How to Select a Quality New Car

One of the most difficult and expensive purchases you can make in life is that of a new car. The only more expensive purchase that can be made is your own home. We all have different expectations in terms of what we require a car to be able to provide for us. Some people choose small run-a-bout sedans while other people require a family size sedan, with spacious interior, and six to eight cylinders for easy highway driving. There are good reliable middle range cars that meet most buyers’ needs.

There was a time when the only economical fuel efficient car you could buy was a four cylinder model. However, car companies have spent large amounts of money engineering six cylinder cars with very fuel efficient engines in recent decades. There are a wide range of car companies selling high fuel economy cars with 2.6 to 3.6 liter engines from Toyota through to General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. There are also the European luxury models made by Daimler Benz and BMW that all come with highly fuel efficient engines.

The criteria I look for in a new car are:

1. Comfort including sufficient head and leg room, good ride and handling, air conditioning/heater demister, power steering and cruise control

2. Good engine power for quick movement in city traffic and ability to overtake safely when highway driving

3. Minimum safety features such as air bags, anti-lock braking, and if possible, traction control for driving on wet road surfaces; and

4. Fuel economy of around 11.5 liters per 100 kilometers for city driving or 15 liters per 100 kilometers for highway driving.

Most moderately priced new cars would come with nearly all of the above technology as standard fittings in these modern times. I have not mentioned seat-belts because no new car would be sold without them.

How to find the best deal? I would say that all depends on whether you are willing to purchase a car over the Internet or you prefer to do it in person. A lot of people will suggest the Internet will get you the best deal on a new car just as it will get you the best deal on an airline ticket. Evidence would suggest this is good advice. However, I prefer to visit the dealership direct so that I can personally inspect the cars on sale and negotiate face to face with the sales representative. I have found you can still get a very good deal on a new car this way especially if you have a trade-in where you will generally receive anything up to 3 times what your trade-in vehicle is worth.

If you are interested in direct negotiation with a sales rep, you want to time your purchase of the car to benefit from the sales cycle as much as possible. Always try to time your purchase for the quiet sales time of year just before the end of the financial year or near Christmas.

Another great way to get a good deal is to wait until the car you are interested in is about to be superseded by a new model. Car dealers are always keen to shift outdated stock as soon as possible. You may also wish to consider buying a former demonstrator model. Price reductions are always considerable on such cars. In short, always be prepared to shop around and compare quotes between different dealerships, and remember, everything is potentially negotiable with the purchase of a new car.

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