Buying a car for quality and reliability always takes a bit of research. While there are plenty of brands available that will promise the sky, moon and stars, when it comes to measured performance many fail to deliver. As a result, a car buyer who wants to make sure money goes as far as possible needs to look beyond the marketing and posters. It’s important to pay far more attention to statistics and actual test measurements against other models in the same vehicle categories.
Fuel Efficiency
There is no question that in today’s world, fuel efficiency matters. However, not everyone wants a super-efficient hybrid. So there’s need for a balance between power and avoiding breaking the bank every time the driver pulls up to the gas station.
Most car makers will provide basic statistics on their vehicle’s fuel efficiency, but that doesn’t mean the figures reflect reality. In the U.S., for example, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency is in charge of fuel efficiency ratings, and the vehicles are measured while being driven at approximately 45 mph. Clearly, it is essential to measure all vehicles under the same circumstances in order to ensure consistency and fairness. However, the results are not particularly useful when you consider normal highway driving speeds and practices.
Buyers need to look at independent third-party testing reports showing how cars perform with fuel efficiency when driven at realistic speeds. It is often the case that models appearing to be the most fuel efficient in the official tests may drop down the list at higher speeds.
Engine and Repair Reliability
The next major factor to consider is how often a particular brand has to be serviced and the type of repairs that most frequently occur. For example, Toyota gained market share in the 1990s because the company’s pickup trucks proved reliable and long-lasting.
Does the Car Fit Your Lifestyle?
Any car will provide a means of transportation, but that doesn’t mean that it will meet the needs of a person’s lifestyle. If a driver wants to be able to drive long distances and enjoy the maneuverability of a vehicle on curves or stretches, a budget pickup is not going to fare well under those circumstances. In the same vein, someone who regularly moves boxes, bags and equipment won’t be well served by a roadster or even a sedan. An SUV or a minivan would very likely be the better choice overall. This may sound obvious, but it’s a reminder that car buyers need to be honest with themselves and not assume a given model is a jack-of-all-trades. Happily for those with complex requirements, there are now a number of crossover vehicles from that combine the best attributes of more than one format.
Resale Value
Although this is often the last thing a car buyer thinks about when buying a car, resale value becomes important at a later stage. Durability, reliability and brand reputation are major factors here. Many of the Japanese cars such as Mazda and Honda demonstrate significant demand because the cars, even with high mileages, are reliable and have a low repair cost over their lifetime. There is plenty of third-party data out there covering depreciation which must always be factored into the total cost of ownership.
Clearly there is no one perfect car that meets every car buyer’s needs. This explains why there are so many different brands and models. However, with a little time invested in some personal research, most of which can be done for free on the Internet, a car buyer has a far greater chance of securing a vehicle appropriate to his or her needs and budget.