Choosing the right car for you can be a difficult and time consuming task with how many different options there are on the market. You need to think about the engine size, fuel type, economy, insurance and tax costs, average annual repair costs and more. We’re going to look at all of these and more in this article.
How will you be using the car?
Are you a new driver? Perhaps a small, economical petrol hatchback such as the Peugeot 108 would be a good fit for you if you’re planning on doing a lot of town or city driving and short journeys.
Do you need an efficient executive company car? Try a hybrid or electric car for inexpensive and environmentally friendly driving.
If you have a big family, the SUV and Crossover market is booming right now, with the Nissan Quashqai being one of the most popular vehicles on the market and has long been a family favourite. The first generation model was released in 2007, and ever since then they’ve set the bar for the family sized SUV market. It’s got plenty of space, comfort and feels safe to drive in, making it a great car for the family.
Decide on a budget and how you’ll pay
When weighing up cars to buy, you don’t just need to take into account the price of the car itself, but also ownership costs such as tax, insurance, fuel, repairs, servicing, MOT’s etc.
At LMC you can sort cars based on your maximum budget, whether you want to pay outright or on finance, to automatically match you with suitable cars.
In terms of buying on finance, hire purchase is the option to choose if you want to eventually own the car, while personal contract purchase has lower monthly payments and you have more flexibility with what to do with the car at the end of the agreement. Talk to a member of our team today about the finance options we have available.
Fuel type & efficiency
When deciding on the right fuel type to choose for your next car, you again need to go back and think about what you’ll be using the car for on a regular, day to day basis. If you mostly reside in the city or a town, a petrol is the better option, as stop and start traffic can clog the diesel particulate filter in diesel cars.
In all diesel cars registered post 2009, there’s a legal requirement for diesel particulate filters to be fitted. These essentially collect the soot created when the diesel is burned which prevents harmful particles being emitted into the air. However, to get the diesel particulate filter to work effectively, you need to regularly drive your car at higher speeds, making them perfect for motorway driving. Diesels also have more torque and pulling power than their petrol counterparts, giving you a more relaxing drive and swifter overtaking.
Features
Think about features such as space, entertainment and safety.
How much luggage space do you need to carry? If you need lots of space, consider finding a car with rear seats that can fold flat, such as the Honda CR-V or Mazda CX-5.
As for entertainment, do you need your car to be AndroidAuto or Apple Carplay compatible? Or are you happy with DAB radio and an aux input? Is it important to you to be able to import your contacts so you can utilise hands free calls and texting, and would built in sat nav be beneficial?
Safety features in cars are vastly improving. Some beneficial features to look out for if you plan on doing a lot of motorway driving are things such as lane keep and departure assist, as well as autonomous emergency braking (AEB). If you have small children, seat belt alert reminders are a helpful addition, and reverse cameras and blind spot detection are good if you’re having to drive around busy towns and park in small spaces.
Find your next car with LMC
Ready to find a car for sale you’re interested in? Search from our stock of over 250 vehicles for sale in London and Across Thurrock here at LMC, schedule a test drive and ask us any questions!