Back in the day, owning a car in India used to be a luxury. Not anymore. With per capita income as well as disposable income on the rise, people now are more inclined towards owning a car for daily use instead of showing it off as a form of status symbol. However, as the prices of even entry-level vehicles are on the rise, it is natural for one to be extra careful while buying a new car.

In this context, if you are planning to buy a new car, keep the following things in mind for a seamless experience.

Set a budget and look for financing

Cars have become expensive over the years. Hence, it makes sense to start the car buying process only after fixing a budget. Additionally, if you are getting an expensive car, surely you would need financing which is a separate and lengthy process. Make the necessary arrangements and then start visiting the dealerships.

What are you looking for? A hatchback, an SUV, or a sedan?

There are several car body styles available these days but cars in general are broadly categorized into hatchbacks, SUVs, and sedans. Each car body style has its fair share of benefits as well as drawbacks and they are as follows -

Hatchbacks have a compact footprint and are extremely easy to drive, especially in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Additionally, they are fuel efficient and are easy to park in congested parking lots making them ideal for singles and couples.

If you recently started a family and have a newborn, it makes sense to invest your hard-earned money in a sedan. These vehicles are known for their roomy cabins and impressive boot space. However, sedans tend to have a low ride height which means scraping the undercarriage of your sedan while going over a speedbreaker will be a common occurrence.

If you have teenagers, elderly parents, and a wife who loves shopping then you should get an SUV. These vehicles are large and have roomy cabins, gigantic boot spaces, and powerful engines. Furthermore, SUVs are rear-wheel-drive vehicles. Moreover, high-end SUVs are almost always equipped with 4x4 or at least an All-Wheel-Drive transmission. It means that you can take your SUV on offroad trails and let your family have fun times camping and being one with nature whenever you feel like it!

Prioritize safety over features

There are several features available on new-generation cars that have little to no benefits for owners. For example, in a nation where one has to endure a tropical climate throughout the year, what good does it do for them to buy a car with a panoramic sunroof?

Instead, one should buy a car that offers the latest active and passive safety features such as 6 airbags, ADAS level 6, 360-degree camera, etc.

Additionally, pay attention to the GNCAP rating of the car. It is recommended to buy a car with a 5-star GNCAP rating or at least a vehicle with a 4-star GNCAP rating.

Why?

Well, a car that has above 4-star GNCAP rating will be able to keep the passenger cabin intact even if the vehicle has turned upside down in the aftermath of an accident.

Don’t forget to test drive the car and avoid dealership add-ons

Always test drive the car you are planning to buy. Don’t forget to take your loved ones for a ride as well. In this way, you and the people who would ride the car would get a clear idea about how the car you are about to buy would behave during daily commutes.

After taking the test ride, when you are about to sign the documents for your new car, the people at the dealership would try to sell you dealership add-ons such as paint protection film (PPF) for your car. Avoid this at all costs since these will unnecessarily increase the price of your car.

It’s better to buy a petrol or CNG car over a diesel vehicle

Diesel cars come with hefty sticker prices. Additionally, diesel car maintenance sessions are expensive. Compared to diesel cars, petrol and CNG cars entail affordable sticker prices. Furthermore, you can drive and keep a petrol or CNG car longer compared to diesel cars as the Indian government has limited the operational lives of diesel vehicles. Sure you can keep a diesel vehicle well past its legally set operational life, but you would have to pay a ‘green tax’ for the same.

Think about it.

Select a car brand that entails the lowest ownership costs

There are several car brands available in India. From German cars to cars from Japan and even cars from the Czech Republic, you can buy cars from Indian brands as well as global brands.

Sure you can avoid Indian brands and go for cars made by foreign brands but bear this in mind that all brands have localized assembly plants in India. Whichever car brand you choose, their cars are made in India. Additionally, foreign brand-made cars would entail steep ownership costs since their maintenance, and spare part costs will be sky-high!

The best thing you can do as a new car owner is to buy a car made by an Indian brand since their spare parts would cost less and their maintenance costs will be affordable.

A car is an investment, not a luxury – remember this!

A car these days is more of a necessity than a luxury or a symbol of status. However, since cars are pretty expensive these days, it is a good idea to keep the vehicle in its prime electromechanical condition in a bid to make it last long. For the best results, keep track of your vehicle’s condition with AutoHealth. When you have car-related questions, don’t forget to ask them on CarChat!