Choosing a car that’s fit your lifestyle!

Not everybody leads the same kind of lifestyle, and that is why many different types of cars exist.

There are a lot of things to consider before choosing a car.

For many people, a car purchase constitutes a major financial commitment. Aside from purchasing a house, buying a car might be the biggest purchase you make in your life. Because of the costs involved with purchasing a new car, you need to take steps to ensure the car fits your lifestyle, otherwise you will find yourself regretting the purchase in the near future.

Aside from looking good and making a social statement, your car needs to satisfy several key elements in your life. Consider the following points before choosing a car.

Think how many people will be riding in the car on a regular basis. If you have children, you carpool or drive clients around regularly, forget any thoughts of a two door vehicle. If adults or older children will be sitting in the back seat, find a vehicle that provides enough leg room such as a large SUV or a minivan.

Consider the terrain you will be driving through on a regular basis. If you drive through canyons or even up steep hills regularly, choosing a car with enough power to climb the steep inclines easily its good.

If you live in an area that receives snow regularly in the winter, consider choosing a car that is equipped with all wheel drive or four wheel drive, which makes driving in snow more manageable.

For those who are on a strict budget, a vehicle with good gas mileage can help avoid any budget busting. You should realize, though, that the EPA gas mileage estimate placed on the window of a new car is only an estimate. The actual gas mileage you achieve in a car depends very much on how you drive it.

Some vehicles provide high gas mileage numbers, but they also cost several thousand more than cars that provide almost the same gas mileage. Depending on how much you drive and the price of gasoline in your area, some high gas mileage cars might not be cost effective.

Think about what you like to do for recreation. If your answer includes taking your own boat or other recreational vehicles to outdoor areas, you should seriously consider a truck or SUV. Look up the manufacturer’s towing capability for different vehicles and compare those capabilities to the weight of the recreational vehicles you want to tow.

If your recreation involves going off-road for camping, hunting or other outdoor activities look for a four wheel drive vehicle that has high ground clearance, or else you might find yourself getting stuck on a regular basis.

The climate where you live should also play a factor in your vehicle choice. If the car is going to be your primary vehicle and you live in an area where it snows, you might want to pass on convertibles.

In fact, in areas where the temperature dips below freezing regularly in the winter, options such as heated seats and heated side view mirrors can make a big difference in your enjoyment of a car. If you live in a warm climate, look for features like air conditioning, tinted windows and cooled seats.

You need to be honest with yourself about what kind of cargo you regularly need to transport in a car. If the most you ever transport is maybe a few grocery bags or a couple of small suitcases, then a car with a small trunk should fit the bill. If, however, you regularly buy enough groceries to fill a shopping cart, or your vacations involve loading up seven suitcases, consider vehicles with a high luggage capacity such as SUVs, minivans, wagons and full-size sedans.

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