First Time Car Buyer: What to Look For

This post is part of a sponsored series. 

If you’re in the market to purchase your first vehicle, you might feel like a fish out of water. There’s a lot to think about and try to sort through. What exactly are you looking for when you need to buy a new car? There are a lot of things to consider, but don’t worry I’m here to help. Here are my top tips!

Know your budget and what you can afford. If you know what you can afford in a car payment before you even go to the dealership, you can save yourself a lot of time and heart ache. If you aren’t sure how to figure out what your budget is, you can check out my article ‘How to Choose a Car You Can Afford‘. In either case, looking for a vehicle within that budget is a major point to consider.

Consider your lifestyle needs. Do you have hobbies that take up a large amount of space, such as golf, or hockey, playing in a band? Then you want to look for the size and storage capacity.

Look for a vehicle that fits your environment or climate. Here in Minnesota, I will not own a vehicle that doesn’t have AWD or 4WD. Driving in a blizzard or icy conditions is enough to make my heart stop, so I need something that is going to make me feel comfortable no matter what the weather.

Consider the various seat materials. It may not seem like a big deal, but if you have a child in a car seat or a pet that spends a lot of time on your seats, then consider leather. It’s much easier to wipe spills off of, and doesn’t collect pet hair as easily either.

Determine how important gas mileage is. If you do a lot of commuting to work, or if you spend a lot of time traveling, then you’ll likely want a vehicle that gets good gas mileage, and probably something that gets at least 27-30 mpg highway.

Know the safety ratings. So you fell in love with a vehicle, do you know what type of safety rating it has? It’s something to consider before committing to a car you’re going to have for a while. You want to make sure it’s going to keep you safe if anything ever happens.

Consider the vehicle’s history. Carfax is a great resource for finding out where a vehicle has been and what type of care it’s gotten. Just plug in the vehicle’s VIN number to see it’s history.

These are just a few of the important factors to consider when purchasing a vehicle for the first time! If you have any questions, leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to get you an answer!