Buying Your First Car? Here are 8 Things to Keep in Mind

Buying a new vehicle is exciting, especially if you have never bought one before, and you probably have a lot of concerns in your mind, and probably already read tons of blogs, asked hundreds of questions on Quora, and searched for tips on Reddit communities.

Buying your first vehicle is a real enjoyment and pleasure, especially if you are a car enthusiast and already have loads of information about hundreds of cars, their smallest and biggest details, features, advantages, disadvantages, and more.

However, when it comes to actually buying a car or anything else, things get a little bit complicated, even if you are a headgear, cause there are a lot of things to think about, from the color to the model, to finding a good dealership that offers competitive price, every detail matters.

Purchasing the first car is one important event in one’s life that will be remembered for the rest of his/her life, so make sure to purchase one that you can really rely on.

Before signing any papers, there are a few things you should keep in mind. These tips might help you save money, get the right car, and ensure a smooth purchase process.

1.   Set up Your Budget

This is the very first step you should do when purchasing your first baby. How much are you willing to spend? And is there a criterion for the average price of the first car you should follow?

Should you spend all your savings or just buy any car at a good deal because “you’re gonna sell your car and buy another one after two or three years anyway”?

When it comes to establishing an ideal budget, the most important thing is to stay realistic, calculate your cost of living, from food, shelter, insurance, to other financial obligations. Set your limits, how much you spend monthly, and then you can invest the remainder on purchasing your first car.

Also, do not spend all your money on buying the car cause you are gonna need some cash for routine running, fuel, insurance, and any other sudden maintenance costs at the end of the day.

2.   Find out What Kind of Car You Need

Before making any purchase, search for the brand you like the most, model, color, and get an idea of whether the features of this specific vehicle meet your needs or not.

The best way to find out that is by doing some research online (you probably already did), but in case you didn’t, you could start with websites that offer information about cars and reviews from other customers who have already bought their own.

Determine your needs: What do you prefer, and for what reason are you getting the car, traveling, family and friends, or do you just want to go to your college or work by car? Is it for daily use or not, and if so, does it financially make sense for you?

Do you want something that can hold all your stuff in the trunk? Is there enough room inside? Do you have any kids who need to be transported safely or it’s just for you?

Know exactly why you want to get a car then the search will become easier. And once you find one with everything matching your requirements, you don’t really need to look further.

Also, if you are really confused and hesitant, try to rent the car you want before buying it. That will give you a better perception of the vehicle’s performance and handling in real-life situations, and you will purchase it rest assured that it will serve your needs perfectly.

Another thing you can do: if you know someone who owns a car that they no longer use, ask them if they would let you test drive it. This will give you an idea of whether or not these kinds of cars suit you well enough or not.

3.   Consider Buying a Used Car

I know how thrilling it is to buy your first car, and probably built thousands of scenarios of what you’re gonna get, (a used car is ten to one, not your go-to), but you should look at the half-full part of the glass when buying a used car.

These are just the tip of the iceberg of the benefits of owning a used car:

• Used cars of the same models are typically less expensive than new ones i.e. the value of the car changes the moment someone buys it: Purchasing a new car would likely set you back at least double the amount of money compared to a used one. So if you’re looking to save some money, then by all means look into purchasing a second-hand vehicle instead of going with the latest models available.

• There are used cars for any budget.

• It’s better for the environment.
• No depreciation bulk because someone else has already taken it.

4.   Allocate a Place for Parking

If you are buying a new vehicle and do not already own a place to park it, then this may be an issue that needs to be considered before purchasing. You need to know whether there is enough room in your current residence to accommodate the new vehicle.

The solutions can include things like adding on to your existing structure or finding another location to live temporarily while you find out what you can do about moving into a larger dwelling.

5.   Get Yourself a Good Deal

Car dealerships try their best to keep prices high by making it as difficult as possible for an individual buyer to get a better deal than they already have. But if you’re willing to shop around, there are ways that you can find deals on vehicles even before going into any dealership.

You may want to start with online resources that show you different pricing options from multiple sources.

If you don’t see anything worthwhile right away, there are tons of websites out there to check out where many people post vehicle listings seeking buyers.

Keep in mind that buying a used vehicle might mean higher risks so make sure you do your research before signing onto any contract.

After researching potential purchases, go ahead and call up the dealer who offered you a reasonable offer, ask about incentives on the model you’re interested in and negotiate down the price until you feel comfortable doing business.

6.   Test Drive

The test drive is not only sitting behind the steering wheel and making sure you can reach all the controls easily, it is your chance to check if driving this car is convenient for you, and this equally applies to both brand new cars and used ones.

A test drive will also cut down the options you have. All you need to do is to try all the potential cars because this is the only way to decide which one is the most suitable for your needs, how does it perform, and if you feel comfortable driving it or not.

Best thing to consider is to test all the cars on the same day to be able to compare them. Call ahead to set appointments to organize your day.

7.   Close the Deal

You’ve done your job, so read the contract, and have your financing arranged. Now it’s time for negotiations, so listen carefully and be straightforward, ask the right questions, and be sure you understand the terms before you sign, exchange contact info for follow-up efforts.

8.   Best Cars for First-Time Buyers

Along with your expectations from your first car, it also should be easy to drive, and cheap, of course, so what are examples of good first cars? Here are a few examples:

• Peugeot 208
• Nissan Micra
• Hyundai i10
• Fiat 500
• Toyota Yaris
• Vauxhall Corsa
• VW Polo
• Ford Fiesta
• Volkswagen Golf
• Skoda Fabia

Keep in mind that these are only examples to have a better idea of what you should buy yourself, so you don’t have to get one of them specifically.

Before buying any vehicle it is very essential to know what type of fuel consumption and mileage this particular model offers, check out all details as the price might vary from one dealer to another.

Another thing which you need to consider while buying cars is safety features, and if possible go through reviews about them as we mentioned previously, or ask someone who already owns these types of vehicles.

Finally, purchasing your first vehicle ever is precious, so just remember to take good care of it, clean it, take it to maintenance when needed, and most importantly to enjoy driving and always drive safely.