What to consider when choosing your first car
Passing your driving test is one of the greatest feelings in life as it opens a whole new world and gives you an entirely new level of freedom. Choosing your first car is an exciting process to go through, but what should you look for when there is so much choice out there? Here are a few key considerations that should help you to find the perfect first car.
Reliability
When you are just getting started with driving, you do not want a car that has a lot of problems and is unreliable. This is why you should always research makes and models to find cars that are reliable and do not have many issues (this will also keep your costs down).
Reliability surveys are one of the best ways to find the best cars for this and the 2022 What Car? Reliability survey found that the Toyota Aygo was the best small car for reliability with an impressive rating of 99.1%. You should be able to find a used Toyota that will keep your costs down and provide great reliability.
Safety
Safety is always an important consideration, especially for new drivers as you may feel a little unsafe behind the wheel at first. Therefore, you should always take your time to find a vehicle that is highly regarded in terms of safety.
This should include a range of modern safety features as well as a good Euro NCAP crash rating. This should give you more confidence behind the wheel knowing that you have protection in place.
Pricing
Of course, the cost of the car will also be a major factor. As this is your first car, you want to keep your costs down as it is likely that you will upgrade after a few years once you have built up some confidence and experience.
This is why it makes a lot more sense for a new driver to buy a car in the used car market. In addition to the cost of the vehicle, you will also have to factor in the running costs of the vehicle and these can add up. This will include insurance, road tax, fuel, and maintenance. You can keep these costs down by purchasing something that is small and not too powerful.
Buying your first car can be exciting, but it is also daunting and stressful. You will want to find something that is well-suited to new drivers so that you can begin driving with confidence and build your experience levels.
The above are a few of the main considerations when buying a new car that should help you to find something that ticks all of the boxes and allows you to enjoy this newfound independence that you have.
