What are some features/factors that go into your decision making process of buying a new or used car? Model? Gas mileage on the car if used? If it's ever been in an accident? Price? What do you consider the most important factor when making that decision to either pass or buy the car?
I first look for price. I'm not going to lie, this is the number one priority for me when it comes to buying a new car. It has to have a good cost for the benefits it comes with. I also price for comfort and economy. I'm actually looking to buy a new car right now and needs to be both affordable, fit my budget, not spend a lot of gas and have a good comfort level. And also looking for something that has cheap maintenance and parts available if I need to change them.
The price and then the gas mileage in that order. The next thing I look for are commonly reported problems for that make and model. If it has a history of things going wrong with it that leads to recalls, I pass it by.
Let me just focus on purchasing an used car. Buying used can be very tricky as lots of people try to hide things. Typically, if the deal sounds too good to be true it is. Be very conscious of parts with krill markings (which are junk yard parts) and no telling how many miles or ECT the part has on it. Drive the car and make sure it runs well, put the car into different gears and make sure the car shifts smoothly. You don't want transmission problems. Check all the fluids to make sure nothing is leaking or completely missing. The big trick that used car dealers use is the trick where the hide a bad engine. When engines go bad, the typically throw a rod out of place where it still drives, but not for very long and what the dealer may do is fill the engine overly full with oil to hide the knocking noise so if the car has a really high amount of oil, that is a no go. When buying a car make sure the vehicle fits your personality. If you like to go off-road, then buy a big truck or SUV. With gas prices going up I may stay clear of vehicles with high horse power, but if that's what your into and have the cash to spare then by all means go for it. Just remember that the more luxury the car offers, such as BMW and Mercedes, the more it will cost to repair, maintain, and drive.
When I was single (or without kids) the main thing I looked for was reliability and gas mileage. I wanted something that would last a pretty long time but I wanted it to be relatively cheap to maintain. Now I am the mother of 4 kids. I drive a Honda Odyssey. It came down to space (first), reliability, re-sale value, and safety.
I look for three things when buying a car. First, it must have a simple but sleek design. I like the understated elegance of Kia Rio and Toyota Altis. Second, I need to consider the price. Don't we all consider the price? Even if I have a steady stream of income, it's still important for me to know that the car I'm buying is a worthy investment. The overall package - design, performance, durability - must suit the amount I'll be paying. Lastly, the car must be able to cover 300 or so kilometers in an hour. I don't expect it to be super fast, but at least fast enough to take me to far-off places without problems.
I look at the design and price. So I would just browse 2nd hand cars first since they are cheaper. And if the car is not that old, then it's a go for me.
I care far more about design, interior, performance (power), and gas mileage. I'm not that picky about what I drive, but if I'm going to purchase a new vehicle, then I'm going to get what I want. Gas mileage isn't super, super important for me because my first vehicle was a Jeep Grand Cherokee, so I know a thing or two about paying a lot for fuel.
Price and gas mileage are no-brainers for me. Learning these lessons the hard way, though: Reviews that indicate longevity, and parts that are fairly cheap to replace/maintain. Let’s just say I now understand why so many people drive Asian cars rather than European cars over here. Hahaha. I do love my car though, I’m just gonna be wiser if I end up needing to purchase another one at some point!
Cars are my one guilty pleasure when it comes to personal finance. Generally the most important factor to me is whether or not I will enjoy driving it everyday. Being a car guy things that impact my enjoyment of a vehicle are things such as power, handling, looks, manual transmission etc... I'm probably the wrong person to ask, so I'll give you the advice I would give to a friend who doesn't see cars as anything more than a mode of transportation from point A to point B. The most important factor is practicality. If you have 4 kids it's probably not very smart to buy a Honda Civic as your only vehicle. This factor is arguably the hardest to give advice on as it really comes down to a case by case basis. The one nice thing about this is that the majority of the time someone looking to purchase a car actively understands what their needs are from the vehicle. The second most important factor is the price. This is dictated by a number of factors one of the more overlooked is how often the vehicle will be driven. To demonstrate this: Diesel cars are more expensive than their petrol counterparts, this is because diesel costs less than gasoline and after so many KM/Miles of driving you will have made back the extra money you spent on the diesel in fuel savings. Another more obvious extension of driving habits is the MPG on the vehicle. A terrific MPG rating isn't really necessary if you're going to be only driving it a few KM a day, if you are however making a 40KM commute there and back daily then obviously fuel consumption should be held in high regard. Reliability is very closely tied into price. Do you want to spend $5000 less on a vehicle that will last you 50000km less? What are your needs for this vehicle? How long do you plan on keeping it? Reliability is hard to pin down as it varies from brand to brand. Generally Honda's and Toyota's, namely the Civic, Accord, Camry and Corolla are famous for lasting far longer than they should even when given a ridiculous amount of abuse. American cars have a bad rap from their pre-bailout philosophy; now at days American cars are generally very reliable (there are obvious outliers to this). German cars can last a long time if rigorously maintained, however if longevity is your main priority then German and American cars are going to lose to their Japanese counterparts. Tying into reliability is maintenance costs. When buying a used car the maintenance costs are generally the most overlooked factor. The maintenance costs of a vehicle is directly correlated to it's sticker price. If you buy a car that was originally $35,000 for $17,000 used you should expect the maintenance costs of the vehicle to be representative of a $35,000 vehicle. As a general rule American and Japanese cars are cheaper to repair than their German counterparts; you can really just view this as an extension of the maintenance costs being tied to the sticker price. At the expense of trying not to make this post too long winded I'll stop here but if anyone has any further questions feel free to ask and I'll answer them as best I can.
Safety, safety, safety. As a mom that's my number one priority. I always check safety reviews and crash test results. Also, important to me is the brand. I'm a Chevrolet and GMC gal. It's just who I am and what I love. I've had the best experience in both safety and reliability on the vehicles I have owned from those brands.
That depends on whether or not its a brand new car. If its used I look at the age of the car, mileage, damages, service history, and of course price. For a brand new model it all about styling and design, miles per gallon, features and car maker.
