Forgot Factors When Buying A Car

Discussion in Auto & Moto started by BrandonScooterman • Jun 13, 2015.

  1. BrandonScooterman

    BrandonScootermanActive Member

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    Personal transport is a huge costs for every budget.
    I have noticed folks who aren't very auto savvy will miss some of the finer points to consider when looking into a vehicle. Some ways to really save is to consider these points:
    Tires and Rims: The bigger the rim, the bigger the price tag. My 14" tires cost about $50-100 each new. My girls 18" tires set her back $700 for the set (and she got a really good deal) and I know guys who have spend over $1000 (on rubber alone!)
    Engine Size: The bigger the engine, the more fuel you burn. Engines size can be described by the # of cylinders (I4, V6, V8 ect) as well as the displacement of those cylinders (350, 2L, 4.5L ect.) The smaller these numbers the better. Unless you are towing or doing heavy work, you do not need anything larger than 4 cylinders and 2.5L's of displacement.
    Insurance: Always check how much insurance will be before buying. Good rule of thumb is the smaller, less expensive the less insurance will be. Older cars also have lower premiums.
    Repairs & Maintenance: Domestic cars cost less to repair than imports. Luxury vehicles cost WAY more to maintain and fix. Larger engines take more oil, so oil changes are more expensive.
     
  2. Diane Lane

    Diane LaneWell-Known Member

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    These are all good points to keep in mind, and I'm sure many don't consider them. Also, circumstances change, and sometimes people are in the habit of buying a certain type of vehicle, and they don't take into consideration that maybe they don't need as large of a vehicle, or as much hauling power anymore, so it's good to sit down and evaluate your situation prior to making a vehicle purchase.
     
  3. allswl

    allswlActive Member

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    I agree with most of what you have said but I must disagree with the cost to repair imported vehicles to domestic one. I believe that its the other way around. I think the gas mileage and the vehicle size are important. People should ask themselves what size vehicles they want depending on their current and future lifestyle.
     
  4. BrandonScooterman

    BrandonScootermanActive Member

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    I have been asking around and googling and I think you are right. Kind of.
    So cheaper imports yes many are telling me you can get parts cheaper then some domestics.
    BUT high end cars like Audi's and BMW are really expense, more so then their domestic luxury counterparts.
     
  5. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    Very good points to consider.

    I would also add that more elaborate paint jobs will also cost you a lot more when you need to repair your car from an accident. I bought a Mustang that had metallic looking paint job called "Laser Red", which looked great until I found out it was going to take almost two weeks to get it painted when someone dented it. The paint job consisted of three layers, the metallic layer, a red translucent layer, and a third amber layer, to produce the finish, so it took three times longer to paint than a normal paint job.

    Also, faster engines can also lead to more speeding tickets if you're not careful. I'm driving a 4 cylinder truck now, and haven't had a speeding ticket (knock on wood) since I switched from my v6 Escape, and prior to that had a v8 Mustang.
     
  6. Jason76

    Jason76Active Member

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    I'm not totally clueless on vehicles. Nonetheless, I haven't really sat down and studied what cylinders are and all that stuff. However, it's not hard stuff to figure out. Note, I did figure out the mechanics of computer hardware once from a book.

    Anyway, though, this vehicle information does bring to mind the possibility, though, that such ignorance is why sneaky car mechanics can rip off people - but even ignorant people might be able to reason that larger engines have more costly oil changes etc..
     
  7. Alexandoy

    AlexandoyWell-Known Member

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    Practically, all new cars have their own advantages when it comes to features that’s why buying a car needs careful planning. Would you believe that it took us more than a year of planning and procrastinating before we finally bought our first brand new car in 2013? That’s how careful we are in making big decisions. Our choices were an SUV of Hyundai, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Ford. We settled for the Ford Escape because it was the cheapest and the features are almost the same with the other candidates. But what bolstered our desire for a Ford Escape is the good feedback from owners – Toyota and Mitsubishi have issues and Hyundai’s problem is the distant and not so accessible dealer shop (where we would bring the car for the regular preventive maintenance)..