Finding the best car for you
By Sylvia
Booth Hubbard • Bankrate.com
There's no 'best' car for everyone, but there is a
best one for you and you should choose it based on your needs.
Consider the following questions when choosing a car:
- Who's driving? Parents
buying a car for a teenager should consider safety first. Karl
Brauer, editor-in-chief at Edmunds.com
recommends, "No sports cars and no SUVs." Kids drive
differently when a bunch of others are in the car and they're
trying to impress them. Young working adults probably are on a
budget, so they should first consider an efficient economy car.
Older people need small vehicles that are easy to maneuver.
- How old are the passengers? Minivans
are best if the primary passengers are small children because
sliding doors make it much easier to position toddlers in car
seats. Both the very young and the elderly can get in and out
easily.
- How many passengers? If
you have three children, you might want to consider a minivan,
station wagon or SUV that has third-row seating If you buy a sedan
that seats five, there's no room for error. An aunt or grandparent
can't ride with the parents and children in the same car.
-
What's the primary
use? If you're buying a car for
commuting, gas mileage and comfort will be major considerations.
Sit in a car before you buy and see if it supports your back.
Check out the climate-control system. If you live in a cold
climate, pick a cold day and drive a car before it's been
warmed up. See how long it takes to get warm and how effectively
it defrosts the windows.
-
City or country car?
If you drive a lot in the city you
should consider small economy cars and minivans that are easy
to maneuver and ideal for traffic and parking.
-
How much horsepower
do you need? If you love performance
driving, or have to accelerate rapidly onto crowded freeways,
a four-cylinder car may disappoint you. If not, a four-cylinder
car can give reliable performance while cutting fuel, maintenance
and insurance costs.
-
Is economy important?
Economy cars and hatchbacks usually
get the best mileage, as do the new hybrid vehicles or one
of the Volkswagen turbo diesel engines such as the Jetta or
Golf, which get up to 40 miles per gallon.
-
Is space important?
If you or your children participate
in sports or have hobbies that need a lot of cargo space,
you're going to need more than a car with a trunk. Look for
a minivan, SUV, a wagon or a new crossover vehicle .
- Will it fit in your garage?
Some SUVs and vans are either too wide or too high for many
garages. Measure before you buy.
- Do you haul or tow equipment?
Need a vehicle capable of towing a boat or RV? Many small cars
simply don't have the horsepower, transmission or chassis to
handle those demands. Even some SUVs are not up to the task,
so check on the vehicle's towing capacity.
- Choosy about color?
Naturally, you should pick a color you like, but keep in mind
some unusual colors, such as yellow, can affect not only the
car's resale value but also the cost to insure. "Red generally
costs the most because insurers associate red-car owners as
being younger and more prone to get into accidents," says
Brauer. "White cars cost the least to insure."
- How long will you own it? Look
at car guides and check out Internet sites to see which vehicles
hold their value. Every car drops in value, but some drop much
less than others. The Mercedes Benz CLK class retains 64 percent
of its value over a three-year period while a 2003 Chevy Tracker
two-wheel drive retained only 17 percent.
- Is the name plate 'dead'?
Resale value drops sharply for cars whose brand isn't being
made anymore. Oldsmobile, the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird,
for example, are being phased out.
Once you have narrowed your search, find comparable
vehicles in that class. For instance, if you're interested in
a Honda Accord, check out the Camry and the Taurus to compare
options, features, insurance rates, and operating costs to find
the best deal for you.
Sylvia Booth Hubbard is a
freelance writer based in Mississippi.
-- Posted: Feb. 15, 2005
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