Car is one of the most aspirational purchases and has significant utility as well for most people. This article is about the things to consider before buying a car. It will help you make the most of your money and minimise regrets on factors that you’re unaware of.
Total Cost of Ownership
When buying the car, the cost of the car is just one line item. There are several others like fuel, car servicing, parking that adds up to a lot.
After buying the car, get it serviced at an authorised service centre preferably or a garage you trust. You can also use coupons for GoMechanic and get it serviced professionally yet cost effectively.
When it comes to fuel, petrol usually makes sense if you don’t have to drive a lot everyday while diesel suits better for higher kilometre count. You can also choose CNG if you live in such a city where there are CNG pumps.
EVs are now being launched by a lot of car brands but it’s yet to be seen how long those batteries will last and how easy it is to charge it when not at home.
Unless you have a chauffeur driven car, parking is a common hassle that you might have to deal with often. And not just finding the parking, sometimes parking itself, particularly parallel parking, could feel difficult for many people.
Practical choices
When possible, choose dark seat colours and interiors such as black or grey instead of beige or white as light colours, while seeming attractive initially, are harder to maintain. They are more expensive too as they need a higher frequency of car detailing than usual.
Car entertainment system plays a big role in how enjoyable car journeys are. Try to get one with a large screen, having Google Android Auto or Apple CarPlay depending on your phone.
A lesser known fact is that your insurance premium depends on the colour of the car you choose. Typically cars which are red have a higher insurance premium than, say white or silver. Typically cars which are red have a higher insurance premium than, say white or silver.
When you’re with a friend group or family, it’s natural that everyone travels together. Depending on your family size, you could consider taking a 7-seater. Bonus, these seats can be folded giving you huge boot space when needed.
Safety
Nothing is worth as much as a human life. It’s good to spend more to get features like airbags and seat belts for the rear seat, anti-lock braking system and such.
Seat belts are a very simple but important part of car safety. Always remember to have seat belts on when driving. If you wear a seat belt every time you start your car, it becomes a habit.
Car purchase is one of the more expensive expenditures that an individual has in his/her lifetime, house being the biggest. These tips above will help you make the most of it and nudge you towards getting a more holistic view of owning a car.
