It’s easy to get overly excited about the prospect of a shiny new car with its new car smell. But jumping the gun on your buy will just be a headache in the long run – financially and psychologically. Because of this very expensive “buyer’s remorse”, your best bet is to make a list of specifications and necessities in regards to a new automobile.
1) Select the model that makes sense for you. Are you a child-toting soccer mom that needs all the room she can get, with a side of safety? Or are you a single chick looking for a small coupe to fit in your equally small garage? Regardless, make sure you’ve evaluated the pros and cons. Use common sense and don’t ignore weather restrictions. You’d feel pretty silly if you bought a beautiful, red Corvette with the best sport tires around that won’t be able to get you out of your driveway during a snowstorm.
2) Manual or automatic? It seems painfully obvious, but your biggest mistake would be investing in a car that you can’t even get out of gear. If you can’t drive a manual transmission, don’t buy a vehicle that has it. If you don’t know how, but are planning on learning, make sure you learn prior to buying your new car. You may find you’re just not very good at it, that it’s too much of a hassle for you, or that you just plain don’t care for it. Plus, if you can’t drive stick before you buy, how are you going to take it for a test drive?
3) Pick a color, any color. These days, you can pretty much find any vehicle in any color you can imagine, so your selection probably isn’t going to be your problem. It’s narrowing it down! Again, think practically. Keep in mind that bright red cars attract the most attention for squad cars, so if you have a tendency to drive on the wild side – you might want to pick something else. Not only will you be a moving target for a ticket, it can also affect your insurance rates. If you park your car on a city street on a daily basis, you probably wouldn’t want a snow-white vehicle, as the frequent traffic will typically dirty your car more often than not.
4) Interior fashion. As tempted as you may be to get a lightly colored, plushy interior for your new ride, it might not be the best choice. If you’ll be hauling kids from football practice on a muddy field a couple times a week, chances are those little boys aren’t going to be squeaky clean when they hop in your chauffeur. And heated leather seats are fantastic during a winter storm, but traveling around Malibu probably won’t require it.
5) Exterior accessories. And no, I don’t mean that little Mickey Mouse that sits on your antenna. Are you desperate for keyless entry and a remote starter? The cost is going to add up quickly, but if convenience is the top of your list, that’s the way to go.
6) Even more automatic. Unless you’re buying an older used car, chances are the car will come with automatic windows and doors, but check anyway. It’s a great time saver and much more convenient than climbing over the seats every time someone needs to get in – especially during a rainstorm!
7) Audio/visual. If you need tunes when you’re cruising around, be sure the car has a system that accommodates your lifestyle. Some cars are iPod ready, some have flip-down television screens in the backseat to match the beat of the music, and others might not a CD player at all. If you think you might want the ease of popping in a DVD to entertain the kids on a long trip, go ahead and invest in it now and save yourself the hassle later.
8) Size is everything. Consider the size of your family, the frequency of long trips with a lot of luggage, the size of your garage (or lack thereof!). Do you need an SUV, or does your tiny driveway in front of your apartment confine you to a smaller car? On the same train of thought, look into the trunk size of your prospective vehicle choices. It’s amazing what a difference it can make when you start keeping ice scrapers, spare tires, bungee cords and extra Kleenex in there! Keep your mind open to different options, but again – stay practical!
9) Efficiency and the environment. How strongly do you feel about the environment? A hybrid vehicle may the right path for you. If not, keep an eye on the gas mileage the cars have. Fuel efficiency on the highway and stop-and-go city traffic should be some of the most significant criteria during your car shopping experience – especially with the way gas prices sky rocket at a moment’s notice.
On top of all your basic necessities, there are plenty of other options: moon roofs, custom consoles, thermostats, OnStar… the list goes on and on. Also, take into consideration the cost of repairs and maintenance for that particular car over time and what it’s going to mean for your insurance. The most important decision you’re going to make is the hardest and least enjoyable one: payment. You have to work with the dealership and financing entity to come up with a reasonable payment plan for you, as well as determine a down payment that won’t put you out on the streets, eating Ramen for the rest of your life. As much as you might want to make the smallest payments possible, it’ll hurt you in the long run. Not only will you be paying primarily interest for a very long time, but you’ll be paying it off for many, many years.
The search for the perfect ride shouldn’t be what you hate most about your day, but it should be taken seriously. If you don’t like what you’re seeing, don’t take it. As long as you are equipped with your list of criteria and your sanity, you should be able to shop for the car you’ve always wanted with confidence.
