Best First Car To Buy
Buying your first car is an exciting experience. It gives you a sense of freedom and is a huge milestone in your adult life. And if you happen to be fortunate enough to afford a brand spanking new car, you can approach this new journey with clear headspace.
best first car to buy
Civics have a reputation of being driven by obnoxious high schoolers and distasteful tuners (also known as ricers), but the new 2022 model is meant to only represent the best of the best. The refreshed Civic might feature a completely redesigned exterior and interior, but underneath, the same 158-hp four-cylinder motor comes as standard, which also meant it drove just as lively as the previous generation. Interior-wise the Honda came with a stunning honeycomb design and a 7.0-inch touchscreen as standard, alongside Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
We promise, this will be the last Hyundai entry for this list, and while the Accent might not be as lavish as the other ones, or remotely as quick, it makes for an excellent first car. The Accent is powered by a 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder that produces just 120 hp, and yes that sounds puny because it is, but somehow with its CVT transmission still manages to reach the 60 mph mark from naught in around 8 and a half seconds, which is quicker than most budget-cars today.
The key to a successful buy is to first determine how much you can afford. Your credit score, monthly income and the type of car you want should all factor into this decision. The key is to strike a balance between fitting your budget and finding a car right for your needs.
After you gather some information on the type of vehicle you wish to purchase and your financial history, apply with lenders that offer prequalification. This step is vital to saving money and putting you in control when it comes to choosing the best financing option available.
A lot of young adults today work and ride public transportation all the way through college. Others use a family car during their early driving years. In either case, this means many people are well into their twenties before they decide on the best first car to buy.
Buying your first car can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. Considering things like engine size, safety ratings, and other common measures of quality can be confusing, to say the least. Plus then you have to factor in your realistic budget, the local market, and other personal factors. Regardless of income, you can find affordable car insurance within our trusted network.
If you're still wondering how to buy your first car, have no fear. Before you venture out to any car dealerships, take a look at our 8 first-time car buyer tips you should know when you're buying your first car.
Some of the best first cars to buy end up being used models. On average, a new car loses 9% to 11% of its value the moment you leave the lot. Every following year for the next 5 years, the car depreciates by 15% to 25%. And after five years, a car is worth just 37% of whatever you agreed to pay for it.
With a used car, you're paying for a car that has already undergone arbitrary depreciation. This means you won't pay an inflated price just for that "new car smell." Overall, these factors make used car dealerships for first-time buyers the best option.
Once you know your price range for financing or a cash purchase, you can evaluate your needs. These are the features your first car absolutely must have. Keep in mind that your needs should always be kept separate from what you want. You may need:
Write these needs on your list and then stick to it as you research and shop for your first car. Your first vehicle may not have all the bells and whistles of your ultimate dream car, but it should at least check off everything on your needs list.
The most important thing to embrace as a first-time car buyer is research. You have so much information at your disposal thanks to the internet and other resources. Use them all, so you aren't unpleasantly surprised down the road.
A first-time car buyer program offers a loan to those with little to no credit history, which is ideal if you're buying your first car at 18. This type of first-time car buyer financing can be extremely helpful if you've never had to take out a loan before or haven't otherwise paid off any major expenses in life yet. You can get a first-time car buyer loan from a lender or from an automaker.
You can typically expect that first-time car buyer interest rates will be much higher due to the lack of credit history of the applicant. But you can still find first-time car buyer deals if you know where to look. When browsing options for who has the best first-time car buyer program, our research found that CarMax has one of the best options out there, requiring no minimum credit score to be approved. CarMax's program does come with interest rates of between 2.95% and 26%, however, so just keep that in mind.
If you're asking, "How do I find a first-time buyer car loan near me?" you can start off with a quick internet search. You should get plenty of advertisements for this type of loan in your area right away.
Never tell a salesperson how much you plan to pay each month for your first car. If you do, they may manipulate the cost of a car that is out of your price range to fit your budget. Salespeople can do this by:
So while you can technically "afford" it now, in the end, it can add thousands of dollars and years of extra payments on your first car loan. So, instead of offering a monthly dollar amount, stick to the total price. If you're willing to pay $8,000 for the car, stick to $8,000 in the negotiation, plus taxes, title, and registration. If the car lists for $9,000, you can try to talk the price down to $8,000 or go elsewhere. If it lists for $8,000, try to get taxes and legal fees included in the price.
It helps to bring an experienced buddy along to give you moral support, especially an older person who has purchased enough cars to last a lifetime. If you have an uncle who also knows mechanics and can look under the hood for you before you purchase, it can make buying your first car that much easier.
If you go with a big-brand company that spends millions on advertising every year, you'll probably overpay for car insurance. An independent insurance agent, on the other hand, can compare lots of different policies and prices from all kinds of companies to find the one that offers you the most coverage for the best price.
How about that? We surprised you with 9 tips for first-time car buyers, instead. We hope our list of tips for how to buy a car for the first time was helpful. Now it's up to you to set your budget, do those test drives, and call an independent insurance agent. Your first car awaits you.
Many experts recommend buying a home before you buy a car, but this opinion varies depending on who you talk to, and what your personal needs are. It can be argued that a car is a depreciating investment, while a home or other piece of property can appreciate in value and actually make you money over time. Taking out a car loan can also impact your credit, which can affect your home-buying power later on. However, buying a car first can help you get comfortable with budgeting and factoring in large payments, which will ultimately be much less than those for a home.
The pretty, practical MGB is possibly the ultimate first classic sports car; built ruggedly and in huge numbers they are simple to work on, easy to drive and very usable, with possibly the best parts and club support of any old car.
Unfortunately, car prices have dramatically increased in the last year, due to insufficient supply. These shortages have decreased the amount as well as the types of cars available and increased the prices of available inventory. This makes it much more difficult for young people to afford reliable cars. However, there are still ways that you can buy a quality car on a budget as a college student. This guide will help you understand how to buy and manage your first car purchase, and what pitfalls to avoid.
The first step you need to take when you start thinking about buying your own car is understanding your personal finances. Taking inventory of your income and financial goals will allow you to select the financing option that works best for your near and long term needs.
Looking for a car loan before shopping for a car may seem counterintuitive, but it can be very useful. It gives you an idea of how much you can borrow and at what interest rate, which enables you to avoid making financing decisions on the fly at the dealership. Start with your bank or credit union, then get quotes from dealerships and other lenders and compare rates to make sure you get the best one.
There are a lot of costs beyond monthly payments that can cause you to overpay for your vehicle. Settle on the vehicle's price first, then discuss a trade-in, financing or leasing separately, as necessary.
The costs of buying and running a car can be steep, so the best way to maximise how far your money goes is to choose one that's good value, reliable, economical, and cheap to insure. While many first time car buyers will focus on used cars, some new cars can be found for a very reasonable price, particularly when financed through a PCP deal.
Some parents will be in a position to buy their children their first car, and if you're in that enviable situation, then you'll likely want to buy the safest car possible. You need to find the cars that come with the highest Euro NCAP safety rating: the higher the score for a car, the safer it is.
We'd recommend going for a petrol car over a diesel. There aren't many small diesel cars on sale anyway, and you'll only reap the benefit of their better fuel consumption if you do lots of motorway miles, which is unlikely if you're an inexperienced driver. It's better to go for a small petrol, and if the option of stop-start is available then that should help to reduce running costs even more. While the experience of the engine cutting out when you put the car in neutral might be unnerving at first, you'll soon get into the habit of saving fuel and making your money go further. 041b061a72