Simple Car Buying Guide: 

Factors to consider before purchasing your new car

Buying a new car is an exciting experience, whether you’re a first-time buyer or have done this multiple times before. Also, the level of involvement in this process is pretty high regardless of the fact that you may be a complete amateur when it comes to automobiles or you’re a seasoned expert. In this blog, I’ll be sharing a few handy and some very important tips that can guide you through this journey so that you can make an informed decision and end up making a purchase that suits your requirements, eventually picking the perfect car for yourself.

    1. Understand your need:

      Before we start shortlisting cars from different segments and price brackets, it’s important to understand and ascertain the real need for this car. Whether it is going to be driven around in the city for your office commute or is this going to be used only for weekend outings? Is your running going to be very limited or you are going to be clocking big kilometers year on year? Whether you want fuel economy or are you chasing performance? Is it going to be driven around only with 1-2 passengers regularly or it is going to be used by the entire family? etc. The car that you end up with must tick all the correct boxes.

    2. Set a Budget:

      It may be easy for some to write the big cheques right away after being enticed by an option that they like, but that’s not the case for everyone. One needs to factor in the additional costs that add up on the ex-showroom cost of the car. The yearly insurance, Registration fees, additional accessories, yearly maintenance, extended warranty, to name a few. It would be recommended to set aside the proper funds for this purchase after evaluating your existing financial situation and commitments.

    3. Type of car:

      Now this is where the fun part begins. It is very important to understand various body types of cars available in the market. There are hatchbacks, sedans, SUV, MPVs, crossovers, convertibles, coupes, etc and a lot more options. Each type of car is designed to fulfil a specific purpose and it might prove to be highly inconvenient if you get stuck with the wrong kind of car. For example, an SUV is great for long roadtrips and the occasional off-roading session that you plan on a weekend. But they are rather large and quite cumbersome to drive around in cities with bumper-to-bumper traffic. So it is imperative that you test drive each type of car and pick the one that really suits the purpose or your specific requirements. Car dealerships are equipped with all the tools and necessary information for you along with experts to guide you with test drives for each car.

    4. Petrol, Diesel or EV?:

      There are various types of cars that run on different types of fuel. There are also some excellent Electric cars flooding our markets at the moment. Choosing the right one actually depends mostly on your driving pattern. Let me break it down to make it easier for you.
      a. Petrol – If you drive under 5-10K kilometers a year, this would be your ideal choice. They also offer good and punchy performance which adds to their appeal.
      b. Diesel – If you’re someone who makes a lot of long distance highway trips and clock over 10-20K kms in a year, this should be your most suitable preference. Diesel engines also generally produce more torque which makes highway work an absolute piece of cake for these machines.
      c. CNG – If you do not wish to spend a lot on your monthly fuel costs, CNG should be your pick of the lot. These are exponentially cheaper to run and would not add too much to your fuel tabs.
      d. EV – EVs are exciting to drive and are filled up to the brim with tech. However, due to the limitation of infrastructure and very limited number of recharging stations in India, they offer a shorter range to drive and are currently the best suited to be driven within the city limits. EVs are suitable for use in places with easy availability of charging stations and accessible roadside assistance in case something goes wrong with the car.

    5. Prioritize safety over features:

      Although, the safety standards for modern cars are at their absolute best that they have ever been, it is still important to do some research on this before zeroing in on one. Global NCAP ratings and Bharat NCAP ratings are both excellent ways to figure out how safe a car is as they mark the cars on numerous safety parameters before handing out the exact safety rating for the car. So, in case you are confused between multiple options that offer different things to you as a user, always pick Safety first. The car that offers the most number of safety features in terms of number of airbags, ESP, ABS, parking cameras and sensors, structural rigidity, etc. must always top your priority. Cars will keep evolving with time and the features that you currently appreciate may get updated or replaced in the future models, but safety will always remain at the forefront.

    6. Design, Tech & Features:

      So far in the car buying process, I’m sure you have realized how much fun it is to evaluate and pick between so many different types of cars out there. The features and technologies that modern cars offer just add on to it exponentially. You will be amazed to see how far the car has advanced and what all the car manufacturers are offering to their buyers today. Right from premium audio systems, to sunroofs, to large infotainment displays, ADAS autonomous driving features, various driving modes. The list is too long. The best way to understand these is via a thorough test drive. The key is to figure out which of the features being offered actually do add value to your usage and the ones that may simply seem like gimmicks. This stage is where most of the car buyers subconsciously make a decision in their minds as to which car appeals to them most.

    7. Maintenance & Other Yearly Costs:

      Some car brands cost higher to insure and maintain over the course of the year. This is usually the case for the luxury brand like Mercedes Benz, BMW, Land Rover, Jaguar, etc. While other brands like Hyundai, Tata and Mahindra are comparatively much cheaper to run and maintain. So it is essential to do a thorough research on these aspects of the car that you plan to purchase. Get in touch with the service departments of the cars that you have shortlisted, have a chat with owners who have previously owned these particular cars, enhance your knowledge from YouTube videos and car discussion forums to properly gather all the information that you need to ensure your car ownership over the next few years goes smooth and according to your plan.

    8. Discounts, Offers and Finance:

      You may arrive at this point ideally after shortlisting a few options out of many and after some thorough research and evaluation. It’s time to look for the best discounts and offers being provided on these models and eventually on the one that you plan to finalise. Festive seasons, year end and financial year end are usually the best time to finalise your deal as the dealerships would go out of their way to offer you the best pricing for your vehicle. Along with a few other extras in terms of accessories, extended warranty, service packages, etc. that can be bundled up into an offer that you won’t be able to refuse. So once you have it, make sure you have enough funds set aside for the Down payment for the car. Another important aspect is to have your finances in place for documentation process in order to apply for a loan for the car. IT returns file, proof of income, your professional details are some of the stuff that the bankers at the dealership will ask you to have in order.

      Conclusion:

      The car buying decision is not just financial, but a personal one. So it is recommended that you take your time with it. Evaluate the factors at every stage. Seek professional help wherever necessary. The most important, and I cannot emphasize on this enough, is to take a thorough test drive of all the cars that you like and are considering. No amount of YouTube watch hours or reading posts on the internet will actually help you as much as going to the showroom and physically interact with the car. It is genuinely essential to the car buying process. And for any additional guidance, you can always contact me. I would be more than happy to assist you with any queries you may have during this journey. Wish you many safe miles with your new car!