Car Buying Tips: New Cars, Used Cars - Pros and Cons

Car Buying Tips: New Cars, Used Cars - Pros and Cons



Buying a new or used car is a very important event. It is normally a long term commitment, most likely expensive, and represents a place where you and your family spend a lot of your time.

Just as most people don?t get married or buy a house or go to a particular college based upon impulse, so too should car buying be treated with respect and given a proper amount of preparation.

There are things that people can do on the internet, through reading magazines, by asking friends, and other avenues to prepare for car shopping. Here, we will discuss the internal, primal, directionally focused process of digging deep and asking a few important questions before embarking on the automobile hunt.

1) How many people will be riding (NOT how many people are in the family)?

Consider your driving habits and future driving plans. You may have a family of 5, in which case a mid-sized sedan should work. But do grandma and grandpa like to ride to school events with you instead of driving themselves? Does little Timmy need to take four of his soccer teammates to practice sometimes? Are we going to fit all of the family and luggage when we head to the Grand Canyon this summer?

2) Will it fit in the garage?

A Ford Excursion will not fit in 13% of the garages in the US. How big is yours?

3) How much can I really afford?

Do a true, honest, forward thinking budget. Can you really afford $300, plus the extra gas you?ll pay for in the new SUV, plus the full coverage insurance instead of your liability?

If a car stands out, could you stretch to $450 a month, even though you only want to spend $375?

People get credit problems through their car loans because of various reasons ? divorce, loss of job, unexpected medical expenses, etc. Then there are others who simply bite off more than they can chew.