10 Essential Tips for First-Time Car
Buyers
You are finally buying your first car, but where do you start? With so many options available and crazy interest rates, it can feel almost impossible. But worry not, we are here to guide you. This article aims to provide you with all the advice you need to make the right choice with your vehicle purchase. Here are 10 tips to help you find the right car:
- Consider Your Needs Why are you buying a car? What will you be using it for? This is a great place to start, as it will help you figure out what you need in a car and hopefully refine your search a bit more.
- Budget How much are you willing to spend per month? Consider the cost of your potential instalment, insurance, and cost of petrol. A good rule to keep is not spending more than 30% of your income on your car.
- Do Your Research Explore the different brands. Consider fuel consumption, insurance, and maintenance costs. Familiarise yourself with finance terms.If you are purchasing a pre-owned vehicle, ask about the vehicle's history and previous owners.
- Explore Your Finance Options Research the different financing options, considering your instalment, interest rate, etc. Also, think about how flexible it will be should anything change in your life.
- Save For a Deposit and Emergency Fund This will help you lower your interest rate and prepare you for the costs of owning a car. Sometimes insurance takes a while to approve certain things or does not cover them. You don’t want to be unprepared.
- Consider Used and Demo Vehicles Your first car doesn’t need to be a brand new one, it can be a pre-owned or demo vehicle. This might help you save money too.
- Get Insurance and a Maintenance Plan Compare quotes and read the fine print. When the inevitable happens, you will want to be as protected as possible.
- Negotiate The Price Some dealerships have better deals and added bonuses. So compare and use this information to negotiate a better deal for yourself
- Test Drive the Car Pay attention to how you feel and try to imagine what your daily experience will be like. This will also help you figure out what added features you might need.
- Enjoy Your Car Responsibly The first month is often filled with excitement and a lot of unnecessary trips as a result. We are not saying don’t enjoy your car, but be careful not to add more expenses for yourself. Petrol is expensive, so maybe you don't need to make yet another trip to see your friend because you have a car now.
We hope that this article proves to be helpful as you begin searching for your first car. Contact one of our dealerships or visit our website to explore our wide range of new, used, and demo vehicles. Find a vehicle that speaks to you
