Chapter 2: Choosing the Right Vehicle For Your Needs

•  Consider the options; two-seater to eight-seater
  
•  Consider needs not wants

Section Introduction:

This chapter discusses the factors that should be considered when deciding on a vehicle to buy or lease. For most of us, a vehicle is our biggest expense besides real estate and it pays to spend that money carefully and in a considered way to optimize that investment. Replacing a vehicle earlier than planned costs both money and time and this doesn't account for the time spent in an unsuitable vehicle; like realizing two days in to a month-long heat-wave that you should have paid for the air conditioning upgrade!

So, read this chapter and follow the suggestions within to choose a vehicle that will satisfy your needs as a consumer and, hopefully, it'll be a joy to drive and a possession to be proud of when it is parked in front of your house.

Consider the options; two-seater to eight-seater:

•  This is a big purchase and a bad decision on a vehicle is something you have to live with. Don't forget that a vehicle is a significant expense. It makes sense to be thoughtful and careful about your purchase.
  
  
•  Forget about "everyone else" and buy the car that is right for you. Many people are influenced by what their friends or neighbors drive. Be smart and well informed, get the vehicle you can afford and that suits your own needs, get a good price and don't be influenced by the choices of others.
  

Consider needs not wants:

•  Evaluate your life, loves and labors
  
  
•  Life: Think about your needs as a person; do you need to carry a kayak or tow a trailer?
  
  
•  Loves: Does the vehicle make you smile or frown when you look at it?
  
  
•  Labours: Does your livelihood require fuel efficiency or horsepower?
  
  
•  Be honest with yourself
  
  
  •  Don't buy a rally car because you think you might go down to the Baja Peninsula for an off-road holiday or get a Ferrari because you might take up motor-racing.
    

  •  Do get an SUV with good clearance for the dirt road to the cottage. (The one you bottomed out on in your old car every time you drove down it!)
  
  
•  Discuss your choice with those in your life who are honest with you
  
  
  •  A good friend can be objective and can point out things you may have forgotten that would influence your buying choice, such as, "This new Lamborghini Murcielago is pretty but it can double the highway speed limit in first gear and didn't you nearly lose your license for speeding six months ago?"
    
    
  •  Sometimes our friends know us better than we know ourselves, especially when we have been bewitched by an exciting test-drive or a smooth salesperson.
  
  
•  Remember the little things.
  
  
  •  Over the lifetime of your car, the impact of the little things can build up and become a big deal. For example, a car that is a little hard to climb into the first time will always be hard to get into, every time you get in.
    
    
  •  Replacing a car earlier than planned because of a little thing that became a big deal can cost you beyond the price of irritation.
  
  

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