For many of us buying a car is an emotional undertaking. For starters, there are those aspects of performance, aesthetics and brand issues that you have always held in high esteem when dreaming about your ideal car. In many cases, cost often renders all these dreams null and void.
What Car Should I Buy?
In real life, buying a new car, one that is right for you comes down to practicality:
– What is your budget?- What kind of driver are you? Are you a speed racer, a family guy or just a leisure driver?- Are you going to be driving for long distances regularly?- What kind of driving do you intend to do? Off-road, surface streets, highways?- In what kind of weather do you intend to drive?- How many people do you intend to transport regularly in your vehicle?- Will you need children’s car seats?- Do you have enough garage parking space?- Will you be towing anything?
These are all questions that will go through your mind once you start thinking of what car should I buy. ‘What car should I buy?’ may seem like a simple enough question, but arriving at the right answer takes a great deal of work, research and to a great extent, financial circumstances. Here are some of the most critical areas to look at when trying to find the right car for yourself.
Picking the right body style
Forget about the brand for a second, deciding on the kind of body style you need deeply depends on the kind of person you are and what your intentions are for the car.
Coupe/Convertible: These are statement vehicle. They have limited back seat space but will tell everyone who looks at you that you have style and are not afraid to spend on yourself. It’s anyhow not very practical for family people.
Sedan: A four-door sedan is a practical car for people with families and children on their mind. The ease with which your people can climb in and out of the back seat is refreshing.
Hatchback, Station Wagon or Minivan: These are the lesser cousins to SUVs. Hatchbacks, station wagons and minivans have the comfortable space and utility capability of SUVs without the fuel compromises. With new, sleeker designs that are spacious and fuel efficient, hatchbacks are becoming more and more practical for people who have big families.
SUV/Crossover: The ground clearance alone is enough to make an SUV or a Crossover the vehicle of choice for many who do a lot of off-road driving. Couple that with space and performance and you have a wonderful vehicle, albeit not too fuel efficient.
Picking the vehicle size
There is an urban myth that larger vehicles are safer than smaller ones when it comes to collisions. As far as collisions are concerned, the safest kinds are the ones that do not occur in the first place. Buying a big car is all about the kind of statement you want to make. When it comes to collisions, smaller, lighter cars are easier to steer and more agile. They could very well help you avoid that collision by coming to a complete stop before the occurrence. Additionally, they tend to cost less, be more fuel efficient and have more room inside. The Smart Fortwo, for example, comes to within an inch of a Cadillac Escalade when it comes to headroom.
What about all-wheel drive vehicles?
Honestly, you may not need an all-wheel drive vehicle. The major difference that an all-wheel drive vehicle has is that it offers better traction during acceleration. As far as driving on wintry roads, all you need is a good set of winter tires. They are cheaper than buying an all-wheel vehicle just to brave the terrible winter roads in your region. Plus, all-wheel drive vehicles are not as fuel efficient.
Just how much power do you need?
The average driver does not need that much horsepower. 0-60 mph times are only wonderful when you are trying to impress your date. The chances are that you are never really going to use full-throttle on your daily drives. Going for a powerful vehicle is not only going to be wasteful in terms of fuel consumption (bigger engines use more fuel) but it is also going to cost more initially when compared to a simple, yet comfortably powered vehicle. Most people only ever get to half-throttle anyway.
Should I buy a hybrid vehicle?
The debate between for and against hybrid vehicles will rage on for a little while longer. The truth is that if you are only going to be driving around the city at moderate speeds, you should buy a hybrid. They are fuel efficient, green and have enough power for your needs. Heavy hauling and long highway drives might need a diesel engine.
Sometimes, however, it all comes down to your emotions. You will buy the car that you have always wanted to buy. But as far as logic goes, these are the major factors to consider when trying to choose the car that is right for you.
