Week 5 [18.05-24.05] How to choose you first car?
Cars in our
lives have always been main transport vehicles. Statistically, there are as
many cars in Poland as working-age people. Therefore, we can assume that almost
every adult has to choose his first car.
After
graduation, after starting a family or after getting our first job, no matter
what we must choose a car we want to buy. But where to start? According to 2
major auction portals there are over 600,000 cars available to purchase. 600k,
seriously?
Make, engine
size, body type, colour, power, transmission, price, age, mileage, fuel type
etc. There are so many various features we must take into consideration. All these
things help us defining our dream car. Considering only body type there are
plenty of options such as: saloon, hatchback, coupe, estate or convertible.
Source: http://www.alphamalenation.com/how-to-choose-the-right-car-for-you/
As an
expamle I will decribe the parameters I considered while buying my first car.
First of all, I set the budget. Actually, price is a factor that always comes
first. Considering my car, the most significant parameters were:
- engine type ( only
petrol engine )
- body ( I prefer small cars, hatchbacks or small saloons)
- distance to car dealer ( up to 100km)
These parameters were permanent for 2 reasons:
- I had
no time to travel across the whole country
- my husband owns estate with
diesel engine
All
other features such as mileage, colour, car body condition, equipment and
overall car condition were negotiable.
I do not say that my approach was
perfect, after all I am not a professional dealer, but I admit there are as
many attitudes to the topic as future drivers.
PS,
a friend of mine once bought a car only after kicking the tires several times 😊
1.
Did you find buying your first car difficult?
(if you own one)
2.
What is the best time to buy your first car?
3.
What is your dream car?
Buying a first car when you have a very limited budget can be difficult. On the other hand, you don't have much choice, which makes things a little easier. ;) It took me about a month to search for the car.
ReplyDeleteI do not have a dream car - first of all it must drive, secondly it should be eco - in the future I will probably choose electric one. What do you think about electric cars?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAlthough combustion engines are becoming more and more effective and efficient, I think people will slowly change their engines for electric motors. Sadly for me, nothing sounds as good as an old V8
DeleteJoanna, for now! We will see what the future holds ;)
DeleteI didn’t have any problems and difficulties with buying my first car because my dad is a mechanic and I’ve also become some kind of a petrolhead so we are a good team in buying cars. We’ve even bought one recently and it also turned out to be a good deal in coronavirus times.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the best time to buy a car is different for every person and has to be analyzed. Almost everyone want’s to have a car but not everyone needs it. Also, people sometimes aren’t conscious about maintenance costs, especially when they buy one of the cheapest specimens on the market which later needs a lot of money for repairs.
As for now my dream car is Dodge Challenger with a 5.7 Hemi engine from the 2015 year and above. I love this car and I’m going to make my dream come true in about a year or two.
Truth is not everyone has someone who knows cars, which is very helpful. I like Challenger as well, but if it comes to me I really like old NA muscles, my favourite is Chevy Impala IV
DeleteBuying the first car has definitely changed my life. My godfather works in a Toyota showroom, so I chose this brand and with his help I bought used car in very good condition. I think that the best time to buy a car is immediately after passing your driving license.
ReplyDeleteI'm in love with old cars, so I dream about having an old Mercedes cabiolet or Porshe 911 someday. If you watched "Once Upon A Hollywood" there are a lot of beautiful cars, including Cadillac Coupe DeVille. 🖤
I see the idea of buying car immediately after passing driving licence. I know a lot of people who must have taken additional lessons after so much time without driving.
Delete1. Did you find buying your first car difficult? (if you own one)
ReplyDeleteThe only difficulties about buying the first car was lack of enough budget to get what I really want!
2. What is the best time to buy your first car?
I think it's all about money. If you're able to get some - for me as a car enthusiast - the sooner, the better.
3. What is your dream car?
Damn, as a petrolhead I might struggle with fitting the answer in reasonable amount of words but if I have to pick my top3 dream cars that I hope some day will be in my reachable price-range I would probably go with :
1. Mercedes-Benz W204 C63 AMG Black Series
2. Alpine B5
3. Porsche 718 GT4
Wish me luck!
An interesting thing comes to my mind after seeing your dream list. Is this a coincidence that all your top cars are german?
DeleteI bought my first car with my fiancé. We thought about it for some time. One day he went to Poznań and came back with car! He surprised me very much 😁. He bought our dream cabrio. Our trip to Croatia was amazing! Beautiful view and sun during travel. What more could you wish for? Nothing! The biggest flaw is high combustion… The best time to buy you first first car is when you have financial stability! You shouldn’t rush it.
ReplyDeleteBeing stable financially seems to be reasonable while buying a car. Many people (especially young) tend to buy cars they cannot afford.
DeleteYeah, that's right :)
DeleteOnce it seemed to me that finding the first car is difficult, but my girlfriend's example showed that this is not the case at all. She spotted a car, read about this model - she was like "this is it". She went to get the car, but it was sold to someone else. She searched for car offers in the area and bought - Reanult Thalia. She was very happy about this accidental purchase (she "was" happy because someone got into the car and was not fit for driving).
ReplyDeleteI chose my first car quite quickly - I didn't have too many requirements. It has to have 4 wheels and ride.
It seems to me that there is never the best time, but it is worth having a source of income then. Usually the first cars are already a few years old (hardly anyone buys a new car from the showroom as the first) and require repairs.
It seems to me that my dream car changes with my life situation. I once dreamed of sports, maybe two seated one. Now I can't imagine having one because I wouldn't have the chance to take my dog in the transporter. i believe that I will wait for the midlife crisis to choose some absurd car without worrying about its utility.
I agree that our ideas and preferences change whit life and economical situation. It is pretty reasonable. As for a midlife crisis in my opinion Toyota Tundra of Dodge Ram would do the job :)
DeleteI don't have a car and I don't know anything about the process of buying it. I think the best time to buy it is when you really need it. I don't have a dream car, but for me the most important thing is car safety, so maybe volvo :) I heard reviews that this is the safest vehicle. Is this true or am I a victim of good marketing :) ?
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know volvo's strategy has ephasized safety since the very beginning of it's production. If it comes to buying process, as you say you will learn it when you will need one.
DeleteFinding my first car wasn't an easy one. I was 18 then and I lived with parents and they had huge impact on my decisions. That's why I couldn't buy something fast and cheap cause it was all about safety, but we've finally found something safe and good for first one. If I've had to do it on my own I would probably crash after few kilometers :D
ReplyDeleteI think that there's no specified time for buying your first car. It depends on your current financial situation and your needs. You may have flat next to subway station and there won't be need for any car. I think that it's like love, you know when it comes.
I'm a bit petrolhead on my own, so there's nothing like one dream car. I've been thinking of a lot of different and possibly affordable cars and came up with few ideas but I can't decide which is my favourite one. Currently I'm looking at 718 Cayman but I'm too dynamic with car I want to buy in few years
1. Buying my first car wasn't difficult, I knew from the beginning what specifications it should have. In addition, I save the money before and I was looking for a car at a certain price and preferences.
ReplyDelete2. In my opinion, everything depends on your budget, there is a reason to say that a car is a "moneybox". Whether you buy a used car or a new one, you have to reckon that you will have to make some extra repairs every time.
3. Dream car? I don't have any specification and dedicated model, but when I started doing my driving course I'd like to have Mazda RX8. Currently, I like my car, which I have very much :) it is comfortable and cheap to drive.
Having an exact amount of money is a good start of searching. As I experienced a few searches I see a special reliance. For example I have 10k PLN and there are millions of ads. Then it comes to my mind that finding a car would be much easier if I had 12 to 15k. Then I search again and... Funny thing is this never ends :)
DeleteI don't have a car, but I've been thinking about buying one for some time. But the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that in my situation it would be more of a whim than a real need. It is much more convenient to travel around Warsaw by the metro than by car. Not only can we avoid traffic jams, but you also don't have to worry about parking in a crowded center. I think it's hard to give a specific time when it's best to buy the first car. I think that one such moment may be starting a family. My dream car changes every few months, but at the moment it is a Mercedes CLA.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw title of this article I thought „great, maybe there will be something about leasing, because I’m thinking about this kind of car change”. Unfortunately not, so let’s focus on your questions :)
ReplyDeleteMy fist car was Volkswagen Passat B5 from 1999, 1.9 TDI with 130 horse power, kombi. It was amazing car with automatic air condition, it was very comfortable and huge car. Now I have Fiat Bravo and I’m also happy to have it, but Passat is Passat if you know what I mean :P
I wasn’t difficult choice to buy Passat, because I knew that they are solid cars with long live engines. Best time to buy your first car is when you have money and right after pass exam, because if you wait too long you will be afraid of driving and you will forget how to do that. Just change exam car to your own. Now I’m thinking about Kia proceed GT, nice shooting brake type – fast and comfortable car like kombi with big trunk, but it also has sport character.
My parents bought me the first car, I just chose the color. I don't know the engine or the brands, so if I had to do it, it would be very difficult for me.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea when it's best to buy your first car. I think it depends on the person, their needs, free time for car research and enough money.
My dream car? I never thought about it, but I think I like black high cars the most.
My grandfather at his last years hasn't been able to drive, so I became my grandparents "taxi driver". Two things had happened thanks to that deal,
ReplyDelete1) I had a car
2) I have knew every hospital in Warsaw :D
To be honest now, when I don't have a car, altough I would love to have one, I don't feel big pressure for buying it. I am happy with my bicycle.
I am aware that this moment will come and I will be forced more or less to buy a car, but for now I prefer to spend this money on the trips and exploring the world. A car can be bought, the memories not :)
I do not have a car. I was planning a purchase but after thinking a bit it over, I don't think I need it at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI travel using public transport. To get to my family sides, I have very good train - (Polish State Railways) connection.
Dreams is a good thing! One day I would like to have a Volkswagen T1 but it's let's say a whim. In future for my everyday driving I would like to have rather an electric car.
Did you find buying your first car difficult?
ReplyDeleteMy parents bought me my first car when I was 18. It was a surprise so I didn't have any trouble with making up my mind which car should I choose ;)
What is the best time to buy your first car?
In my opinion the best time to buy first car is shortly after passing driving test - no matter if you passed it in your 18, 30... Possessing a car is a great opportunity to gain a confidence with driving and improve these skills.
What is your dream car?
I can't tell what is my dream car precisely - I don't have favourite model. For me a perfect car should be first of all safe. Additional advantage could be fuel efficiency :)
I have never bought a car, but buying one, the first one especially, must be difficult. I think that the most difficult part is finding the car that suits your particular needs. If it comes of buying a used car, finding the reliable one might be hard.
ReplyDeleteThe car undoubtedly makes many things in life easier, but on the other hand, it can also be troublesome. If you need a car and you can afford it, then this is the right time to buy a car.
My childhood dream is Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722, but in my dream garage there would be many more cars than the mentioned one :)
I've never bought my own car before but I think it's very difficult task, especially when we have very tight budget and want something solid.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's that easy to tell. Many people, including me, don't need a car at all but I also think there are many younger people who may find car very useful and time saving. A lot of people say having a car is a must if you have a child so I believe it's usually the best time to buy one.
I don't have any dream car and I didn't drive a lot of cars in my live but I loved using BMW i3 in Warsaw and bigger SUVs outside of it so I believe I should just have both.
I had many problems with buying my first car. I had pretty moderate budget, but I didn't know what car I want and I was looking for something solid and with some extra functions. I was also afraid about fake advertisements which could result buying broken down car. Finally, I bought my car after 3-4 months of searching. I think that there is no good time to buy a car, because it depends of situation and budget. I don't have my dream car, because I'm not a car lover. For me if a car let me to drive from point A to point B, for me it's enough.
ReplyDeleteI haven`t bought my first car yet. I don't see the point of owning a car in Warsaw. Maybe, I'd love to, but I don't see any necessity. Warsaw city transport really fits me. I prefer to read something or watch Netflix in tram when I`m going to my work. It's a lot faster than spend hours in the traffic jams every morning.
ReplyDeleteI think that the best time to buy car is when you are planning your first child or your business growing up.
Actually, I don't have a favorite car which I want to buy. I don't know enough about cars to choose my favorite car.
I think right now we are going in the direction that cars are no longer such an important possesion, as more and more people at least those who reside in the city, they resign from owning there own car, as there are currently some many alternatives: expanding metro line,
ReplyDeletee-scooters, rental bikes. I personally bought my own scooter and it works perfectly for me. It is also that cars are
no longer such a status symbol, now It’s more the smartphones that have replaced them.
If I bought a car, I definitely would not mind buying one with a LPG installation, as they less costly. I would hesistate about an electric car, as there is still a limited amount of charging stations at our disposal.