With an increasingly varied offer, choosing your car can become a real headache. Before buying your vehicle , it is therefore important to know your needs and define your budget.
How to choose your car? Define your needs and your budget
Choosing the right car depends largely on how you use it. Almost all the brands offer a complete range ranging from the city car to the spacious cross-over.
- For essentially urban use, a city car is ideal.
- For people living in more rural areas, the sedan, station wagon or SUV/Crossover are vehicles that combine strength and comfort.
Buying a car: new or used?
The choice between a new or used car will depend on your budget, as well as the number of kilometers you travel annually. Here are the considerations to take into account before making your choice and looking into the method of financing your purchase with a car loan or cash.
- Buying a new car
| Good points | Negative points |
| Manufacturer’s warranty | A higher cost |
| Longer vehicle life | Requires all-risk insurance (the most expensive) |
| A car in immaculate condition | Your car will lose its value in the first few years |
- Buying a used car
| Good points | Negative points |
| A lower insurance premium | More risks: mechanical problems, hidden defects… |
| A purchase cost significantly lower than new | No guarantee on the actual condition of the vehicle |
Petrol or diesel? A question of kilometers
The answer depends on the number of kilometers you travel in a year. If the latter is less than 15,000, forget the diesel, which will be impossible for you to depreciate, even if the resale price of the vehicle is higher. More expensive to buy, diesel is also more expensive in terms of maintenance and spare parts. The insurance of a diesel is also higher by 10 to 15% compared to the same gasoline model.
SAVE €360 / year** on your car insurance
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Last step: safety and comfort
Do you want to combine safety and comfort? Before choosing your car, think about all the options available:
- central locking,
- the automatic gearbox,
- manual or automatic air conditioning,
- the speed regulator,
- the GPS,
- reversing radar,
- electric sunroof,
- emergency braking assistance,
- the light and rain sensor,
- etc.
In 2018, the aid granted when buying a new vehicle can reach up to 6,000 euros. Provided, however, that the emission of carbon dioxide does not exceed 20 g per km.
