Wondering Which Is
The Best First Car To Buy?

Decision Points when Buying Your First Car

Deciding what to buy for your first car can be scary. Where to begin? What to look out for? Here is a list of important points that you need to think through before making your decision. Go through these steps for buying your ideal first car and be confident that you will make the right decision according to your needs:

• What can you afford? Are you buying cash? Can you afford the monthly instalments on a loan agreement, the insurance cover and maintenance costs? Be sure to know exactly what your buying range is before you start shopping.
• New or Pre-owned? This will impact your buying choices in terms of budget. Reliability and future maintenance costs are important factors here.
• Purpose? Will you be travelling long distances or in short city sprints? Need more packing space? Will you regularly have passengers or travel alone?
• Running Costs? The Automobile Association of South Africa offers a handy calculator on their site which can help determine how much a vehicle’s running cost per kilometre is.
• Car Insurance? Ask a broker for an estimate. Your age, the age of your driver’s licence, the type of vehicle and where it will be kept, all influence your monthly premium.
• Safety? Just because you might not be travelling with kids yet, does not mean your safety is not of paramount importance. Thoroughly peruse all the safety features of a vehicle.
• Ride & Handling? When you are considering what first car to get, you are possibly also a newbie driver. Choose a vehicle that you can handle with confidence without feeling intimidated. Consider ease of parking if you will be squeezing into small parking spaces in the city!
• Fuel Economy? When considering what is a good first car – fuel usage is paramount as this cost can quickly eat up what is left of your available budget after your monthly instalment. Get the facts and work out the scenarios.
• Space? This goes hand-in-hand with the purpose of your first car choice. Will you need to load equipment into your car on a daily basis? Will you be travelling regularly and need sufficient luggage space? Carting around kids or pets?
• Resale Value? This will be your first car, but not your last car. Further down the line, you might want to sell or trade-in this car for a new one. Do some research on the resale value of your chosen vehicle.
• The Cool Factor. Last, but not least. Yes, you can get a pretty cool-looking vehicle without breaking the bank. Modern-day vehicle manufacturers competitively build affordable cars without compromising on looks and features.