What you should know when Buying a Car

Buying a Car

Deciding to buy a car can be an exciting yet overwhelming process. It is great fun to choose which car to get and then begin driving it around, but the work in between can be difficult, especially if you don't know what to do. Read the article below before you begin searching for cars to purchase.

Choosing a car
Before purchasing a car, you need to have an idea of what type of car you want. First of all decide on a budget; how much can you afford to spend or how much do you want to spend on your car? Your budget needs to include the price of the car and all on-road costs. On-road costs include stamp duty, transfer costs, registration, car insurance and any extras you'd like to add to the car once you have purchased it.

Then, think about what you want in a car; think about your lifestyle and what you will be using the car for. Ask yourself questions like; How many doors do I need, two, four or five? Do I want a manual or an automatic car? Do I need a 4WD? Do I need a station wagon, sedan or ute? How big does my boot need to be? Do I need a family car or a smaller car? Do I want a car that runs on petrol, gas or diesel? Also remember to think about if your licence has restrictions?

With rising petrol prices it is important that you think about the cost of fuel, a v8 consumes a lot of fuel whereas a four cylinder car, such as a Holden Astra, Toyota Yaris or a Hyundai Excel, uses a lot less fuel. If you don't need a big car or travel a long distance to work daily, a four cylinder car might be better for you. If you have kids and need a bigger car look into a station wagon or a 4WD.

If boot size matters to you, because you are constantly carrying sports equipment, bags or even shopping, look into cars with bigger boots. Most family cars have large boots or look into the boot size of a 4WD or even a ute, if you don't need to carry passengers. When looking at boots, check that you cannot see what is in the boot from the outside of the car, you don't want people to be able to see what is in the back of your station wagon.

You may decide you would prefer a silver or white car over a black car; when you are purchasing a used car you will not be able to be as picky with the colour of the car. Remember black looks chic but it also shows dust and dirt more than silver or white cars.

Create a list of ten or more features you'd like in a car, this way when you are on the road and you see a car you like it will be easier to determine if that car meets the functions on your check list.

Once you have narrowed down the list of cars you'd like to look into, jump onto the Internet and search reviews of the car. Also, if you know someone with one of the cars you are interested in, ask them if you can look at the car and ask about the features. You could ask them how it is to drive, is it easy to park and what their servicing costs have been. Also, ask what they think the positives and negatives of the car are and why they decided to choose that model of car.

Car reviews are often great, because you can see how one particular car compares to another car that you are interested in. You can use online reviews to compare the fuel efficiently, car size and boot size.

When you are looking at reviews make sure you review the safety rating to see how safe the car is. This may help you choose between cars with similar features. For example a 2009 Holden Cruze has a five star rating and a 2005 Toyota Echo has a three star rating. The star rating on your chosen cars may help you decide which car is safest and best for you to drive.

Once you have chosen which car you'd like to purchase do your research in regards to price. Look at new and used prices. For used cars go to Red Book, this site will provide you the average price and value of the car. Remember that the value of a car can be determined by extras, low or high kilometers and car damage.

Now, decide would you like to buy a brand new car or a second hand car, the answer to this question may be determined by your budget.

Buying a New Car
When visiting a dealership and asking the price of a new car, ask that the price include all on-road costs, this will give you the total cost to get your new car on the road. You can ask the price difference for a demonstration vehicle or last years model if you'd like to bring the price down.

Even though you are at a new car dealership you need to test drive your car to see if it is right for you.

An advantage with purchasing a new car is they come with a new car warranty, which could be up to three years warranty.

Another advantage is that most on-road paperwork is done by the car company, although you do need to organise your own insurance. It is important to organise your insurance prior to picking up your brand new vehicle.

When Test Driving
Check that you can drive the car correctly, to do this, check that the mirrors can be adjusted to the spot you need them in; check the adjustability of the seat, can you drive the car comfortably? Test the brakes, to check their reliability and if you can, drive over speed bumps to check the suspension of the car.

Check that the air conditioning, demisters and heating all works, as well as the indicators, headlights, parkers and brake lights.

If you feel comfortable behind the wheel, listen for rattles, squeaks or strange noises, if you can hear anything make sure you ask the seller and a mechanic to check it out, as there maybe a problem.

All cars have blind spots, check when you are test driving that there are no major blind spots in the car, safety for you and other drivers is very important.

Buying Used Cars
Often you need to put in more work when purchasing a used car, although it is cheaper than buying a brand new car. The process for buying a used car privately or from a dealership is very similar.

If you are buying from a dealer you can ask for the name and phone number of the previous owner and ask them questions about the car, as you would with a private sale.

Don't rush into your purchase and remember that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

There are numerous sites you can look into on the Internet as well as car magazines and local papers for advertisements for cars to be sold privately.

If you are interested in the car and the price, ring the seller to ask more questions, before you drive out to see the car. A good question to ask is 'Why are you selling this car?' Common answers could include; downgrading, upgrading, being given a company car, a car with a bigger boot or more seats are needed.

If you like the car, you will need to physically view the car, this is best done in daylight hours as it is easier to see any damage to the car under sunlight. If you are happy with the look and condition of the car, ask the seller if you can test drive the car, often the seller will come in the car with you.

If you are interested in purchasing the car, do a vehicle check over the phone, ring your states road and vehicle authority and ask for a vehicle status check. You need the cars engine and vin number as well as the registration for the vehicle check. A vehicle check is important because the car may have been stolen, be under finance or have been severely damaged in a car crash. If you do not do this and there is finance on the car, the finance company can come and take the car off you, even though you paid for the car. There is a cost to receive these details in writing, but if you go ahead and purchase the car it is worthwhile paying the fees to ensure your ownership.

Legally, all registered cars need to be sold with a road worthy certificate. If you purchase your second hand car from a dealership you are likely to have a one year warranty on the car, whereas if you are purchasing the car privately you will have no warranty. You can have a mechanic or friend check the car prior to you buying the car.

Iif you are generally interested you can have the seller take the car to your mechanic for a final check. Or, you could choose to have a professional vehicle inspection; companies such as RACV, RAC and RACQ check the car over for a small fee. Although it may cost you to have this car inspection, you will know if there is anything wrong with the car, ultimately saving you money after you purchase the car. They will be able to give you an idea of things that may need work in the near future and approximate costs.
If you are happy with the car and wish to purchase the vehicle, leave a deposit and organise to pay the remaining price by cash, bank deposit or cheque. Ask for receipts for all payments paid to the seller.

Before you pick up your car organise insurance, so you are covered on your drive home from picking up the car. If you need to drive through an automatic toll system, ensure your new registration is on your account.

Once you have the keys and the car is yours ensure you have correctly filled out the transfer papers, you have 14 days after the purchase is completed to have the car transferred into your name. You can transfer the car into your name at your states traffic authority. Most states allow you to print the forms off the Internet and have them filled in by the seller at the time of the sale.

Once you have purchased your car and all the paper work is complete, enjoy driving and more importantly, drive safe.