A choice of vehicles is broad currently, and you can opt for than 400 different models. But how to choose the one that would become your perfect car?
Some people prefer to choose car based on what they feel. But most people approach such an issue based on serious reasoning. Thinking that a car must be comfortable, safe, and affordable is right, but this way of thinking does not guarantee that you make a right choice. This is because there are plenty autos in the market, you can’t consider each one of them, so you may not even find out what the best car for you is. However, a way to pick the right one model exists.Consider the following questions; they may help you to determine what car you should buy to be fully satisfied with your choice.
What Kind of Car Do I Need?
While plenty models are available in the market, you should choose you future auto’s body style first. What it has to be? Following body styles are available: sedans, coupes, convertibles, crossovers, SUVs, and station wagons.
Convertible and Coupe body styles
If a good look is your top priority when it comes to choosing a car, then you should definitely opt for one of convertibles or coupes. While such body styles have nice design, the access to their back seats is restricted. So, these models are not the best choice if you look for the top practicality.
Sedan body style
The models of this style have four doors which is their major advantage. They are especially good for those families that have children. It would be a lot more comfortable for your children to get in and get out of the car that has four doors. On the contrary, in case of a convertible or coupe, it will be more difficult.
Hatchback body style
A special feature of hatchbacks along with station wagons is that these types of cars have five doors, with one additional door at the back. Thanks to such a solution, hatchbacks provide more room inside the vehicle. In addition, hatchbacks are better in terms of fuel economy. While in the past the American drivers used to prefer other body styles, recently the situation started to change, and hatchbacks are becoming more popular. This is probably due to the changes with the fuel prices and increasing of environmental awareness among Americans. Automakers develop more stylish body designs for hatchbacks, so it is not surprising that this kind of car can become a solid competitor for crossovers and SUVs.
Station wagon body style
Despite station wagons are the least popular among the body styles represented in the market, automakers struggle to change that. Station wagons have perfect attributes and don’t have those flaws that are peculiar for SUVs and crossovers. For example, Mazda 6 was better than Mazda CX-7 in terms of fuel economy, space for cargo and passengers, and speed. However, for some reason it was not popular. And now Mazda prepares to produce new CX-7 that will consume less fuel.
Crossover and SUV body styles
These body styles are distinctive from hatchbacks and station wagons in that they have the higher ground clearance. But do you really need this ground clearance? Nowadays, we can rarely encounter a road that was not cleared. Sometimes it may happen, especially during winter and in some parts of the country. At the same time, crossovers and SUVs are less effective in terms of fuel economy. Do you really want your car to consume more fuel just because it is heavier and taller? It will be a lot less fuel effective regardless of the weather outside.
It’s ok if you think that a crossover or SUV is better because of its higher seating position and better visibility compared to other body styles. Besides, thanks to the natural height of the car, it is easier to enter and exit it. But anyway you have to understand that such a height is reached at the expense of adding weight to the auto, and it causes it to be less stable while consuming more fuel.
Another case when you can need this kind of car is when you usually tow. If you need to tow rarely, you should opt for renting a truck instead of buying it and spending much on fuel for it.
Minivan
The major advantage provided by a minivan is that it delivers plenty of space for passengers. For this reason, a minivan is good for big families. For example, if you have many children and need to give them a ride to school, a minivan would become the best solution because up to eight people can fit inside. Compared to such SUVs like Chevrolet Suburban, minivans have less room for cargo, but when it comes to space for passengers, there is nothing better than a minivan. Minivans usually don’t look perfect and their drive impressions are not the best as well. However, there are exceptions for the rule, including Mazda 5 and Honda Odyssey, which deliver pleasure during driving.
What Size Car Do I Need?
The best solution is start driving small cars. A common misconception is that the small vehicles are less safe than the large. In fact, you are more likely to avoid a collision if you are driving a small car. Driving lighter cars is better in this case because you can avoid a collision easier. On the contrary, it would be more difficult to avoid it when driving a larger car, and you may incur serious problems to the driver you have collided with.
Some people are sure that it is better to have a crash while driving a big auto, but they don’t even consider the possibility that in a small car they will avoid a crash due to its shorter stopping distance. Besides, small cars are more fuel efficient and cost less. In some cases, people will even respect you for driving a small auto.
And don’t even think that you will lack space when driving a small car. The current trend of building small autos consists in making them more spacious. For instance, Smart Fortwo, delivers almost the same headroom as Cadillac Escalade. Another option among small cars is Nissan Cube which delivers more space inside but weighs less and is shorter that Honda Pilot. And why would you want to buy a big car if space provided by Nissan Cube is sufficient to you?
Do I Need All-Wheel Drive?
Most likely you don’t need it. All-wheel drive system was designed as a safety feature that works in winter climates. If you don’t live in such area, the only thing you would notice about all-wheel drive is the additional traction during accelerating. Your vehicle won’t turn or stop quicker or better because of the all-wheel drive. More benefits are provided by the installation of winter tires. It would be a lot more efficient to use winter tires than to upgrade your car to have the all-wheel drive system and consume more fuel.
By the way, heavy autos are not always better when it comes to winter driving. Yes, it is more comfortable to drive through snow on a heavy car, but if you hit ice, it will be more difficult to control your vehicle. For this reason, think twice before opting for a big car.
How Much Power Do I Need?
In reviews we usually see how much attention is paid to the time a car accelerates from 0 to 60 mph. But in everyday life, not so many drivers dare to use full throttle. When it comes to trucks, it is of course needed to have a lot of power to be able to haul and tow heavy loads. But for ordinary drivers full throttle is not needed, so they don’t need lots of power as well. In fact, having a very powerful engine but don’t using it is like building a house with many levels and living only on the first one. Besides, it is obvious that big cars are less fuel efficient due to their high fuel consumption.
What about Hybrids and Diesels?
Whether you need either of these depends on your driving type. If you mostly drive in a town and use your auto’s brakes frequently, you will drive on the power of battery longer and your car will consume less fuel. And diesel is more beneficial if you drive more on the highway. However, at low speeds diesel autos are more efficient than gasoline powered cars.
If you use a diesel or hybrid engine, you will save money. However, these types of engines are more expensive than gasoline engines, so you have to calculate whether you really need one of them before buying. For example, buying a car with such kinds of engines will be a good solution if you are confident that you will drive more than 60,000 or 100,000 miles.
Currently, diesel fuel is also more expensive than gasoline fuel. So you have to keep this in mind too when purchasing a car with a diesel engine. However, prices for different fuels are changing all the time, and it can influence your choice as well.