Pick The Right Car
Welcome to Pick The Right Car! Pick The Right Car is the number one source for news and information to help you choose the right car, truck, motorcycle or other automobile. Before purchasing any car, truck, or motorcycle make sure you get the facts from Pick The Right Car!
Buying a vehicle is a daunting process for most people. It can be very confusing when you are standing on the car lot amongst what seems to be a sea of shiny vehicles that are all wanting you to take them home. Mix in your emotions, your financial limits, and the massive amounts of optional accessories and extended warranties and before you know it, buying a car can be down right depressing.
To prevent this car-buying-burnout you should do your research before you even start looking at vehicles. You need to know what your budget is, and exactly what vehicle you plan on purchasing. You should never let a salesperson talk you into buying extra features that they think you need.
Before you buy, consider the following:
Your Budget
The number one thing to consider: the money. When it comes down to it, nothing else matters. Before you even think about looking at vehicles you need to put together a budget. Not only do you need to know the total amount you can spend but you need to have figured out how much of a down payment you want, and what monthly payments you can afford. You should never go beyond your budget! Determine the amount that you will be comfortable spending and do not exceed that amount! If you are not sure if you can handle the monthly payment then try this experiment: For a few months, take the amount you are “willing” to pay for a car and put it in a savings account. In other words, if you are comfortable paying $500 each month then for three months or so you should put $500 in a savings account. Not only does this give you the feeling of paying a car note, it will also help you build a cash reserve to use as a down payment!
Residual Costs
Most times people overlook the residual costs of owning a vehicle. Aside from your car payment (if you have one) you will also need money for insurance, tires, tune-ups, oil changes, repairs, tags, property taxes, and so on. Even after the initial purchase, the cost of owning a vehicle can be substantial if you are not prepared.
How are you going to use the vehicle?
This is one of the most important questions that you can ask yourself. Is this vehicle going to be your primary transportation or your weekend cruiser? Are you going to haul groceries or lumber? If you are looking for something sporty to just run around town then consider a sleek, two-seater sports car. If you have many kids that you need to take to school then you may want a minivan or SUV. Another thing that you may want to keep in mind is the trunk/luggage space. If you do a lot of traveling then you may need the room for your suitcases.
Safety and Reliability
Safety and reliability is a key factor when choosing a vehicle. You should want a vehicle that is as safe as possible, but you will need to do some homework to figure out which is “the safest.” For starters check out safercar.gov and search for the crash test and rollover ratings for the models that you are looking at. Then you can go to iihs.org and compare the test ratings between different vehicles.
To determine which vehicle has the best reliability you can visit MSN Autos or JD Power and Associates
Horsepower or Fuel Economy?
With gas prices reaching over $3.00 per gallon fuel economy is often a major selling point for some vehicles. Four cylinder engines typically get better gas mileage when compared to six or eight cylinders but in most cases they they are sluggish, slow to respond, and do not have the stamina or reliability of a v6 or v8 (six or eight cylinders). On the other hand, if you will be pulling a trailer or hauling heavy loads then you would probably prefer a six (v6) or eight cylinder (v8) engine. If gas mileage is major factor for you then you may want to consider a hybrid vehicle.
