Questions to Ask Yourself When Selecting a Car

The purchase of a car is the single largest transaction that many people make other than purchasing a home. It takes quite a while to save up the money for purchasing a car. Some families may never buy a new car, instead deciding to purchase used cars their entire life. Others will insist on only purchasing new cars, not wanting to own a vehicle that might have been someone else's problem at some point during the life of the vehicle. These are just a few of the factors that go into choosing a car. So when you choose the best midsize sedan for your family let's start with that question to start along the path to purchasing a car.

New Or Used

When deciding if you are going to buy a new or used car, the cost of the car must be weighed against the length of the life you are hoping to get from the car. If you are just trying to purchase a car to get you from location to location for the next few years while you save up more money for a new car in a few years, a used one may be best for your budget. This will also give you flexibility to delay your decision on a new car until you have to. On the other hand, if you do not want to repeat this process in the next several years, purchasing a new car can give you a vehicle that will last over 10 years depending on the mileage you put on it.

How Often and Far Will You Drive Your Car?

If you are going to drive long distances on high speed roads, choosing a car that is highly efficient on mileage is desirable. Choose one that averages over 30 miles per gallon to help keep your fuel cost down. You will also want to choose a car that has a reputation of being reliable for over 150,000 miles. Think about how many miles you drive the car a month, use that to calculate your yearly mileage, and multiply that by the number of years you hope to own the car. Test drive cars that have a reputation to last that long.

What Features Will You Need and Want?

There are a lot of features for cars today that we all would love to have. These can include touch screen sound systems, auto-starters, cruise control, and sound systems that synchronize with your cell phone. There are others that might be close to needs instead of wants such as automatic transmission (depending on driving skills), air conditioner, anti-lock brakes, and even power accessories. Then there are true luxury items such as video players and game systems. Make a list of what you must have, what you hope to have, and what is not necessary. Do not pay extra to get items on the last part of that list, and weigh the benefits of the others in the second category to stay within your budget.

How Does The Car Drive In Poor Weather?

Test driving a new car in ideal weather will show you the performance levels of that car in ideal weather conditions. Think about when you really need your car to be reliable. It's in inclement weather conditions. If you are buying a car in the summer, it's impossible to test drive how it runs in the snow; instead, you will have to read reviews to determine that. You can choose a rainy day though to see how the car handles in less than ideal conditions on slick roads. This also gives you a chance to see how features such as the windshield wipers and defoggers perform.

Research Is The Key

It doesn't stop after the test drive. Be sure to read reviews of the cars you are deciding between for additional input before choosing your car.