Choosing The Right Car For You

Not all cars are made the same, and choosing the right one for your lifestyle is key to smoother journeys that help you save on driving costs. Discover how to wade through the features and financials to ensure you acquire a vehicle that gives you confidence and will go the distance.

1. Establish Your Needs

Before stepping onto a forecourt or browsing online listings, take a moment to reflect on how you use your car. Analysing your driving habits, daily mileage and passenger requirements will reveal your priorities, and these should form the foundation of your research.

Fuel efficiency matters more than outright performance for most drivers. This is especially true if you typically do shorter, slower journeys in urban areas. Hybrids and electric models have the edge here, or more modern petrol cars with an automatic stop-start system. Diesel engines and EV batteries with a good single-charge range tend to be most economical on motorways.

Do you need to carry passengers on a regular basis? Remember that car seats can take up as much space as your children and look at larger models and SUVs to accommodate them. Plenty of boot space is also a must for storing everyone’s bags, coats and other essentials.

2. Calculate Your Budget

A car is one of the biggest financial commitments you’ll make, so set a realistic budget to ensure you’re not spending beyond your means. Consider the full cost of ownership to calculate this figure, including insurance, tax, fuel and servicing as well as the purchase price.

Most dealers offer financing options such as Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) deals which enable you to buy the car with a deposit and pay the remainder in instalments over an agreed period. This initially makes buying a car more affordable, but bear in mind that the added interest means it’s more expensive in the long run.

Especially if you usually upgrade your car every couple of years, depreciation should be on your radar. A brand-new car loses value rapidly in its first few years whereas a well-maintained used car retains more of its worth. If you plan to sell in the near future, seek out models that retain value exceptionally well to avoid taking a heavy financial hit.

3. Decide On New Or Used

Let your budget and priorities guide your research when you’re ready to look at available models. This will typically decide whether you look at new or used vehicles: new cars come with the latest safety features and reassuring manufacturer warranties while used cars are a more attractive price and protected from significant depreciation.

If you choose to go used, you should do an HPI check to discover important information such as mileage, the number of previous owners and accident history. All of these factors can significantly impact the price of insurance premiums and how much maintenance is required to fix the wear and tear. While buying from dealers is reliable, independent sellers are known to conceal issues that could cause you serious problems down the line. Always look up the vehicle’s MOT history and request to see the owner’s logbook with records of annual services.

Whether you opt for a new or used car, take it for a test drive before signing on the dotted line. Sometimes models look perfect on paper but just don’t feel right when you’re behind the wheel. It will also help to reveal any potential problems hiding in plain sight.