Lifestyle considerations

Tempting though it may be, the reality is, when you buy a car, you need to consider your lifestyle. If you have a family, then the chances are your needs are going to be different from someone who’s single.

It’s best to take care of the practical aspects first – otherwise your new purchase will soon lose its appeal. Think about what you usually do when you’re out and about, and don’t forget your weekend hobbies!

Here are just some of the things to consider:

Comfort
Practicality and safety
Number of doors
The size of the car
Where you’ll park it
Who else do you have to ferry around and what about pushchairs, shopping, bikes and other paraphernalia?

If family considerations are your main priority then space is usually an issue. Five doors are definitely easier than three and a big boot is a must if you have a buggy. People carriers are a great option if you tend to have lots of passengers on a regular basis, but they don’t have too much room for luggage when all the seats are in use. So, if you need fewer seats but more luggage space it probably makes more sense to go for an estate car.

On a less practical note, we all want to look and feel good in our cars. After all we spend a lot of time in them and want to enjoy the experience. It’s important to take into account any strong brand loyalty you have, but make sure the benefit of your brand choice is worth the extra outlay.

And finally, go for the latest model you can afford, it’ll certainly help when you come to sell on.