Buying a new car is a significant step for all of us, whether it is
the first box on wheels that we are buying or the third premium sedan
which we are adding to the garage.There is something to be said about
the smell of a new car and the excitement of driving home your new ride
with all the plastic covers intact. But how do you ensure that you’ve
made a good choice and got the best deal possible? Let’s look at the
most common things that we miss out on:
1. Determine your budget:
When shopping for a new car, make sure you determine how much you can spend on it. Financial services experts advise allocating no more than 15 to 20 percent of your total monthly budget to car-related expenses. Don't forget to factor in the cost of car insurance in addition to your monthly car payment.
2. Safety
The reason we place Safetyin the first two position among the things to check for in a new car is that regardless of the engine capacity and all other fancy features, if the car doesn’t have adequate safety features, it could be a disaster waiting to happen given the kind of road accident statistics reported in India.
Did you know that your car should ideally have “curtain” airbags along with the normal frontal airbags to protect your head when there is a sudden impact? These are meant to drop down from the roof and protect the head from whiplash. You could even ask for knee-protection. Also, vehicles are crash-tested and then given star ratings for their safety features. A five-star rating, therefore, would be the most preferred.
3. Get Internet Quotes from Several Dealers
Various websites offer free online pricing quotes from your local dealers. Get quotes from multiple dealers before you ever visit any of them. If dealers know they are being pitted against other stores, it will be easier for you to get their best offer right off the bat, and waltzing into a dealership with a first offer already in hand gives you an advantage in negotiations.
4. The Engine
Now that you know that your car is safe you need to check the two other important things that Indians are interested in, which is – how fast can this vehicle go and what is the fuel efficiency? Both these aspects are determined by the engine. There are two basic things to check here – the overall displacement of the motor in liters and the number of cylinders in the engine. For instance, a small car would usually have a 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine, which is great for fuel efficiency but might not give you rapid acceleration, especially on an incline. On the other hand, if you have a powerful engine, like a 6.2 liter, eight-cylinder one, you can whizz past everyone else but end up having to cough up much more for fuel, because efficiency here would suffer. Ideally, pick something that is suited for the type of driving you do – if you will be stuck in city traffic, the rapid acceleration won’t be any use.
1. Determine your budget:
When shopping for a new car, make sure you determine how much you can spend on it. Financial services experts advise allocating no more than 15 to 20 percent of your total monthly budget to car-related expenses. Don't forget to factor in the cost of car insurance in addition to your monthly car payment.
2. Safety
The reason we place Safetyin the first two position among the things to check for in a new car is that regardless of the engine capacity and all other fancy features, if the car doesn’t have adequate safety features, it could be a disaster waiting to happen given the kind of road accident statistics reported in India.
Did you know that your car should ideally have “curtain” airbags along with the normal frontal airbags to protect your head when there is a sudden impact? These are meant to drop down from the roof and protect the head from whiplash. You could even ask for knee-protection. Also, vehicles are crash-tested and then given star ratings for their safety features. A five-star rating, therefore, would be the most preferred.
3. Get Internet Quotes from Several Dealers
Various websites offer free online pricing quotes from your local dealers. Get quotes from multiple dealers before you ever visit any of them. If dealers know they are being pitted against other stores, it will be easier for you to get their best offer right off the bat, and waltzing into a dealership with a first offer already in hand gives you an advantage in negotiations.
4. The Engine
Now that you know that your car is safe you need to check the two other important things that Indians are interested in, which is – how fast can this vehicle go and what is the fuel efficiency? Both these aspects are determined by the engine. There are two basic things to check here – the overall displacement of the motor in liters and the number of cylinders in the engine. For instance, a small car would usually have a 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine, which is great for fuel efficiency but might not give you rapid acceleration, especially on an incline. On the other hand, if you have a powerful engine, like a 6.2 liter, eight-cylinder one, you can whizz past everyone else but end up having to cough up much more for fuel, because efficiency here would suffer. Ideally, pick something that is suited for the type of driving you do – if you will be stuck in city traffic, the rapid acceleration won’t be any use.
