There are a few obvious things people consider when buying a new car. Most people start by setting a price budget. Things like fuel economy, space and mod cons are often next on the list of requirements. As for used cars, the mileage and the visible condition of the car tend to be important things to consider.
At this point, many buyers feel they’ve covered the most important factors. But there are a lot of other things worth considering when buying a car. Below are just some of the important factors that are often overlooked by buyers.
Vehicle history
When buying a used car, the mileage and the appearance of the car will only tell you so much about its condition - and whether it's likely to be reliable or not. Sites like AutoCheck can help you carry out a full vehicle service history to get a better idea of a car’s previous faults and repairs so that you can tell just how much it is likely to cost you to maintain. Of course, some sellers may be able to provide this information through a service handbook and various receipts - however you shouldn’t count on this.
Reviews
Car reviews can give you an unbiased summary of all the pros and cons of a specific car model. This can help you to know exactly what you’re getting into before buying a certain car. There are car listing sites like Edmunds that also offer user reviews. You can also look up professional reviews of cars to get a more detailed and knowledgeable breakdown of whether a car is worth buying. When buying from a dealership, make sure to also look up reviews of the dealership to see if they are reputable.
Insurance
Of all the running costs that come with a car, insurance can often be the one that gets overlooked the most. While your history as a driver and your address can have an impact on your insurance rates, the type of car you drive can also affect how much you have to pay in insurance. Cars that are very new, very old, unreliable or prone to accidents may be more expensive to get insured for. Do your research beforehand to see how much driving a certain car could influence your insurance rates.
Warranties
When buying from a dealership, you may be offered a warranty. Different dealerships will offer different warranties - which could include varying warranty periods and different levels of coverage. Make sure that you are happy with what the warranty covers so that you’re not cheated out of money if something goes wrong shortly after buying the car.
Safety
Some cars have a better safety rating than others. Safety is likely to be something that is very important to consider if you have kids - but even if you don’t have kids, you shouldn’t overlook it. A good safety rating could help you survive a road accident (or even better, help you prevent an accident). Modern cars have more safety features than ever before, and it’s worth exploring these when choosing a car. You can look up car safety ratings here at this NHTSA website.
