Everybody wants a car they can depend on. It’s important to remember the basics when buying your first car, we recommend one with a balance between style, comfort, and reliability. Make sure you buy a car that feels like you.

Affordability

Ensure you pick a car that you will be able to afford. Owning one is expensive, remember you aren’t just buying the vehicle itself, but are also paying for: Car Insurance, Car Tax, and much more (MOT, Fuel, etc.).

Different dealerships will have different benefits when purchasing a vehicle from them, lots offer loans with different rates of interest on the instalment payments. Make sure you do your research and choose a dealer with benefits that suit you.

New vs Used

A common question that gets asked is whether you should buy a new or used car, especially with new drivers or someone buying their first car. There are benefits to both, it is up to you to decide which route you want to go down. However, here are some facts that might help make your decision easier:

Benefits of buying a used car:

• Used cars are generally cheaper.

• Easier to find your dream car – the number of different makes and models of vehicles in the second-hand market is plentiful. 

• Lower insurance rates – insurance for a used car tends to be lower than that of a new one because they have less value.

Benefits of buying a new car:

• Warranties – dealerships offer car warranties, giving you the reassurance that you have something to fall back on if anything in your vehicle breaks.

• You’ll know the full and detailed history of the car.

• Better financing options – you will have more options to spread the cost of your car (i.e., pay in monthly instalments for a certain amount of time), and could become more affordable for you in the long run.

Are you a new driver?

Most new drivers should buy a safe car to ensure they are protected in case of being involved in an accident. Generally, a newer car is a safer car. 

The best and easiest way to determine the safety of a specific car is to take a look at Euro NCAP’s website, where they rate cars based on their safety and reliability. Simply search for a specific car or use their top-rated vehicles as a guide on what car you should purchase.

Dealers vs Private Sellers

Another thing you must consider when buying a car is whether you want to buy one through a dealer or a private seller. This is more important if you are thinking of buying a used car. It’s safer to buy a vehicle from a reputable car dealer, but it may not always be the affordable option. The main difference between these two purchasing options is the level of protection you receive from the law if anything were to go wrong. It’s likely that you will have more legal consumer rights when buying from a dealership.

Do Your Research

You should know as much as possible about a vehicle before buying it. These are the most important facts to know about a car’s history: Mileage, MOT history, Age, No. of previous owners, Repair work, etc. You should also take the car for a test drive; this is the best way to determine whether the car is for you or not. Familiarise yourself with the vehicle and check that everything is working the way it should be. Finally, before going ahead with a purchase, there are a few extra things you should do. You must:

• Check the vehicle’s registration document.

• Check the vehicle’s handbook is present.

• Confirm any and all warranty.

• Get all details of the deal in writing.

• Remember you need to tax the car before you can drive it.

For any car buyer the overall costs to run the vehicle should be as low as possible, Compare For Cancer can help achieve just that. By simply providing us with some basic information about yourself and your vehicle we can compare insurance quotes from over 110 UK car insurance providers helping to find the best price for you. Not only is our comparison service quick and easy but all of our profits will be donated to cancer charities across the UK. Get a quote today!