Buying Your First Car

Buying your first car isn’t a very easy task. So how do you choose the right one?

There are many aspects that go into buying a car. There are so many options: colors, sizes, prices, etc. As a teenager, it can be a difficult decision, especially right now with the car market exploding like crazy. Most teens aren’t aware of what they should look for or where to even begin. But almost everyone wants a reliable car, so talking to students Mallory Finch and Olivia Olson, who already made this purchase, may help.

“I think gas mileage is a huge factor because I live 10 miles out of town, so I’m not about to be having 14 miles per gallon because it doesn’t work for me. Personally, I have 31 miles per gallon. I’m pushing 32, and it works perfectly. I only have to fill up my gas tank once a week. Sometimes one and a half,” said Olson.

Gas mileage is one thing to consider when purchasing your own car. If you’re doing more in-town driving, it’s not a super big deal, but for someone who lives further out of town, it’s a good idea to find a car that will allow you to get maximum mileage for what you’re paying.

“I would recommend not buying a car with over 150,000 miles on it because that car will probably break down sooner rather than later. And you don’t want that to happen. Because then you’re going to end up paying more than what you paid for the car for a new engine,” said Finch.

When looking for a car, used or new, you want to know it will last. If you buy a car with a lot of miles on it, you have to think about the fact that it is possible for it to stop running, which means spending more money in the long run.

Mallory also says that when buying a new car, definitely watch out for salvage-titled vehicles because those vehicles have been in an accident, and they could have problems in the long run.

Cars with accident history could have underlying issues that you may not be able to see even with a deep inspection on the car. Again, that means spending more money on a car you may have gotten for a respectable price.

Rule number one when buying a car: always give it a thorough inspection before even thinking about making some sort of payment on it. Knowing what to look for is very important too. Consider doing some research on used cars before shopping, it will be worth it. You could find something that the seller could have been hiding or unaware of.

Of course, you still are going to want to look at the interior side of things, which is nice to. Everyone wants a car they will enjoy driving, however, you may have to give those little details up.

“If I wanted a car that had a good gas mileage, but it didn’t have the little leather thing, then I was going to have to get rid of the gas. It’s all about what’s more important to you and your budget,” said Finch.

We all have different points of view, and for some, if it is in your budget, you can have those little factors you enjoy. She would rather spend a little more on gas to enjoy driving her car.

Olivia hopes new car buyers know you should have an idea of what car you want–like a model, maybe even a brand of a car that you want and what you’re price range is for it.

When you know what kind of car you want, that is when you start looking for one, and then exploring what it offers both under the hood and interior-wise. The most important thing is to really narrow it down to what works for you. What you want to drive, how much you want to spend, and how long you want the vehicle to last you. Using these tips will hopefully help you on your journey to make your first big purchase, a car.