Car Shop Guide

You need a car that’s right both for your pockets and your requirements. So which will be best one for you? It might be exciting to have something a little bit different. Something that suits your image. But such cars are usually much more expensive, both to purchase and to run.
So what do you need a car for? Will you be towing a caravan or travelling off the beaten track? If not, you probably won’t need a large powerful vehicle or a 4-wheel-drive. If you, or someone who regularly travels with you, doesn’t require a car roomy enough to take a baby capsule or a child seat you can probably get by with a more compact car. Size does matter and costs, both initially and ongoing, reflect this.

ANDREW’S STORY

Andrew worked part time at Woolworths while still at school and saved well. He moved to full-time after his HSC. A reliable worker, he was on track for promotion. He paid $50 board at home and spent another $50 on himself, saving the rest. Surfing was a passion and he wanted a car to get himself and his friend Dames to local surfing spots. In six months he had a deposit saved and knew how much he could borrow from his Credit Union where he had already repaid a previous loan for a second-hand surfboard.

Andrew was eager to set out immediately to look for his dream car but listened when his parents suggested that a little forethought and comparisons now might save him some a lot of money down the track. What did he need the car to do? He wasn’t intending to drive his vehicle long distances over bad roads. He had no
caravan to tow, no baby seat or capsule to allow room for and he certainly didn’t need a large powerful car with a petrol-guzzling V8 engine.
His father suggested that as the vehicle needed only to carry Andrew and Dim short distances to nearby beaches,   perhaps  a   small Mazda or Holden with a roof rack to take two surfboards would   be   all   he   needed. Andrew did wonder if such a choice might be a little boring.