You’re close to finishing your 100 hours and there’s just a few more lessons of practice with the driving school. You’ve probably done heaps of shopping over the years but now you’re ready for…
Buying your first car!
But before you run through the car yard like a child in a chocolate shop just understand this, you might not get your dream car. Not yet, anyway. You only just graduated driving school and got your license so you must take it slow. We’ve listed a few things to help you along so you make the ‘right’ choice.
Shop everywhere
Online shopping isn’t just for the high-end fashionistas. Carsales, Gumtree, and eBay are prime examples of places to shop around for a new or used vehicle. Carsales is particularly useful because independent and franchised dealers, along with individual sellers, will list their available stock. If it’s on the website then it’s also likely in their car yard, ready to inspect. Parents and their children can go to the yard on a weekend when staff are away so they can browse uninterrupted.
Budgeting is key
Of course, everyone’s financial situation is different. Your family might help with buying a car after you finish driving school and pass the test. Other former learners might’ve bought the car themselves after years of saving and borrowing their parent’s car.
But budgeting is key after you buy the car. Purchase cost is only a small portion of the equation. Every month you’ll pay for petrol and insurance. It’s a pain but the freedom that comes with buying a car is worth it.
‘Old’ isn’t bad
Old in car terms is in reality only a few years. Local car yards and Gumtree are full of used vehicles that are just as good as new models for only a fraction of the price. Oftentimes the previous owners have upgraded and need to get rid of the car quickly.
You’ve hit the jackpot if the car was only used for runs to the office, shops and back. Used cars in great condition with less than 100,000 kilometers on the odometer are snapped up quickly so it’s best to be on the ball. Have alerts on your phone and your inbox so you don’t miss out.
Roadworthy
Don’t take the car at face value. It looks shiny in the pictures but it’s literally what’s on the inside that counts.
Handy sites like Car History and Red Book are staples for checking the car you have your eye on is roadworthy and being sold for a reasonable price.
Need more tips? Read on:
5 ways to be a responsible driver, post driving school.
Take care of these essentials before graduating driving school.