Monday, May 19, 2014

Automotive Purchase Considerations

Have a job and need a car for transportation is a mantra of many today. Owning a vehicle is not luxury anymore. You may live out in suburbia or anther area where bus service is not practical - either by availability or scheduling. It may be your schedule to get to work, or the bus companies schedule may not be frequent enough or provide logistics to get you to work easily or on time. Worse yet many cities and municipalities in an effort to save you tax money are cutting back on vital transit services for its residents. Oh well you say - what of global warming and President Obama's moves to the green economy. You can bet that bet few of Obama's top staff and bureaucrats take the bus to the White House each and every morning and in the early afternoon after the work day ends.

Yet when it comes to choosing vehicle it's not only a question of style and looks but one of everyday practicalities and fuel economy. Sure as a young male you may have always dreamed of that high powered sleek sports car but what of bring groceries and beer home for the weekend without even considering the high cost of fuel and gasoline economy, thriftiness and your monthly cash flow and budget. Small vehicles like the Mercedes "Smart Car" may be the most economical on gas, yet what happens in a major road accident or collision in terms of personal safety and that of your family and passengers. Small may be inexpensive to buy, run and insure but too small and if you have a chance meeting with a much larger vehicle - a truck or SUV and your personal liability costs as well as hospital and medical bills may prove that choosing a small car may be poor value - and yield you poor quality of life in the end game. At the end of the day most auto purchasers seem to like run of the mill popularly sized vehicles - be they American made cars or truck, or imports.

Every driver and auto owner has their own personal prefererences often involving their own particular reasons and biases. However just like real estate when you purchase a vehicle think of resale. Its not only resale price involved but also demand for the automotive or transportation product at hand. A high end Porsche or BMW may fetch a good resale price and keep its value - yet in you neck of the woods there just many not be that many auto purchasers and those actively looking in the market who feel that they justify the expense of your particular vehicle. Sure you can expand you catchments area of sales with an online service such as eBay. Yet eBay involves extra costs and expertise. Many people, especially older more conservative types who while established in life having the cash to buy such a dream exotic vehicle shy away from eBay due to concerns from buyers of problems of theft, non payment, logistical issues, comebacks and a whole host of real and imagined issues. Sure they could go to an eBay broker or a person who has the expertise and positive feedback on eBay who certifies as an eBay 'Trading Assistant", yet in the end many wonder first if they feel comfortable in such a situation, there are extra fees involved and by the end of the sales process one wonders if it was worth all the bother.

When purchasing or considering purchasing a vehicle new or used consider as well the level of service and parts for the vehicle and your specific model both costs and availability. With some vehicles you can just go to a local box store where costs while not cheap or not through the roof. With some specialty vehicles, or oddballs you can only go to the local dealer - if there is one. As well consider the cost of parts, and the difficulties involved in installation. Good old fashioned Chevrolets were easy to work for a mechanic or even a backyard mechanic. Not necessarily so today. Secondly while an import car or SUV may have good reliability and resale value. The considerably higher priced import car parts may be much higher in price and as well only available from the manufacturer themselves as opposed to less expensive third party parts. This may not be an issue with brand new car - which should only have routine repair and maintenance costs in the first couple of years. Yet buy a more than 3 years old used vehicle and the costs of repairs and replacement parts of many import cars can far outweigh what you thought that you were ahead in terms of reliability, repairs and maintenance costs.

Lastly one vehicle which is seldom if ever a bargain in the long run are orphan or odd ball cars. These are ones that either is just being introduced by a new offshore auto maker, or the manufacture has just basically abandoned on the marketplace. Your budget may only allow you purchase of one of these vehicles - especially if you are in the new car market. Head for the hills. No one is going to want to purchase your used vehicle down the road. Parts and service are going to be hard to come by and most likely expensive in relation to most everything else. It is better to buy good used vehicle, with reliable resale value than one of these has beens or orphans that few other in the automobile purchasing market are going to want and will give you little precious cash for.

In the end when considering purchasing a vehicle - first of all think of you actual needs, consider running costs and safety. Lastly always consider eventual resale value as part of the calculations and eventual decision or decisions.

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