How to Decide What Car to Buy

You’ve decided to buy a new car. You want it to be reliable, to last, and to give you a bit of style – so what are you going to choose?

The first thing to think about is what you’ll be using the car for. There’s no point getting a cabriolet only inches off the ground if your journey home involves a rough track or a street with high speed bumps. You need to think about how you’ll use your vehicle on a daily basis. You may find yourself making too many compromises, but there’s nothing wrong with a specification for your new car that goes like this; it must be sporty, but not a sports car, and practical, but not sluggish, and the family needs to fit inside, but it can’t be a people carrier.

How Fast Do You Need to Go?

As technology progresses, you don’t necessarily have to trade off speed if you want an eco-friendly car. Or if someone else wants you to have one. For example, the range of cars with lower emissions has steadily been increasing over recent years. It’s also worth remembering that reduced CO2 emissions will affect the road tax you pay.

How Much Space Do You Need?

Do you only use your car for a commute, or do you use it to take your family away every year? The savings you make on fuel with a smaller car can be lost if you have to lease a car to use for long journeys. If you have a luxury cruiser, you may find you don’t want to fly anymore. They can make long journeys not only bearable, but enjoyable. Particularly if you’ve got a DAB tuner installed or TV screens in the back of the seats. Although, if you’re commuting everyday through a busy city, and tend to go further afield for your holidays by plane, you may find a nippy, economical, small car to be exactly what you need to survive the drive.

Where Should You Buy From?

If you decide on a BMW Edinburgh offers a great luxury car village where you can browse a range of styles, speeds and sizes. The important things are to work out what you need from your car, how much you can afford to spend and where to look. Even if you prefer to buy used cars it can still be advantageous to buy from a dealership, who have a fixed location and a good reputation.

How Much Will It Cost?

If the price isn’t an issue for you, you may find you don’t have to compromise too much. You can have safety, luxury and speed, and you can test drive them before you hand over a penny. Although, remember that, as well as the upfront price, you’ll need to factor in the price of the fuel, the tax, and the insurance. If you’re buying a used car it might also be worth bearing in mind whether the car will need new tyres or any minor repairs. It’s always worth allowing for a little more than you expect.