Reasons for buying a car
There are three types of common reasons for buying a new car:
o For daily commuting (work/office)
o For people who travel often with their families or even alone (one or two times a month)
o For Passion or hobby
It is good to make an informed decision while buying a car whatever the reason for purchasing it. There are certain things that a person must keep in mind before making a buying decision.
Important points to consider before buying a car:
1. Budget
The budget should be the most important thing to consider before buying a new car. This helps in reducing the confusion. It is always helpful to have an idea about the options of cars in a particular price bracket. Most vehicles sold in India are under rupees 15 lakhs.
Moving above this price range will be a niche requirement.
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2. Comparing Fuel Type while Buying a Car
It is important to know which fuel type car is suitable for you. For people who have a lot of car usage, like frequent long-distance travel, the Diesel car is still a good option. If a car will be used majorly for city rides, Hybrid engine or an Electric vehicle would be perfect for it.
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3. Body Type you need
Choosing a body style in a car is majorly based on the style and occasions of driving. Personal preference could also be considered when choosing the body type.
Hatchbacks:
Hatchbacks should be considered when the vehicle is supposed to be used particularly in the city. It is easy to maneuver a small car in congested city lanes. These cars are very efficient because they have less weight and small capacity frugal engines.
Sedans:
It is a belief in India that SUVs are comfortable for long journeys. This is not really true. Sedans are extremely great at highway touring. Sedans also excel in the handling department.
MUV:
These cars come with the benefit of having third-row seating. Another important thing here is that these cars have a very comfortable suspension setup.
SUV:
These cars have an elevated and butch profile. SUVs are very much comfortable on bad roads and have immense road presence.
4. Finding the Engine and Transmission you need
Car manufacturers are focusing more on fuel efficiency from their engines. The fuel efficiency figures are very tempting for the buyers. Yet there are a few things to remember while choosing an engine and transmission.
o Small-capacity three-cylinder engine will not be a good choice for people who travel long distances frequently with their car. Small engines are most efficient at speeds of 50-55 kph. Highway speeds of 80 kph and above will put a strain on the engine and the fuel efficiency will also drop significantly.
o Choosing a large-capacity diesel engine in the Delhi-NCR region is not a good idea. Delhi has many regulations and limitations related to diesel engines.
o People who have their drive limited to cities should avoid buying a car with a powerful petrol engine. These engines are expensive to buy and maintain. Cities have speed limits nowadays.
5. Considering Safety Standards while buying a car
Safety is an important aspect of a car. Many cars in India are rated 5 stars in safety standards by European NCAP, and Global NCAP. Bharat NCAP is an Indian agency to test vehicles manufactured in India.
Knowing the reality:
Many car manufacturers introduce a base variant with a very tempting ex-showroom price. The lower variants are generally only equipped with some of the safety equipment present in the top variants. The safety agencies test the base variants of a car. Many car manufacturers discontinue their base variant when the vehicles are required to be tested by NCAPs.
6. Busting the Trends
The Indian car market is reliant on trends. People should avoid choosing vehicles according to useless trends. Indian car buyers do not look beyond Fortuner SUV when they have a budget of Rs 50 lakhs. However, their needs might be for a luxury vehicle.
Another trend is buying a German luxury car. These luxury cars, under the price of Rs 70 lakhs, lack some of the very basic features. Ventilated front seats are available in many under Rs 15 lakh cars. This feature is available as an optional extra in many luxury vehicles. Some luxury vehicles do not have Apple Car-play in the standard equipment list.
Avoiding useless features:
Indian cars are getting better in terms of their equipment list. The seats are getting more plush and technology is touching its peak. Still, some features are not very useful, but people get attracted to them.
– One such feature is the sunroof. India is a hot country and the sunroof in a car helps get the car heated up faster in the sun.
– Another useless feature is touch screen controls for AC, blower, and media. It is very distracting to use touch controls while driving.
7. Cost of Ownership
Purchasing a car can be difficult, but what is even more difficult is that maintaining it is challenging. Eventually, the owner ends up spending much more than what he had initially intended to maintain it. Otherwise, this factor ought to be considered when its value diminishes with time and further cost us money in the purchase of another same car.
8. The resale value of your vehicle
Considering the potential resale value during purchase of a car is one of the smart moves that most people in India have embraced. Additionally, one can determine its future worth once the usage period is over. One reason why Maruti Suzukis and Toyotas attract high prices at the used car market among others is their strong reputation. It hurts so much watching how your resale value will also depend on the maker.
9. Useful Features and Creature Comfort
Some very important and useful things to look for while buying a car in India:
o Ventilated seats- This is a boon in the hot weather of India.
o 360-degree camera- This feature is useful while maneuvering in congested areas
o Seat height adjustment- It is useful when many people of the family drive the same car
o Window Sunshades- Another feature helpful during the sunny days
o Rear-seat recline- This enhanced the comfort of the rear-seat occupants
o Sliding middle row seats(7-seater cars)- Having sliding middle row increases the flexibility of the seating for an Indian family
10. Test Drive before buying a car
Lastly, after narrowing down your options of vehicles make sure you test drive them before buying them. You should look at such issues as handling including responsiveness as well as traction of this vehicle. Other factors which are significant in selecting our favorite ones though there are many more others like inspecting clutch and mass. If this is the first-time user with an automatic vehicle, it’s wise taking a test drive first for caution purposes.
