10 Steps to Finding the Right Car for You(1)
Classification：NEWSTime：2016-11-07
How do you find the car that will exactly suit your needs for years to come? It just takes a little research and planning. When you know the kind of car you want, you can then decide whether you want to buy a new car, lease a new car or buy a used car.
1. Assess Your Needs
As much as you might like to dream about what you want in a car, it's best to think more about what you need — not just now, but in the future, too. Functionality should trump flash. Here are some practical considerations to keep in mind:
· How many passengers do you need to carry?
· What type of driving do you do: highway, surface streets, off-road?
· Will you drive in ice and snow?
· Do you have a long commute and, because of that, is fuel economy important to you?
· Do you need all-wheel drive?
· What safety features are important to you?
· Do you need a lot of cargo capacity?
· Will you be using children's car seats?
· Will you be doing any towing?
· How much garage or parking space do you have?
2. Set Your Budget
Unless you're paying cash for your car, you'll need to think about financing your purchase or lease. How much can you really afford to allocate toward a car payment each month? The general rule is no more than 20 percent of your monthly take-home pay.
3. Decide If You Want to Lease or Buy
Leasing and buying each have pros and cons, and how you feel about these may help guide your decision on which route to take.
For example, a lease requires little or no money down and offers lower monthly payments. But when the lease ends, you have no car and will need to go shopping again. On the other hand, buying a car is more expensive initially, and the monthly payments are higher. But when you pay off the loan, you will own a car that you can drive for as long as it runs.Here are a few more factors to consider while deciding between leasing and buying:
Leasing
· You can drive a more expensive car for less money.
· You can drive a new car, with the latest technology, every few years.
· There are no trade-in hassles at the end of the lease.