Picking out a new car can be a daunting task, but with the right thoughts and considerations taken it’s completely possible to find the perfect car for you. To help you make your way from wanting a new car to driving it home, consider the following steps that we feel will help you along the way.
Step 1: Assess What You Need
Everyone’s perfect car is going to be different. The biggest determination being what needs their car needs to fulfill. So when considering bringing a new car home, the first thing to do is assess what you need of your car. Some questions to ask yourself about this might include how many people will you regularly need to transport, especially at the same time? How much cargo? Where will you be driving and in what conditions? What features can you not live without, whether for convenience or safety? And how much space do you have for your car once you get it home?
If you have six people to carry around or a ton of cargo to get from point a to point b, then maybe a compact isn’t for you. A sports car would probably be ill-advised if your daily commute features uneven backroads or snowy terrain. If there’s children to keep in mind then a vehicle with LATCH or safety locks, and perhaps an entertainment system, might be more advised. And if your garage or parking space is short, maybe the extra long cab might not be for you. It’s important to know what needs your vehicle will be fulfilling or else you might find yourself missing something important.
Step 2: Take Your Budget into Account
No matter what car you’re thinking about taking home, it’s important that you’re able to pay for it. To that end, it’s important to consider options such as leasing or buying, in addition to how much gas, maintenance, repairs, insurance, and registration will cost. A good benchmark is that when all of those costs are added together they will take up no more than 20% of your monthly budget. To aid in determining how much you can really afford consider using online tools such as an affordability or car loan calculator.
Step 3: Search and Consider Your Options
While you may go into your car search with a certain model or brand in mind, Barkau Automotive of Stockton, IL, suggests that keeping an open mind is important in finding the one that will best work for you. Another model or brand of vehicle may offer features your initial choice doesn’t or simply offer the same amount at a lesser price. And even if the car you were initially interested in does prove to be the one with the features you need or cost you can best afford, at least you’ll have confirmed that the one you wanted all along was the best choice. A car finder tool can be most helpful in narrowing down available vehicles with the features and cost your looking for.
Step 4: Take a Test Drive
Knowing what features a car has and whether or not it’s in your budget is good place to start, but how it feels to drive is important too. It is, after all, what you’ll be doing the most with your car. Setting up a test drive allows you to get a feel for how the car you’re interested in drives, which you should keep in consideration when beginning to make your decision about which car to get. A vehicle that has all the features you’re looking for may feel like a brick with wheels while a similar model might have you feeling like you’re floating on air.
Knowing what features a car has and whether or not it’s in your budget is good place to start, but how it feels to drive is important too. It is, after all, what you’ll be doing the most with your car. Setting up a test drive allows you to get a feel for how the car you’re interested in drives, which you should keep in consideration when beginning to make your decision about which car to get. A vehicle that has all the features you’re looking for may feel like a brick with wheels while a similar model might have you feeling like you’re floating on air.
Step 5: Review
Once you’ve got an idea of what you’re looking for in a car, what you can afford, have compared different options, and tried them out for yourself, it’s time to take that all into consideration and make a decision. Each of these steps should help you sort out what kind of vehicle will work best for you without costing you an arm and a leg or leaving you with one that’s a pain to actually drive. Whether you end up with the first car you considered or one you never would have expected, following these steps is bound to leave you in the driver’s seat of the perfect care for you.
