Buy The Right Car By Researching And Using The Right Online Tools
Choosing the Right Car
When choosing the right car, choose the one that best fits your needs. Let your needs influence your decision when choosing the right car.
Buying The Right Car
Car buying tips can help you with buying the right car for you, If you are confused and cannot make your decision as to what car is the right car for you, you are not alone. With the large selection of new and used vehicles on the market nowadays, we find ourselves perplexed and not be able to make our decision of choosing the right vehicle to buy.
Some people rush into buying a new or used car just because they liked its appearance or because they saw it with their relative or friend. The problem is that the vehicle that suits one person may not suit the other person. Vehicles are made for different purposes and needs. Once you identify your purposes and needs, you increase your chances of choosing the right car for you. Let your needs, not your wants influence your quest for buying a car.
Next, we will have a look at some of the most famous car body styles, some considerations when buying, how to research, some online resources and tools that might help you choose the right car by making your decision rational rather than just emotional.
Car Types: Car Body Styles
If you are confused as to what car model to choose, the car types or body styles alone can be overwhelming. Before you settle on a car, you should consider what type you need. The different manufacturers make different types of cars to satisfy the abundant tastes and needs of different people.
Let's look at some famous car types and their attributes:
- Crossover/SUV: Reliable, stylish, and powerful in addition to having more ground clearance. In addition to having the ease of getting in and out because of the higher seat position. Also, they can be a good fit with wintry climes and they have a powerful towing capacity, but you must take into consideration that they consume more fuel than the average cars. Also, there is an added traction when accelerating.
- Coupe/Convertible: More stylish and expressive, but has less practicality because they are just 2 doors so if you have a family, it might be difficult for them to ride easily.
- Station Wagon: It may have the worst body style, but with the additional back door, you will have 5 doors in total. Regardless of its undesirable appearance, it can be an SUV-like space without the dynamic and fuel economy compromises of Crossovers or SUVs.
- Hatchback: Hatchback is more elegant than the Station Wagon. It also can make you have an SUV-like car with the back door.
- Minivan: It can be the best choice if you haul more than 5 persons. Although it might not be elegant, 2 exception cars might have an elegant appearance; Honda Odyssey and Mazda 5.
- Sedan: If you will be hauling a family, make sure to buy 4 doors Sedan.
What to Consider When Buying a Car?
- What type of cars do you need? Do you need it for yourself, haul your family and/or friends, or for business? Consider the maximum number of people who will ride.
- Are you going to buy or lease? Consider either buying a new or used car so after paying the cash or finishing the loan payments, the car will become yours outright. Or leasing the car so after finishing the payments, the car will be no longer yours.
- Do you have a budget that will not exceed 20% of your salary or revenue? Consider setting up a budget that includes all expenses such as insurance, maintenance, and fuel costs.
- Will you use it for long distances, off-road adventures, or commute short distances? Will you be using it inside a crowded town or freeway? Consider how and where you will use the car.
- Do you need a heavy or light car? Heavy cars consume more fuel, however, they have a bigger towing capacity than lighter cars.
- Do you need cargo space? Consider what you will be loading regularly.
- When you go out to shop for a car, take into consideration the importance of going to many dealerships so you can compare and decide on the best car that fits your needs. But if you go to one dealership, you may miss out on getting the best deal. Remember, when you have more choices, you have more chances of getting the best. Utilize the competition between dealerships to your advantage.
The Right Car Research
If you want to buy the right car, research by asking the people who have the car you are considering. Also, ask the salespersons about the pros and cons of the different cars that they have. Research online by visiting the most famous car websites such as Edmunds.com, Kelly Blue Book, and Nada. Bear in mind that researching online is the best way to cover more ground without the hassle of spending money and moving from one dealership to another.
Car dealers have realized the importance of the internet so they made websites to make it easy for the new breed of shoppers. So nowadays it has never been easier to use those websites for shopping and contacting the internet manager. Using the internet, you can do everything in terms of buying a car however you are required to test drive and sign the contract on the spot.
Researching online can drastically help you to choose the right car for you. Use the Consumer Reports to check the reliability of the cars that you are interested in. Also, to see what other people say about those cars. Research safety ratings and crash tests on the cars by checking with the Euro NCAP website.
Additional articles for Getting the Right Car
The following online articles will give you an additional idea about buying the right car:
- Guide for First-Time New-Car Buyers - Edmunds.com
- How to Buy a Used Car Without Getting Burned: The 101-Point Checklist
Online Car Buying Tools
Never underestimate the importance of the online tools, because they can save you both; money and time. Use them to your advantage so you can cover more ground in very less time rather than going to shop on foot.
These online tools can help you practically find the right car for you:
- Car Finder - Find A Car & Browse New Cars | Edmunds.com.
- Car Recommender Tool at carmax.com.
- TMV and TCO of Edmunds.com.
- There is also a service called car matchmaker where they are matching the driver and the car. The Edmunds' tool is considered the best.
The Conclusion
As you can see, buying the right car is not an easy task, but once you identify your needs and the purpose of owning a car, and research by reading more information and by using the online tools, the task will become easier.