What To Buy
Which car is right for ‘you’?
You probably have a pretty good idea already... right? Maybe it’s that cute little pink Micra, or a hunky Discovery, perhaps a Mercedes sports or, perhaps, you are ‘Mondeo Man’. Lets face it, who wouldn’t want a Ferrari?
But whatever your car of choice may be, is it really the right car for ‘you’? When the initial adrenaline surge of owning one has worn off, when you see the next finance payment due and it’s hurting, when the car is two or three years old and you still need to keep it for another year before selling on, how are you going to feel about it then?
So here are some really important questions to ask yourself before signing on the dotted line:
Can you really afford it?
These days you will be offered all kinds of finance deals to persuade you to buy. There are many ways of bringing the monthly payments down to make the car more attractive to you. Read our advice on finance to make up your mind about these offers, but always remember these key costs: The marked price; depreciation; finance interest rate; repayment period; fuel consumption; insurance group.
Think hard about what you need from a car on a day to day basis
Ok, it’s great to roar over the scottish highlands in an open top Morgan on a hot summer’s day, but is it really going to be that great when you’re slogging to work on cold, dark, wet winter mornings? Of course, if you are only buying the car as a toy to be used at weekends, the Morgan’s great, but if you need a hard working, commuting, shopping car, it may be the last car you need. Remember some small hatchbacks can be great fun with loads of space and comfort. Be sure in your mind you’ll be just as pleased with your car, whatever you’re doing.
If you’ve got kids, take them to the dealer with you at some point.
Be certain they all fit comfortably and safely, the dealer won’t mind - or, if he does, you know what to do!
Do NOT buy the car on your first visit to the showroom
That’s when you are most vulnerable. When you’ve looked it over and discussed the various options with the dealer, WALK AWAY. Give yourself twenty four hours to think about it and research it - you may feel completely differently in the morning. Take your time to shop around the finance companies for the best deal (click here for our advice); you don’t have to finance it with the dealer. By doing this, when you return to buy the vehicle you will be in the strongest bargaining position.
Remember that options make the car easier to re-sell
You must have air conditioning and a CD player if they are offered. Although they may not affect the actual value of the car when you sell it, they will make it easier to sell as it will be more attractive to buyers next to cars without these things. Same applies to many other little luxuries the manufacturer may offer. Just don’t use this as an excuse to go crazy with how much you spend!
Last, but not least, get the colour right.
Few things affect value like colour. You may think fluorescent green is fantastic, but nobody else will and you will never sell it without taking a major hit in the pocket. Most popular colours are blue, red and silver. If you can afford metallic, so much the better.
