CHOOSING YOUR NEW CAR

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32320, 11 June 1970, Page 9

CHOOSING YOUR NEW CAR

Buying a new car is not something one can approach lightly. For most families the car is the second biggest expenditure they will make, after their house. One would not buy a houdfe without a considerable amount of preliminary investigation, looking at other properties on the market, and so on—the purchase of a new car should be approached in the same manner.

For most people, the mam governing factor will be price, and in this country availability will come a close second to this in making a decision. If one has overseas funds, and is willing to use them for the purchase of a car, the problem is a little easier. But not everyone is in this fortunate position. There are other questions a prospective buyer must also look at The price of maintenance and parts is

one: parts for some models are much more expensive than for others. The overall reliability of different models is also a factor worth making inquiries about: talking to owners and experienced mechanics can give a guide here. But only a guide: do not be put off because one of several owners has had bad luck with his purchase. Resale value is another point worth checking, and the used-car columns . of

your newspaper can provide a guide here. But to some extent the importance of this factor will depend on how long you plan to keep the car—one model may drop considerably in value in the first year, then tend to hold its lower value for a long time, while another may hold its value well for two or three years, then drop in value comparatively sharply. But even when all these questions have been answered, you must still decide what sort of vehicle will be most suited to the type of use to which you intend to put it Will you, for instance, find a saloon or a station wagon most useful? How big a car do you want? If you have a large family, a small car will probably not be suitable, but if you buy a vehicle that is too large for your present- garage, you may be faced with expensive garage alterations or rebuilding. If you plan to tow a caravan or boat, a light car may lack the strength and engine power you require. But it is not always worth buying a large and expensive model purely because you plan a camping and motoring holiday once a year: in such a case it can sometimes be cheaper to buy a smaller mode] more suited to your everyday requirements in the first instance, and hire a suitable

vehicle for your camping holiday. With this in mind, it might well be worth-while to investigate the cost and availability of suitable hirecars before making your decision to purchase. By the time you have investigated and decided on all the forgoing points, you will probably have narrowed the field down to only a few models. But you can narrow it down still further.

Firstly, you will obviously want a vehicle which is comfortable, and which you enjoy driving and travelling in. There is really only one satisfactory way of finding out about this, and this is by having a test drive—and a rather longer test drive than just around the block. Most car-dealers have demonstration vehicles available for just this purpose, and those who have not will usually arrange to borrow a vehicle which a genuine customer can sample. If you have a friend with a similar model, you can probably prevail on him for a demonstration; if the model of your choice is available as a rental car, it may even be worth-while hiring one for a couple of days so you have a good chance to find out its faults and virtues.

Even when you have finally selected the vehicle you want, there is still the question of extras to be decided. These days the

range of options is very wide, and usually includes manual or automatic transmission, heaters, sometimes different types of seating, occasionally different sizes of engine, and so on. You must-also remember that in addition to the purchase price you will have to find cash for such items as seat-belts—which are a compulsory installation, but which you should install even if they were not—and for registration, insurance, and probably undersealing. There is another possibility in the selection of a new car which more and more people are considering: the advantages and disadvantages of buying two cheaper and smaller models instead of one large model. Two cars do, of course, add a much greater measure of flexibility to the family transport system, and it also means that if one vehicle is off the road for any reason, you are not completely without your own transport.

The disadvantages can include the extra cost of two registrations and two insurances, and the possible strain on garage space. The possible effects on running costs depend on whether you do a greater mileage with two cars than you would with one: most families find the combined mileage is only a little higher than it would be with one vehicle.

If the two vehicles do approximately the same mileage—which is probably

unlikely—you could be faced with- them both needing such items as new tyres, batteries and exhaust systems at approximately the same time. Another possibility, if you wish to become a twocar family, is to retain your present vehicle—if you have one and buy a cheaper and smaller new vehicle than you would had you sold your present car to provide some of the finance for a new car. As you can see from all this, buying a new car is really not a simple matter—it does require some serious thought and preferably a certain amount of active investigation. It is also obvious that very few of us are in the fortunate position where we can get exactly what we

want: normally it is a matter of selecting the most favourable and suitable compromise. The ideal car for every-

one has not yet been built, and never will be—so the vehicle that suits your needs and pocket best may very well not be the same as the vehicle which is best suited to the requirements of your friends and neighbours.

One is reminded of the man who said his ideal car would have the manoeurability of a Mini, the turning circle of a Triumph Herald, the riding comfort of a Citroen, the silence and longlife of a Rolls-Royce, the cross-country ability of a Land-Rover, the interior room of a Pontiae, the performance of a Ferrari, the fuel consumption of a Fiat 500, the extras of a Cadillac, the parkability of a motorscooter, and the cost-price of a push-cycle. This gentleman is never likely to be satisfied; like all of us he will have to accept a compromise. The compromise he selects will depend on price, availability, and the priority he gives such factors gs comfort, performance, size, room, and manoeuvrability.

Car prices today are high, and there is little prospect they will start going down in the foreseeable future. For the money, some cars are better value than others, but a decision on this is something the buyer must make for himself, after he- has considered all the factors.

If you are a prospective buyer it is, in short, entirely up to you. -- . ■

Study the advertisements and information in this supplement, prepare your

“short list” of models, make your inquiries, and visit the dealers for the models on your list.

These companies will be glad to help you make your choice, and they can give you detailed information on the vehicles and their specifications, prices and extras, availability and the financial arrangements which can be made.