If you’ve never bought a car before, you might wonder what makes a good one. There’s more than one way to answer that. What one person considers to be a good car might vary from someone else’s opinion, depending on what these two individuals prioritize.
However, there are some universalities upon which most vehicle buyers agree. We’ll talk about some of those before you start looking at the new and used cars in Salt Lake City.
The Most Reliable Brands.
If you are going car shopping, one thing you’ll probably want to consider is what brand of vehicle you’re getting. There are some brands and models that get consistently higher reliability ratings than others.
That matters, especially if you’re buying a used car rather than a new one. You’ll likely want a vehicle that will last as long as possible, especially if you don’t have a great deal of money at the moment.
Some of the vehicle brands that get consistently good reliability ratings include Honda, Acura, Jeep, Lexus, Kia, Toyota, and Hyundai. Some of the least reliable brands include Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Rivian, and Volkswagen.
The Vehicle’s Size.
You will also want to consider a vehicle’s size when you buy your first car. You probably learned how to drive using a particular vehicle. Maybe your parents or a relative owned it.
If you learned to drive using a mid-size car, like the family sedan, then it probably doesn’t make much sense for you to buy an enormous truck. Something like an F250 is going to be intimidating if you learned to drive using a Toyota Corolla.
The Safety Features.
These days, many first-time car buyers look at the safety features first and foremost when they’re considering which car to purchase. You can find some that have blind spot detection alerts, forward collision warning, and much more.
At a minimum, you should try to get a car with a rear backup camera. They have been a requirement for new vehicles for several years now, but if you buy a car that’s used and more than a few years old, it might not have one. That could be a reason to pass over that model since that rear backup camera should certainly come in handy.
The Gas Mileage.
If you are buying your first car, then that often means you will have a limited budget. In that situation, you will likely want a vehicle that gets good gas mileage. Some models that will get you farther on one tank of gas include the Mitsubishi Mirage, the Honda Civic, and the Nissan Versa.
Of course, you can also look for a hybrid or electric vehicle. Hybrids do not require you to buy gas as often, while in an electric vehicle, you never need to purchase it. Many first-time car buyers can’t afford an electric vehicle or even a hybrid, though, so this might not be a realistic option at the moment.
Consider these points when you’re going car shopping for the first time.