28
28 – – AUTONEWS
AUTONEWS - - AA
AA CLUB
CLUB OF
OF KENYA
KENYA MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE
VEHICLE BUYING
ADVICE
The car ‘you want’ vs
the vehicle ‘you need’
Buying your first car can be a very
mind-boggling decision and choosing
the wrong car could be an expensive
mistake. It is important to keep your
heart in check and use your head as
much as possible. The first hurdle to
jump is the determination of how much
you should sensibly spend and what you
would like to use the vehicle for. Once
you have made those key decisions arm
yourself with our full list of all new cars
available in the country within your
price range.
Check the second hand car market
locally and browse the websites for
imports and determine whether you
will import one directly or settle for one
from a local yard.
To determine which car suits you best
here are some questions to lead you in
the right direction:
1. How much money must you
spend on a car?
You must first and foremost determine
your short-term and long-term obliga-
tions. How much money can you spare
without changing your lifestyle? If you
have saved up and the cash is in the
bank, then you have an even bigger
problem because there is nothing worse
than having money at the ready and a
list of gorgeous cars calling out to you.
2.What engine size do you need?
What is under the hood is as important
as what you see on the outside and what
you do not see under the vehicle. A slow
under-powered car can be very annoying
if you travel long distance often. If you
only need the car to get to the office 10
kilometers away in irritating jams then a
smaller, more economical engine is best.
3. How many seats do you need?
The passengers you hope to carry helps
you determine the number of seats
your new car must have. Your wife is
expecting and you will now have three
at the back with the child seat taking up
most of the space. Count a house-help
and you have it. You are looking at a
7-seater.
4. Who else will be driving the
car?
Will your spouse or partner be driving
the car? It is pointless buying a loud
Subaru WRX when even driving her
modest Vitz is a life-threatening propo-
sition. Purchase a car that suits both of
you, when things look up for you go for
the red sports car.
5. How long do you intend to keep
the car?
If you intend to sell the car after two or
three years what do you expect to get for
it and will that amount go into financing
your next car? If the answer is yes then
you should ensure the value of your car
is going to hold. Some cars lose about
50per cent in the first year while others
like Toyota hold up to 80per cent.
6. Will you be taking a loan or are
you self-financing?
Today most financial institutions are
offering unsecured loans so you are not
compelled to buy a car that is less than
5 years old although it is recommended.
This means you can afford that car of
your choice. Take your time to do your
homework. You might be better off with
a new car than forking out millions only
to have unending mechanical problems.
7. What else must your car do for
you?
You don’t expect your Toyota Vitz to
manage a trip the Mara Game Reserve
next Christmas. Do not buy a saloon car
if what you need is a 4x4. If you are a
farmer buy a pickup. If you want to go
offroad buy some form of an SUV or
crossover vehicle.
8. What’s the condition of the
roads you frequently use?The roads
are your link to your destination. What
are they like on your regular route. The
car you choose must have the neccesary
ground clearance to avoid the annoying
battering of the undercarriage. You must
also choose the size of rim and tyre
carefully. Low profile tyres look nice
but will cost you thousands of shillings
to replace.
9. Are you looking for a diesel or
petrol powered engine?
This is a very confusing decision to
make. Diesel engines are very efficient
and the new generation ones are quiet
and environmental friendly. Bigger
engines consume less while smaller
engines perform better. If your do high
mileage then you will need an engine
that goes longer without needing ser-
vice.
By Michael Mwai, first published in
Business Daily