Car Buying Guide: Don’t Buy a Car Without Understanding These 4 Key Categories

People buy cars for different reasons. Some are looking for the fast roaring, 300+ hp performance cars, some only care if the car is secure and will protect their family in the event of a crash, others are looking for a car that will get them 30+ miles to the gallon, still others need space for groceries and families.

Lets Face It – There are Too Many Options!

With all of these options many people have trouble deciding which car type is right for them. Does this sound familiar? Well you aren’t alone. It is important to give some thought to what type of car suites you best before you start you search at your local dealership.

Different cars work well for different people. Essentially most people fall within 1 of 4 categories when buying a car, often times a mix of two of them. These categories are performance, safety and security, economy, or convenience. If you have a firm understanding of what type of car suits your needs the best you will have more control over the buying process.

What is important is that prior to shopping for a car, you understand these four categories and rate them in order of importance to you. By doing so, you will greater control over the car buying process and will also reduce the chances of buyer’s remorse from setting in post purchase. No one wants to go through the car buying process only to regret their decision in the near future.

The Car Buying Matrix – Deciding What Type of Car is Best for You

To the right you will find the car buying matrix. Within the matrix are the 4 key categories to keep in mind. When using the matrix we suggest you rate each quadrant by importance, it may help to print this matrix out.

Start by rating the most important category with a 1 and the least important category with a 4. When shopping for a new car think about where the car you are looking at fits these categories. As you look at more cars, place them on the matrix where you think they fit.

By finding a car which matches the needs you have defined. This process will help you make an informed decision! Below we have broken down the categories to help you rank them.

Performance:

Imagine for a second that you are driving on the interstate in some city traffic. Cars are slowing in front of you but to your right you have a slight opening. As you push the gas your RPM’s rev up and you shoot past traffic like one of those drivers that we watch on T.V. on Sunday afternoons. Does that make your heart race and bring a smile to your face? If so, then a car’s performance is important to you.

As you shop for a new car, it is important that you understand where you rate performance. If you enjoy the thought of the scenario above, then you may not want to spend needless time researching a Dodge Neon or Ford Focus. Conversely, if you have no desire to live the life of a road warrior and how quickly you can pass traffic rates low in your mind and heart, your reasons to purchase a car are different.

Now, many individuals automatically default to 6 or 8 cylinder engines. That is a trend that usually leads to a higher cost of the vehicle for marginal benefit. It is true that a V6 engine has a higher horsepower rating but how much more are you getting for you money?

If you are looking to purchase a Chevrolet Malibu, for example, a 4 cylinder version of the car starts around $22,000 and puts out 169 horsepower. If you look at the 6 cylinder model, you will get an increase of 83 more horsepower for an additional $2,000 in cost. For many people, paying over $24 per additional horsepower unit just isn’t worth it. This is especially true when you feel essentially no difference in your acceleration speed by having the additional 83 horsepower units. Depending upon how you rate performance, you can find quite a bit of value in a small engine vehicle that saves you money.

Economy:

According to the Department of Energy’s website, national gas prices are around $2.63 per gallon and fluctuating every day. With these kinds of prices, fuel economy has become a forefront in every car buyer’s mind. If you buy a car that is not gas efficient, you will find that the cost of owning that car can, in some cases, triple. That is why car shoppers should try to balance the performance and fuel efficiency quadrants of the car buying matrix.

Many feel that in order to get outstanding fuel efficiency, you must purchase a 4 cylinder engine. In some instances that can be the case, however according to www.fueleconomy.com the Ford Taurus only loses 4 mpg in its fuel rating between a 4 cylinder and a 6 cylinder engine. Additionally, the Toyota Camry only loses 2 mpg in the city and 3 mpg on the highway. This shows that you do not necessarily need to sacrifice performance in order to save dollars at the pump.

What About a Warranty?

When shopping for an economy car, many buyers forget to calculate the annual cost of owning a car. This includes maintenance, repairing wear and tear items, gas, and so forth. For example, if you own a car with no warranty that you pay $200 per month on and pay for an oil change, tires, repairs, etc throughout the year your total cost for driving that car could be in the area of $4,500. Now, by purchasing a car with a warranty your payment may go up $75 per month but your repairs are covered by the warranty. Your annual cost of driving the car is now reduced by $900. Many individuals forget these points by trying to save money on a monthly payment but overall they could save even more by doing they homework.

Safety and Security:

If you are a parent, you can never take the safety and security of your car for granted. Accidents happen all the time and if your family is in the car, you want to know that they will be able to walk away from a crash site unharmed.

If your mind and heart are dominated with these thoughts then you need to make sure you are purchasing the right car for your families needs. In addition to the many features that are available for the safety minded individual, the government also rates car safety from one to five stars, but what does the safety ratings really mean?

Understanding Car Safety Ratings

The New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) rates vehicles to determine crash worthiness and rollover safety. The safety ratings are gathered during controlled crash and rollover tests conducted at NHTSA’s research facilities. Based upon the findings, they will rate the safety of the car from one (lowest) to five (highest) stars.

If you are looking for a car that will protect those most important to you, then you need to look at some common cars like the Honda Civic, Hyundai Genesis, Chevrolet Aveo, and Kia Borrego just to name a few. By receiving a 5 star crash test rating, these cars have proven to be the safest on the road.

Additional Safety Features

Safety isn’t only rated in stars. Manufacturers offer many features that will make your drive a safer one. Traction control has become a much more popular addition to the safety line up. Traction control is applied when acceleration takes place and the additional torque applied is more than what road conditions can handle. In many cases the system will reduce the power from the engine so that control of the vehicle is not lost. This has become a very beneficial feature in snow covered states.

Anti-lock brakes have become a topic of discussion for so many nowadays. Some people absolutely hate the updated technology while others could not go without them. ABS in a nutshell will prevent, through computer intervention, from allowing the brakes to lock. With ABS you no longer need to pump the brakes but rather hold pressure on the brakes to a stop. This is quite beneficial on wet or snow covered roads since it will help stabilize the car as you come to a stop.

Car Security

Security features are quite common on most of the newer cars and they can save you some money on car insurance. For example, many newer cars theft deterrent is two-fold. First, if you lock your doors using a remote keyless entry feature and someone breaks the glass, unlocks the door, and enters you vehicle the horn will honk and the lights will flash. One way to test if your car has this feature is to roll the windows down, lock the car using the remote and then unlock the car manually and enter. If the horn honks and lights flash, your car has this theft deterrent.

In additional to the security feature above, many newer cars, such as Chevrolet models from 1999 on, have a fuel pump shut-off feature. What this means to you is that if someone attempts to bypass the ignition in order to start the car, in other words use something other than the key, the fuel pump will shut off and the car will not start. If security is a buying reason for you then you need to keep these two features in mind as you look for a new car.

Convenience:

The convenience category is taking a huge foothold on the car industry. Many buyers have families that they need to take into consideration when looking at a new car. For some, having an abundant amount of trunk space is a key buying reason; however, for others, they need to be able to take 6-7 individuals to baseball practice.

Minivans

Many convenience shoppers have turned to the minivan in order to supply their needs for convenience. For starters, a minivan usually will hold 7-8 passengers safely, give the buyer ample amount of storage space and give additional features like remote door openers, built in car seats, and seats that neatly store in the floor of the van.

Sport Utility Vehicles

But for the other buyers, where a minivan will never set one tire in their garage, options are available for you too. The SUV was invented to give the anti-minivan buyer a choice and if economy is not a high buying reason for you will fit the bill for space, passenger room, and fitting the family nicely.

Summing it Up – What’s Your Matrix Look Like?

Each person has different needs but if you have successfully filled out the car buying matrix then you will have a better understanding of what type of car you are looking for, this will help you narrow your choices down to something that you will be very happy with.

Make an Informed Decision

Most of all you will have made an informed decision. By doing so, you will have empowered yourself with knowledge of the “sales process.” Now as you begin shopping for a car, don’t let a crafty sales professional direct you to the car they want to sell. Direct them to the car that you want to buy.

Remember that education is the key!

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