For millions of people, the process of buying a car is a uniquely intimidating one. If you don’t know which types of cars are available or what makes them distinct, or if you don’t even know what you want or need, you may not know where to begin.
Fortunately, there are some easy steps you can take right away to make the process easier and more accessible for yourself.
Start With Introductory Guides
An introductory car buying guide could be the perfect resource for starting your car shopping journey. In a guide geared toward people with minimal car buying experience, you should get access to content on a wide variety of topics, including the pros and cons of buying vs. leasing, the merits of new and used cars, how to budget for a vehicle, and much more.
Although most of these guides will be written with newcomers in mind, don’t be intimidated if you feel overwhelmed by the information available. At this stage of the process, you’re just looking for some background information and clarity on topics that are confusing to you. As you continue doing research and immersing yourself in the car buying world, you’ll gradually understand things better and put yourself in a better position to choose the right car for your needs.
Make a List of Your Wants and Needs
Don’t worry about your lack of technical expertise or lack of car buying experience; use what you know to make a list of your current needs and wants.
Think about the following, carefully noting if you have minimum standards in each category and if you have any preferences that might be nice, without being required to justify a purchase:
- Price. How much are you willing to spend on this vehicle? Are you willing to take out a loan for the vehicle, and if so, how much money can you spend each month on it? If you have a price range in mind, you can immediately narrow down your options and make your car purchasing decision much simpler.
- Size. You might also have a requirement or preference when it comes to size. You might need a big, powerful vehicle with lots of storage, or you might prefer a smaller, more agile vehicle that can work well in urban environments. You might also be agnostic as to the size of your vehicle.
- Safety. Modern cars are much safer than their older counterparts, and for a plethora of reasons. But within the realm of modern cars, safety ratings vary significantly. For some consumers, safety is the highest priority, and it’s important to choose a vehicle with excellent safety features. For others, it’s worth driving a slightly less safe vehicle if it means saving money or successfully fulfilling another goal.
- Utility. What is the intended function of your vehicle? Are you just looking for something to get you to and from work? Are you going to be hauling children and sports equipment from place to place? Do you need to be able to tow an RV or a boat? Are you looking for a performance vehicle that’s capable of fast acceleration? Make a list of what you want or need the vehicle to do.
- Style. Aesthetics are a somewhat superficial consideration, but they still matter to many car buyers. Think about whether you have any preferences about how you want your vehicle to look, including color preferences.
- Extras. Are there any major upgrades or built-in accessories that you want to add? Once you start narrowing down your list of options, you can dig into more detail about the add-ons and extras that are available.
Get Some Recommendations
If you’re still not sure where to start, consider getting a recommendation from a friend or family member who knows cars. Even if they don’t have a concrete recommendation, they can at least point you in the right direction.
Review “Best” Options in Your Chosen Category
Hopefully, you know what broad category of vehicle you want, and you can start exploring “best of” lists to narrow down the field. For example, if you’re looking for a compact SUV, you can look for guides reviewing the best compact SUVs of the current year. Once you get to this stage, you can start ruling things out and narrowing down your specification lists.
Start Test Driving
It’s definitely possible to buy a car without test driving it first, but for most people, an early test drive is the better option. Once you’ve narrowed down your list to a small handful of potential options, consider driving those cars in person to make your final decision.
Car shopping is a lot of work, but it can also be quite fun. Once you have a bit more knowledge and experience, you’ll be able to review all the necessary information and ultimately choose the vehicle that best fits your needs.