Choosing A Car

This is the first and most important step. You must know how much you can spend before you can determine what you can afford. You don't want to get stuck making a bloated car payment that will leave you eating bologna sandwiches for three years. First of all, you need to have a monthly budget. This is very easy to calculate. Add up all of your fixed monthly expenses, such as your rent/mortgage, phone bill, etc. Subtract that from your net income. Then subtract your estimated extraneous expenses, such as food, gas, entertainment, whatever. The result should be an amount of money you have to play with. From that, you need to remember that buying a car involves more than a down payment and monthly payments. In your budget you will need to include licensing, registration and other hidden costs, as well as monthly insurance costs, gas and maintenance. Once you have all of this worked out, you should have a ballpark figure of the budgeted amount you can use for car payments. A good rule of thumb is roughly 20 percent of your net income can be used for a car payment. Once you determine that figure, stay with it.

Now you'll want to do is assess your needs to determine what kind of car-person you are. For example, if your car will be used mostly for daily commuting and errands, then a compact car may be your best choice. Do you haul a lot of stuff or deliver for your job? There are plenty of trucks and vans from which to choose. Have kids? A minivan, station wagon or SUV could be in your future. Wanna drive fast? Sports car, baby. There's a lot to choose from, and a lot of factors to consider. A great approach for this is to make a list of what you use your car for. Write down how far you commute, how much stuff you carry in your car, how many passengers you drive around, how often you drive long distances, etc. Will you be taking the kids to soccer games? Will you be picking up clients at the airport? Will you need to carry tools and other equipment? This list will help narrow it down for you.

Now that you have your list, you have most likely narrowed it down to a particular style or two. But did you consider other factors, like performance, handling, safety and comfort? For example, do you crave quick acceleration and power, or do you prefer a more economical ride? Do you want something small to fit into tight parking spaces? Do you want something that can take you off-roading? Maybe you want certain features, like four-wheel drive, a turbo engine or all-wheel drive. You may also want more horsepower, better gas mileage, more comfort and luxury or a greater towing capacity. Whatever the case, these are all specific wants that will pare down your new car selection even further. There are also safety features you may want to consider. Even though most of today's cars come standard with airbags, there are other safety features to consider. There are two general types of safety features: features that protect the occupants and features that assist in collision avoidance. 1. Occupant Protection - Occupant protection features are designed to protect the driver and passengers in the event of a collision. Such features include variations in size, shape, frame design and interior devices. A common misconception is that bigger vehicles are safer. This isn't always the case. While generally this may be true, some of the larger vehicles--including some newer SUVs-have a tendency to roll when making sharp turns. This heightened rollover propensity decreases the overall safety of a vehicle. Also, some of today's SUVs aren't held to as stringent a set of crash test regulations as other passenger cars. However, many of the smaller compacts on the road offer little crash resistance. Check out crash test results on the internet for a more detailed look. Other forms of occupant protection include variations in design. These are designed specifically for a model to either offer more strength or to allow for crumple zones. Crumple zones are strategically designed areas of the body or the frame that buckle under extreme stress, absorbing more of the impact than other parts of the vehicle. More and more vehicles are integrating interior safety features. While the seatbelt has become standard, airbags are becoming more common as well. Other manufacturers are also offering such features as collapsible steering columns to minimize injury risk, side-impact restraints and even extra interior padding. 2. Collision Avoidance - Design aspects including the brake system, visibility, and speed and acceleration capabilities influence crash avoidance. Anti-lock brakes are a very beneficial feature to have in avoiding a collision, for they not only allow your car to stop quicker without skidding, but they allow you to maintain the integrity of your steering while braking. This can be highly effective in ensuring your safety while driving, especially in wet or slippery conditions. However, they can also be a hindrance if not used properly.