Buying a new car…the NEED to know
Recently I was at the Canadian International Auto Show with my two young sons. It’s always fun to go to the Auto Show as many people found out. http://bit.ly/zoK71y I had also taken my dad with me as he was looking for a new vehicle. He figures it may be within a year or so when he buys a new vehicle, so getting information ahead of time was a good idea. Do you do the same thing when you want to make a big purchase or are you an impulse shopper? If you do some research ahead of time, you’ll often find yourself getting a better deal for yourself.
Things that you may want to look into when buying a vehicle should include safety features. Most people are looking for style and colour, but there should be more into a vehicle than that. Look at the safety rating for vehicles that you’re interested in. If the manufacturer has been making this vehicle for a few years, they would have already found the “bugs” in their designs. If the vehicle is a new design, there may be some future “bugs” that you will need to address as the months continue if there are recalls.
As of September 2011, all Canadian made vehicles will come with a form of Electronic Stability Control (ESC). This helps the driver maintain control if one or more wheels have lost control while going around a curve or corner. This will also come with Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS), so familiarizing yourself with these items ahead of time would be in your best interest.
Other things to keep in mind would be options your vehicle could come with. These could include tilt steering, air conditioning, GPS, heated seats, and cruise control among others. Having these luxury items can really make driving more comfortable, especially on those long vacation drives. Keep in mind that these options will add to the cost of the vehicle. The “base” model has very little to it, but once you add all of these options to it, the price can raise thousands of dollars. Determine if there are specific package groups that offer the options you’re after at a discounted price. Something like a “sport package” or a “comfort package” can be available.
Before buying your vehicle make sure it’s exactly what you need and not want. For example, if you want to tow a house trailer or a boat on a trailer you’ll have to make sure it’s engine is strong enough to do so. Most vehicles can actually pull the trailer, but its braking ability is also something to consider. Are the brakes strong enough to stop the forward motion a trailer brings with it?
As gas prices continue to soar, find out what the fuel consumption rating is of that vehicle. Searching online for specific information can be quite helpful since the EPA ratings aren’t always the ‘real’ ratings. Searching online can also help you find out what the overall rating and fuel consumption is for that vehicle if it’s been built for a couple of years. If consumers don’t have nice things to say about it, leave the vehicle alone and look at something else.
The last thing to consider is what it would cost to operate? What would it cost to insure your new vehicle? Is it something you can afford? What would service cost you each time you take it to the dealership? Do you have a local dealership near you as the cost of driving it out of your area can be expensive and time consuming. The continuing cost of operating the vehicle is something that many drivers fail to think about after purchasing their new vehicle. To me, that’s a huge part of owning the vehicle. Is it the same with you?