Automotive Blog

There are many factors that influence the public’s interest in the latest and best car models to come on to the market. One such factor that is occasionally overlooked is the introduction of the latest registration plates.

Reports are coming in to suggest that interest in new cars has seen quite a substantial increase leading up to the new ’59 plate’ registrations, that will be available to own from the beginning of September 09.

Consumer confidence is said to be increasing at the moment, if only in small amounts. This upturn is reflected in the housing market where house prices rose by 1.2% during May. Generally, history shows that when the housing market sees a rise in prices, very often the sales of new cars will shortly follow suit.

The property boom of recent years has led to new car sales hitting record highs. Between 2001 and 2007, there were fewer than two and a half million new car registrations issued. When the housing market took a decline in 2008, it was inevitable that the sales of cars also took a decline, with only 2.13 million being registered.

This trend carried over into 2009, with car sales dropping down to 27.9%. However, things are starting to look up and we are maybe seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Car dealers are reporting increased interest in new cars in their show rooms, so this could be indicative that the motor industry is on the rise again.

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One of the most common car buying questions I personally receive or find asked on message boards and/or forums is, “What’s the best car for a first time buyer?” It’s a great question to ask, but it usually seems to be followed up with, “Should I go with the BMW or the Dodge Viper?”

The best advice I can offer in this situation is to look for the smartest car for a first time buyer and not literally the best car. Even customers with long and well paid credit histories are not able to purchase those types of cars and it’s in your best interest when buying your first car to consider cars that you can…

1) Get approved for.

It’s highly unlikely that any lender would loan the type of money it would take to buy one of those cars to a first time buyer. Even if a lender would loan that type of money the interest rate would be high (as is the case for most all first time buyer auto loans), which in turn would lead to an outrageously high monthly payment.

2) Comfortably afford.

As mentioned, monthly payments for high end cars for first time buyers can be huge and even though you may think that you can comfortably make an $800 to $1,200 a month car payment, I’d venture to say that it would be less than one year into your 5, 6 or even 7 year loan before you realize how big a payment that truly is.

So, what is the smartest “best” car for a first time buyer? Based on what we’ve covered above, it would be a car that you can easily get approved for and comfortably afford. In addition, you’ll want to look at a car that serves your needs (i.e. gets you to work, to school, can hold all the kids, gets good gas mileage, etc.) and not so much your wants (i.e. lifted truck, flashy sports car, etc.), although you may still be able to find one that serves both, your needs should be priority one.

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Maintaining your vehicle is not just great financial sense in terms of keeping the cost of driving down as well as maintaining the value of your investment but you also maximize the enjoyment of your car as well. There is a great deal of pride of ownership when you are driving a great, pristine looking, smooth sounding vehicle which makes you feel good as well as attracting admiring looks from others.

Keeping your vehicle in good shape and well cared for does not need you to spend huge sums of money – remember, the whole point of these car care hints is to save you money today and in the long term with your driving, and for the most part, all you need to do is to allocate a few minutes each week to looking out for signs of wear and tear, topping up oil and water levels and general attention to what your vehicle is being put through.

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