Some Financial Concerns When Buying A Car (Part 2)

This is the second part of an article that covers the financial aspects of buying a new or used car. You can read the first part here on Car Articles.

6) Insurance group – how much is the car going to cost you to get insured? If it’s a cheap vehicle, could you afford to go third party, fire and theft only? Remember to find out which insurance group the car falls in to. If in doubt, call up a few insurers, they’ll be able to give you a free quotation and you could find yourself getting a lower premium than expected even before the car is yours!
7) Servicing for some cars is notoriously expensive. How often is another factor, some highly tuned engines need serviced more than others. Get an idea of servicing costs from the local branded garage as well as an independent specialist.
8) Parts – how readily available are they? Are they much more than you’re used to paying? A friend of mine got a shock when he had to shod his BMW M3 with new tyres, when previously he’d been paying out for rubber for a cheap, small hatch.
9) Known faults issues in vehicles that are out of warranty can be expensive to repair. Check out Parkers, VOSA and other sources to see if the type of car you’re buying has anything apparent. It may not happen to yours, but if it does you’re better off knowing it’s a possibility beforehand!
10) Tax bands are now quite wide these days. Are you prepared to pay more for a vehicle that emits CO2? If so, make sure you get the performance to match!
11) Hidden costs (such as a car that drinks a lot of oil) should also be thought of, but often aren’t revealed until you take a look at specialist/enthusiast sites.
12) Hidden history – does the vehicle have outstanding finance, is it stolen or has it been in an accident? Any one of these factors could have a massive impact and if not disclosed could lead you to all manner of heartbreak.

So, there you have it. I bet you didn’t realise there were so many different things to take into consideration when eyeing up your new pride and joy! That’s not to say that buying from the ‘heart’ is ever wrong, but you’ll be a more savvy consumer if you bear all these things in mind and go in fully aware of at least some of these points when looking at a new car.