How to Choose a Car

You probably have more money invested in an automobile than in any other asset besides your home. Since you may buy and sell many cars during your lifetime, careful shopping and the right choice will not only save you a lot of money but will spare you many of the head­aches acquired by impulsive car buyers.

SIZE AND FEATURES

What size car meets your requirements? Consider a smaller car than you would like to have, because it will probably give better gas mileage. (Fuel prices are expected to go even higher than they are.) Comfortable seating space is one requirement if your family travels together. 

Adequate storage space may be important. If you are in a car pool, you may need a car larger than a compact. 

A full-sized car will be more comfortable and safer than a compact for extensive traveling on the highway. 

A station wagon may be the best choice for the family that travels with small children or goes tent camping. 

A pickup truck has advantages for the family that hauls materials, and it can be used with a pickup camper.

AMERICAN OR FOREIGN CARS

Should you buy an American car or a foreign car? There are strong opinions on both sides. 

Since most foreign governments tax cars on the basis of the size of the engine, and since fuel prices are higher in most foreign countries than in the United States, foreign car manufac­turers and their engineers have devoted more of their efforts than have American manufacturers to developing smaller cars with more efficient engines. 

Most foreign cars get exceptionally good gas mileage, a feature that now attracts American buyers. Since the early fifties, several makes of foreign cars have become quite common in this country.

Take the time to consider your needs before you buy a foreign car, especially if it is to be the only car in your household. The incon­venience, delay, and expense of repairing and servicing a foreign car may be frustrating and costly, particularly if you do much long-dis­tance driving. 

Volkswagen has done one of the best jobs of any foreign car manufacturer in establishing dealerships and parts sources in most areas of the United States. On the other hand, a foreign make that is not very popular and does not have many dealers and parts sources can give you almost insurmountable problems if the car breaks down on a trip.

Even if you only use your foreign car locally, you will want to be certain that the dealer you bought it from stocks parts for the car and has a mechanic trained to repair that make and model. I know some­one who bought a foreign car from a dealer who also sold a well-known American make in a city with a population of about 100,000. When the car broke down, my friend had to take the car about a hun­dred miles to a larger city in order to get the needed repairs.

New- and used-car dealers are aware of the difficulty of getting parts and service for certain foreign cars and they may offer you far less than you expect when you try to trade in or sell one. On the other hand, certain foreign makes, such as Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, hold their value well; the little-known, unpopular foreign cars tend to de­preciate more rapidly.

ACCESSORIES

Choose accessories carefully. Automatic transmission is easier to drive, but it costs more to operate than a manual shift; fuel con­sumption is higher, and the transmission service and repair is more frequent. Power steering and power brakes may help the senior citizen whose reflexes have slowed or the man or woman who does not have much strength; but here, too, service and repair are more frequent.

Many other accessories are available for your consideration. Some are merely cosmetic, others make sense depending on where you live and what your needs are. Tinted glass will reduce the amount of heat in a car and is recommended if you buy air conditioning. The list of

accessories available for most cars is endless, so do not make decisions impulsively in a showroom. Take the list home and scrutinize it care­fully at your leisure. Free from a salesman’s pressure, you will make more rational and less costly choices.

TRADE-INS

If you are like most new-car buyers, you’ll be trading in a used car and you’ll want the best price you can get. What can you do to make sure your car brings the top dollar? The appearance of the car is im­portant, but a dealer or private party will not judge a book just by its cover. 

A fresh paint job looks good, but if it is hiding body damage it could hurt the sale, and a sloppy paint job definitely will. If your car needs repainting, a quality paint job in a professional shop should pay for itself by increasing the worth of the car.

Keeping the car clean and waxed is the best protection against premature paint deterioration. The car should be cleaned and polished inside and out; clean the up­holstery with shampoo and make the glass and metal surfaces spotless.

Engine condition is the next thing a potential buyer or appraiser is going to examine. The ease with which a car starts is extremely im­portant, so invest in a tune-up or a new battery or whatever is necessary to achieve it; having the battery charged may be all that is needed.

Smart buyers usually want a mechanic to inspect a used car, and a car dealer definitely will have his mechanic look over your car. Before approaching a dealer, you might have your own mechanic check over your car and take care of defects, such as an obvious oil leak, that can kill a sale or lower the trade-in value.

A gauge that is not operating or a burned-out light bulb will signal trouble in the buyer’s mind and diminish the car’s value. It may cost only a few dollars and take a small amount of your time to repair or replace such small items. 

The trade-in value can be increased by as much as $500 when a car is put in top shape. Incidentally, you will probably get more money for your car by selling it to a private party than by trading it in; an advertisement in the classified section of your local newspaper will bring interested callers.