The small car category is becoming a very popular segment in the car market and with good reason. They are great for driving around busy city areas and they can fit into tight parking spaces, but more importantly they can be very fuel efficient.
Nowadays buying a small car does not mean you need to compromise on comfort or reliability, here are some things to consider when by a small car.
How to Choose the Best Small Car
- How dependable is it? – The last thing you want to happen is have your car break down, it is not just expensive but extremely frustrating. The best cars in terms of dependability tend to be Japanese brands particularly Toyotas. European brand are not too bad in terms of reliability either.
- Safety – This has to be one of the most important considerations when buying a small car. In Australia, look for a car with an ANCAP safety rating of four or five stars. Lots of European and Japanese cars meet the top quality safety requirements. Chinese cars tend not to meet high quality requirements. Stay away from Chinese cars if safety is important to you. At this stage there are no minimum safety requirements.
- Is there capped price servicing? This one is very important if you’re purchasing a brand new car under warranty. It is great to know that there is a maximum amount you are going to have to pay for getting your car serviced in the following 3 to 5 years.
- How long is the warranty -. A lot of car manufacturers will give you 3 to 10 year warranty (free of charge). You want peace of mind when you buy a brand new car that it’ll be reliable and you won’t be paying breakdown costs all the time. When a car maker provides you a free 5 or 10 year warranty then you know they really believe their cars are very dependable.
- How comfortable is it to drive? There is a big variation in small cars in terms of comfort and driving experience. If you aren’t knowledgeable about the different brands then take a little time to drive a number of different cars until you discover one that you find comfortable
What’s a good price for a small car?
Do your homework on any second hand car or new car you are interested in purchasing, because regardless if you decide to deal with a private seller or a dealer they’re going to try and get the best possible fee they can get for their car.
Many dealers will try and upsell you additional feature that are not important including rust proofing (if a car these days are in real danger of rusting then don’t purchase it), lengthy warranties (ask the dealer why they feel the additional warranty is necessary, is the car hard to rely on?)
When it comes to buying a small car that fits your needs perfectly you have to spend a little time doing your homework so that you get exactly what you’re looking for at a good price.
