Is it time to buy another car or your fist car but not sure how to figure out what car you want? It can be an intimidating prospect, which is why you need a solid plan. There are several things you can do to make sure you pick out the right car for you, and in this article we’re going to go through them step by step.

Establish What You Need

The first thing we suggest on how to figure out the car you want is decide what you need from a new car which is going to vary massively based on your situation. If for example you have a family that needs transportation to school and other things then you’re going to need at least a 4 door car, ideally with lots of space in the trunk for school bags or sports equipment, and high end safety features.

On the other hand if you live alone and are only using the car to commute to work then your needs are only really 4 wheels and an engine.

Once you have the needs established you can move on to wants: Colour, size, top speed, etc. ideally you should rank these by how much you want them to help narrow down your search priorities.

Figure Out Your Budget

Once you know what you need, you need to establish how much you can actually afford. To do this we’re going to set a budget, depending on the next question of New or used you’re going to have to set a different kind of budget.

For a new car you’re most likely going to get a loan, which means budgeting for Monthly payments, so you should track all of your income and expenses to figure out what you have to spare on a monthly basis.

For a used car you’re probably going to buy your cash so your budget is how much you can afford to spend on one go, likely from your savings.

New Vs Used

So how do you decide whether new or used is better? Well once again it’s going to be based on your needs. New cars are going to be fancier with newer gadgets and obviously mint condition, however a used car is going to be significantly cheaper which could be a deciding factor. 

Whether you choose new or used will also determine where you go looking for the car. If you’re shopping new then you’ll have to hit the dealership websites, but for used you’ll be checking the many websites of online listings.

Go Hunting

Now that you know how to figure out what car you want, you’re ready to go hunting. You know what you need, how much you can afford, and where to look, so now it’s only a matter of entering that data into a search and seeing what’s out there.

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