4 Things You Need to Look Out for Before Buying a New Car

There are quite a few things that you need to think about before deciding to buy a new car. Your car will be one of the biggest and most expensive purchases that you'll have to make in your lifetime, aside from buying your house, and you'll probably be looking after it for several years. When searching for a new vehicle [or selling an old/totaled one], there are several aspects that you should consider before purchasing the automobile. Here are four (4) of the most important things to look out for when buying a car.

Warranty

What do you think is the one thing that will cost you money when you are servicing your car? Of course, it's the repairs. Unfortunately, older automobiles aren't exactly known for their durability. With a brand-new vehicle, however, there is usually just one "repair" bill to deal with - this is when you purchase the warranty. As you may know, different cars will have different warranties; a Merc GLA 200, for example, has an official warranty of 3 years or 60,000 miles. This is a pretty good deal. After all, this basically means that any repairs to your car that are needed within the first three (3) years of you owning it won't cost you anything - the service department will pay for the costs.

With a warranty, if there is a major problem with your car, then it will be fixed free of charge. In addition to this, most garages will throw in up to 12 months’ worth of breakdown coverage so you can get home or have others come and pick you up should anything go wrong with your vehicle on those rare occasions.

There are two types of warranties for cars: comprehensive and third party. The former covers issues such as damage caused by accidents, while the latter focuses on parts and services. If possible, get both linked into your contract so that if something unexpected pops up while driving - like a random tire puncture - then you won't have to pay out of pocket. And, considering that tires alone can cost up to two thousand dollars depending on what type of tires you need, [and you may even damage the wheels in the process too,] you want a warranty that can take care of that.]

The Car's Safety Features

Airbags are an important safety feature of your car, no doubt about that! Unfortunately, they do not come standard in all cars, but can usually be added as an aftermarket feature. In fact, this has been done so frequently for cheap cars that many people believe airbags are actually standard equipment on these vehicles when they really aren't.

So, although it may seem like something "extra" most would buy, don't assume that airbags are already installed when you're buying a pre-owned vehicle. Ask the dealer if it has them, or better yet, check the car's sticker to see if airbags are present. It is also important to know what type of protection you're getting with your airbag system.

Standard bags will provide a single point of impact for drivers and front-seat riders, limiting damage in the case of an accident, or when hitting trees or other objects at high speeds. Dual-stage bags can spread out the collision force from multiple hits into a "curtain" around the occupant - this will help to reduce injuries caused by broken glass and other sharp objects that might have penetrated through the vehicle during a crash.

Finally, driver-side only, as well as side-impact safety bags will protect both passengers sitting on either side of the steering wheel, such as those squeezed in between the driver and another front-seat passenger.

Other safety features to consider are a stability or traction control system, which will help avoid accidents caused by oversteering too much and skidding. There is also electronic brake-force distribution that can adjust the braking force to each wheel to suit any type of road condition, such as slippery wet tarmac on rainy days. Electronic rollover prevention sensors detect when a vehicle is at risk of rolling over and automatically apply brakes in order to prevent this from occurring. These aren't expensive either - less than $1000 usually - so you might want to check if your car has them already installed, via the computer.

Another frequently used safety feature found in many cars today is 'blindspot monitoring', which uses cameras located near your rearview mirror to monitor both sides of your vehicle while you're driving, notifying you of cars or other vehicles that are in your blind spot.

After-sales Service

The best way to ensure that you will be getting your money's worth out of your car is to make sure that it can be serviced by a professional service center after you purchase it. Of course, this depends on the type of model that you buy. For example, if you are buying a used import vehicle, then finding specialists who know how to handle these cars can be difficult. However, vehicles from major international manufacturers tend to have established networks of trusted mechanics and dealerships around town so having problems solved won't cost much more than normal (unless something major goes wrong).

Finding out beforehand where the nearest authorized mechanic is will save both your and the dealer's time when problems arise after you have already driven away with the new car. [While exploring options for buying a new car, consider the value and selection available in buying a pre-owned vehicle, particularly ones with reliable warranties and comprehensive after-sales service, which you can find at EchoPark Automotive.]

The Trade-off between Fuel Efficiency and Power

Another thing that you should look out for when buying a new car is how much fuel it will use up. If you're driving around all day in heavy traffic, then having a thirsty engine will eat into your monthly budget - especially over time. Cars are often compared against their competitors in terms of both performance and efficiency; so if there is an important factor that you're looking for more than another, then make sure to check what sort of mileage it's going to give.

If money is no object, then go ahead and pick the one with the best acceleration rate, but if looking for cheap cars under $10k, then try to stick with models that give good gas mileage. Those in the latter option tend to be the best-used cars from the 90s because they can still deliver performance without costing you an arm and a leg at the pump.

When you're ready to buy a new car, there are many aspects that need to be taken into consideration. For instance, if your main focus is performance and fuel efficiency, then you may want to consider buying a hybrid vehicle or electric car. If safety features and warranties are important for you, it's worth considering the cost of maintenance on those vehicles before making your decision.