Table Of Content
- Sedan, SUV, Crossover, Plug-In, Self Charging, The Agony Of Choice Is Real
- Research and Enlightenment AKA R&E
- Running Costs-
- Lease, Finance, or Cash?
- From Where To Buy?
- The Post Ownership Perplexity
Sedan, SUV, Crossover, Plug-In, Self Charging, The Agony Of Choice Is Real
Folks these days are gravitating toward SUVs more and more. Really can't blame them as they offer everything from inherent versatility to supercar-crushing power. Meanwhile, sedans offer pretty much the same stuff but the lower ground clearance is a major turn-off for buyers who need to commute on less-than-perfect pavements. Here is my 5-point checklist you can consider before finalizing the type of car you need-
Type of Commute-
Will you use the car for frequent short trips, long-distance hauling, or a mix of both? Short trippers can look into EVs which excel at city driving due to regenerative braking and instant torque. While long haulers can choose SUVs which offer a lot of range thanks to extra large gas tanks, EVs are slowly catching up tho.
Besides, gas cars only take 3-4 minutes to fill up while even the fastest charging EVs require at least 30 minutes to reach 80 percent SOC. IF you can find an ultra-fast charger in a working condition.
Size Matters-
For a guy like me who lives mostly by himself in Fresno and the commute to work is like 15-odd miles, Miata is perfect for me. But for example, if someone who has 5 five-member family (not including pets), gets bitten by a wandering bug every weekend and hits the Wine trail or Barhops a lot, a Minivan or an 8-seater SUV would make a lot more sense.
Similarly, those with a wife and two kids can go for mid-size offerings like Chevrolet Blazer, Toyota RAV4, Kia Seltos, Hyundai Kona, or Mazda CX Series that can take pretty much anything you can throw at it without burning a Tahoe-sized hole in your pocket.
Likewise, if you are a workman, you have your work cut out for you(pun). Trucks these days are available in all shapes and sizes with an optional Diesel engine for about 6k to 10k extra.
Hybrid, Electric, or Gas-
If you are planning on buying a hatchback or a coupe you could cut decent MPG with gas only a setup. But the bigger the car is for example a crossover or a full-size SUV, the more rolling resistance you would have to face due to larger tires.
Combine that with the below-average aerodynamics of those square boxy shapes, and you are looking at single-digit MPGs. A sickness only which only a gas-hybrid setup can cure. Hybrids also come with the added benefit of choosing between quick gas fill-ups or wall charging. They also work well enough in winter, unlike full BEVs.
The only downside to hybrids is that there is a slight complexity involved sometimes surpassing the one involved in making a Tourbillion as we saw with the latest C63 AMG. But to learn is to grow, most folks can make heads or tails about all the driving modes after a week or so of use.
The stage is set for a massive automobile shift as consumers these days have started to adopt the battery-electric route. As US states prepare to boost their EV charging infrastructure, the demand for EVs is at an all-time high.
If you live in a hyper urban state like Cali, where charging stations are in abundance, EV is by far the most affordable option for you, not to mention the tons of CO2 you will save in the process. Most carmakers offer a federal tax rebate on new EVs that can be up to $7500 or used ones that can be up to $3500.
Aside from the rebate existing stocks of EVs are generally frowned upon and are magnets for crazy discounts and deals, sometimes even halving the MSRP. Manufacturers like Kia and Porsche also offer up to a year of free EV charging further sweetening the deal.
But the most important thing about EVs you should know is that they crap themselves in winter. Batteries don’t like cold and EV is anything but. If you live in an area where winters drop like Narnia, stay away from them and consider a hybrid instead. If you are in California you can check out the underlooked Hydrogen-powered cars, that may very well suit your tastes
New or Used-
Everyone craves that new car smell and is willing to pay big bucks for it. But if you can afford a $5 car scent and want to save thousands, the used car route is your best bet. With over 2 million unsold new cars collecting dust in the dealer lot, the chances of you getting a bargain are real high. Just get a full PPC or Pre Purchase Inspection and check all the documents by entering VIN on sites like Carfax to make sure that the car in question is not a Lemon.
Most carmakers like KIA and Toyota offer decent hybrid options with their best-selling SUVs like RAV4 and Sorento which make a lot of sense in terms of fuel economy despite their slightly higher upfront MSRP.
Research and Enlightenment AKA R&E
Yes, I have just made that word up but it does mean A LOT. Now for the sake of clarity let's just say that you have settled on purchasing a used Honda Civic Si as your daily driver. It has a powerful enough engine, being a Honda it comes with a lot of street cred in terms of durability and its service and maintenance are light enough for you to afford.
But all this is what you read on dealership sites and websites that are often affiliated with the brand in one way or another. To make a decision you won’t regret you need to put on your glasses and settle in for long hours on the Internet.
Here is a handy list of websites that you must visit before purchasing a car new or used
Carindigo- we have millions of used cars listed on our recently reworked website by genuine dealers and complete with accident reports and VIN verification. You can also calculate your lease and finance costs using our handy calculator and join the list of hundreds of satisfied car owners.
Reddit and Forums- Reddit is a community-based website that has a subreddit or specific pages for literally every car imaginable. Often run and maintained by actual owners of that particular car. There is an entire subreddit dedicated to Honda Civic SI, that won't mind answering any questions you have regarding the car.
Fuelly- Fuelly displays real-world MPG of cars as reported by real car owners of a particular brand and a model based on miles traveled.
Car Complaints and Repair Pal - These two websites can teach you about the most common issue about the car you want based on real owner reports. Sometimes it can be as trivial as the horn not working or something major like a connecting rod failure
JD Power - JD Power’s reliability rankings are amongst the most trusted on the internet and can indicate whether a car model is reliable enough for purchase or not. They rate score out of 100 and anything about 75 is good enough. They also have metrics for resale value, dealership experience, etc.
NHTSA, IIHS, and EPA- These three are government-run websites that take care of essential ratings related to fuel consumption(EPA), crash safety(IIHS), and recall information(NHTSA).
Genuine review websites and YouTube channels like Savage Geese, Car&Driver, and Mototrend have in-depth coverage regarding nearly every car on the planet and do offer some valuable insights, on occasion. But do keep in mind these reviews in most cases are based on cherry-picked cars sent to them by manufacturers so take everything with a grain of salt.
Running Costs-
By fast the most crucial and often overlooked aspect. Especially, in the case of hybrids and gas cars. There are tons of calculators online that you can and should use to calculate the long-term costs associated with the car you are about to purchase, for example-
- Fuel Costs
- Insurance costs
- Cost of Tires, both summer and winter
- Cost of front and rear bumpers in case of fender benders
- Battery Costs, both auxiliary and hybrid
- Price of consumables that you will need to pay out your pocket like engine oil, plugs, coolant, tranny oil, diff oil, pads, discs, cabin filters, air filters, oil filters, brake linings etc.
- Cost of periodic service
- Cost of outside warranty repairs
- Detailing costs
- Taxes like Gas Guzzlers if applicable
As far as the EVs are concerned you only need to worry about the tires and brakes in terms of consumables as EVs weigh a lot and can run down the former two a lot faster than expected.
Most batteries are rated for 8 years or 100,000 miles. After that signs of degradation may become very apparent resulting in thousands of dollars in battery replacement costs.
Lease, Finance, or Cash?
Now that you have decided what type of car you are gonna buy, the next step is how you are gonna buy it. These are the most preferred buying options that are available for an average Joe like you and me. Each has its perks and downsides-
Lease
The best part about a lease is you can decide how long you want to choose it for. Generally, it can be anywhere between 24 to 48 months. You as a buyer only have to select the car you want from the inventory, pay a slight down payment, and be on your merry way.
The downside is that until you have paid the lease you are financially bound to the whole system until your lease period is over. Moreover, you have to ensure that there is a consistent outflow of lease payments from your side as missing even one could result in a legal mess. Also, most lease orders are inventory-based, if you want a special color or have configured the car online with a crazy color combo, there is a slight chance that leasing might no longer be an option for you.
Also Read-Cheapest Lease Deals
Financing
Another popular option these days with plenty of zero APR deals. All you have to do is choose to pay a small sum for every $1000 you take out as a loan (between $10-$30), make peace with the APR percentage with your dealer, and enjoy your ride.
Now here is the fine print, the eligibility of getting a car loan is heavily dependent on your credit score. Most automakers flash big ass “Zero APR” neon signs “Assume” that you have an excellent score which is around 800-850. Anything below that and you are looking at revised rates and heavier APR percentage.
Cash
This one is for the top 1 percenter among us who don’t like to be enslaved into the whole pay-per-month drama and would rather just pay the sum at once and ride into the sunset. Nothing more to add here.
From Where To Buy?
If you have settled on a new car, a dealership is the only way to go. Choose the one closest to your house even if they quote a bit extra as in case of any problems you can just walk in and seek resolution. Another way is to build your car and send the code to the dealer and see if he/she can get the build approved.
In any case, if your eye catches something shiny in the inventory DO NOT close the deal until you have conducted thorough research. The hawk-eyed salesman might say things like, "The offer is only valid for today", or "This particular trim is in demand and may not last long". These are all sales tactics designed to hand you over a lemon and send you on a short and painful car ownership experience.
If buying a used car, use reputed websites only like ours and check the fine print before finalizing a deal. Also, see if you can visit the seller for an in-person tour.
The Post Ownership Perplexity
Or POP. Another slang I just invented, so let's say that you bought the Civic Si and drove it for 4-5 years and now you want to get rid of it. But can’t get a good enough deal because Civic SI is extremely common and has tons of listings on different car-selling websites including ours.
To avoid the abovementioned scenario, consider buying a special edition or limited run of the car you have decided to settle on. Maybe Civic Si is being offered with an HRC package or a Nightshade edition for a couple of grand extras. Sure you might need to stretch your budget a bit but it will come in handy when and if you decide to sell your car.
The same goes for extended warranty packages and transferable warranties. These cost extra at purchase but do help when the time finally comes for you to list your car on CarIndigo.
