that you’ll be happy driving this car for years to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment