International Trucks

It’s the freedom to jump in a car and go, no waiting. Freedom for which a sixteen year old yearns. The loss of freedom an eighty year old dreads. Next to purchasing a home and paying for college, buying a car is typically one of the most significant purchases a family will make.

Answering some basics questions beforehand about the vehicle’s size, purpose, performance, maintenance ,insurance costs, and resale value can greatly reduce the need to revisit the dealer or to search for a new dealer. But remember, buying a vehicle that excites you usually translates into a better overall ownership experience.Doing your homework before you get to the car lot and hear the barrage of offers car dealers have prepared for you will pay off. Visit with friends and family about vehicles they own to get a real world idea of pluses and minuses for a particular model. You know how they drive or take care of their cars. You are familiar with their biases concerning import, domestic, big, small, performance, gas mileage, styling, etc., so you can filter their opinions to give you a good idea how that vehicle should perform in the area you live. The internet can give you lots of information, but even unbiased sources have their likes and dislikes (biases) that slip through. Internet sites and publications that claim independence from outside interference still need to attract readers, so even they can produce provocative reviews. This doesn’t mean you should ignore these sites, just take into consideration that they have their own slant. Manufactures internet sites today are loaded with great information, but again they are selling, so take that into consideration. Most importantly, before you even consider going to test-drive a car, you should have a general idea of what appeals to you. From that starting point, you filter all the other sources against your preferences. Remember, ultimately you’ll want to drive a vehicle you’re excited about. Only then, when you have balanced panache against practicality, should you test-drive the possibilities.What are the additional costs to consider? Most new cars and a fair amount of used cars for sale with a warranty. Before purchasing however, make sure you perform a check of the warranty’s terms and a price comparison of common repairs (tires, brakes, service maintenance, etc) to see where the vehicle fits. Does this car typically incur higher insurance premiums for a good driver? Get the facts because over time, these ‘extra’ costs really add up.Does the car maintain a high resale value? It is often said that a car depreciates immediately after it leaves the car lot. This becomes important if you like to trade every 2 or 3 years. Although depreciation is not a drastic as you might be led to believe, you need to take into consideration resale values when you compute the total cost of ownership. If you drive vehicles until the wheels fall off, resale obviously becomes less important, but quality becomes more important. One other word about resale value. Quality and resale value are linked but don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Resale value is heavily linked to the amount of like used vehicles available in the market versus the demand. As an example, because of gas prices currently, large SUVs car have a lower demand and that has affected the resale value, not the quality of those vehicles. The opposite is true for smaller vehicles, but a change in gas prices could flip that scenario.Your goal in purchasing your next car is to end up with an asset instead of a liability. By following a few commonsense steps beforehand based on an analysis of your wants and needs, you will not only have more trust in the vehicle you select, but you will also have a greater respect and appreciation for the quality of the vehicle itself. When buying your next vehicle, listen to your head and rely on the facts and never let image alone be your only consideration. Fortunately for all vehicle buyers, there are so many choices today that it’s easy to combine all your real-life requirements without sacrificing style.