First Time Buying a Car? Here are Some Tips for a Successful Purchase…

The time has finally come for you to buy your first car. Your “L” plates are long gone, and your Mum’s old Ford doesn’t quite tick the style points you’re looking for, and the car searching hunt is on!

Finding the perfect balance between aesthetic, reliability, and safety should definitely be part of your criteria. Then there’s everything from insurance to fuel costs to consider before signing on the dotted line. 

Not quite sure where to start? Here are our top tips for a successful purchase:

Know your limitations

Before making any hard and fast decisions, make sure you have a realistic picture of what you need and what you can afford. There’s no point owning the best wheels around if ownership is going to leave your bank balance empty each month. So make a checklist:

• What is your budget? How much can you reasonably afford at the dealership or as a private sale?
• Car insurance
• Road tax
• Routine running and maintenance costs – fuel, MOT, servicing etc

Once you’ve set a budget, you can start shopping around. 

Consider finance

Everyone needs to build a credit score if they ever want to buy a house or afford their monthly phone bill. So why should your car be any different? 

Today, car finance is the best way to buy a new vehicle straight off the showroom floor. You’re guaranteed the most tech-savvy and advanced safety features available on the market, and your choices are far greater than your standard cash purchase. What’s more, you are building a credit score and learning to live within your means each month. 

For most first time buyers, your credit score is likely to be pretty poor at this point. Fortunately, there is a range of reputable finance companies that are willing to take a chance on you, and there are plenty of buy here pay here dealers that can help you too. At these places, you can simply rock up, choose a car and buy it on the same day, with all of the money being paid in installments to the dealership itself. After all, everyone needs a hand to get on the ladder, so it’s no surprise that there are several financing options available for you. Poor credit car loans not only open the door into the motoring world for you, but they will only let you borrow reasonably within your means.

Build your confidence

Navigating long stretches of motorway and tight, cobbled city streets is a lot to take on for a new driver. If you are looking to build your confidence in the driver’s seat, we recommend purchasing a newer car. They come with more advanced safety features like Anti-Lock braking Systems (ABS) and Auto Emergency Braking (AEB) that older vehicles may not have. 

Safety ratings are carried out by Euro NCAP through a series of assessments such as crash tests. Although they change and upgrade their test regimes every few years, they are the motoring industry’s go-to for finding the safest cars around. 

Take it for a spin

Want to know the secret to purchasing success? Take the car you want out for a test drive before you make any final decisions. That way, you can get a feel for how it handles, and you can get a taste of what your driving experience would feel like. If you don’t like how it drives now, then this is not the vehicle for you. 

Here are a few pointers for getting the most out of your test drive:

• Book in advance, not on the day
• Allow an hour for your test drive so you can go out on the open road and on a motorway if possible
• Bring someone with you so that they can get a feel for the car too
• Take on a challenging route that includes some bends and hills. You need to see how the car fairs when cornering and how it pulls up a hill
• Try overtaking if you manage to get onto a dual carriageway or motorway – see where the blind spots are and how well you can accelerate
• When safe, do an emergency stop to test the brakes and the stability of the vehicle
• Don’t let the salesperson bully you! You are entitled to a test drive and are welcome to walk away from any potential sale if you’re not comfortable!

New vs older models

There’s a lot to be said about purchasing a new car. Like we’ve already mentioned, they are fitted with advanced safety features and bursting with enough tech to make any journey more enjoyable. With that in mind, you are less likely to spend wasted hours at the garage as newer vehicles tend to be high scoring in the reliability charts. They also include:

• Warranties – so any faults or issues that come up in the first couple of years are covered by the manufacturer
• Finance options – more affordable options and low monthly repayments
• More choice – colors, trims, interiors, tech, you name it; if you have a particular specification in mind, you can pretty much have it!
• Peace of mind – you’re the first and only owner, so you know the car’s entire history already
• Advanced tech

At the same time, there is something nostalgic about owning a secondhand car as your first car. You can expect:

• Affordability – they’re secondhand, so naturally, they are cheaper to buy
• Budget-friendly
• Ready when you are – no waiting around for the car to be built, shipped and delivered
• You won’t take the depreciation hit – whoever owned the vehicle in its first 3 years of life has done it already

Whatever option suits you best, bear in mind, there are pros and cons to both options. What you will find with older vehicles is that paying in cash will limit your overall choice. 

Word of caution

Private sales don’t hold the same level of accreditation as a dealership. If you fail to spot something in the service history or there is some hidden bodywork damage, you may have to face the cost of repair later on. If you are incredibly unfortunate, the repairs may cost you more than the sale price! 

Buying your first car is an exciting and slightly nerve-racking time. It’s a time of opportunity and adventure. So what are you waiting for? What car will you be driving away in?