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How to buy your first car
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If you've seen the car of your dreams, the reality is that it's probably not the right
choice as your first step into the world of motoring - even if you could afford it.  IT'S UNDENIABLY TEMPTING TO OWN a vehicle that stops by-passers and friends in their tracks, mouths ajar in awe, but a coollooking car should be seen as a bonus not the deal-breaker. Equally, buying a car based purely on the quality of its CD player is not a sound basis for long-term driver enjoyment. Motor vehicles are a gigantic step into a whole new world of personal freedom, but unless your parents are listed in BRW's Australian Rich List then cars also bring significant financial considerations. Beyond the obvious expenses associated with cars such as insurance and servicing, depreciation is the biggest burden. Did you know that a brand new car typically loses more than 20 per cent of its purchase value as soon as you drive it out of the showroom? For those on a restricted budget which is most of us vehicle reliability and servicing costs are important. And it's also worth looking at the safety features included in a car. Statistically, young/new drivers are more susceptible to accidents. Choosing the right car isn't a simple task, but it should be an enjoyable one. And we hope the following few pages will help make the decision that much easier. So what makes a good first car? Function First and foremost, a good car let alone a first car will be suitable for its intended uses. Only you know what purposes you need your vehicle to serve. If you intend carrying around friends and family on a regular basis, for example, then you need a car with several (comfortable) seats so that rules out the (two-seater) Mazda MX-5 roadster, I'm afraid. An active lifestyle, as another example, would mean choosing a vehicle that is practical enough to carry plenty of luggage or camping gear or even a vehicle that has some off-road capability. Safety This is an important consideration because of the statistics referred to earlier that reveal that young/new drivers are involved in a large percentage of accidents. The older a car is the less likely it is to be fitted with the kind of safety features such as multiple airbags and electronic stability control almost taken for granted in modern cars. Dual front airbags one each for driver and front passenger should be the minimum on any car you choose, as should anti-lock brakes (ABS). Many cars have been and continue to be crash-tested by safety organizations to assess their performance in the areas of occupant and pedestrian protection. You can find ratings for the cars that have been tested by clicking on the New Car Assessment Program links on the previous page. Comfort Your confidence on the road will be helped if you're feeling comfortable when driving. All cars offer driver's seats that are adjustable either manually via levers or electrically via buttons but not all offer a steering wheel that can be moved both up and down (tilt adjust) and forwards and backwards (telescopic adjust). This is crucial for achieving the idea driving position. Economy A fuel-efficient vehicle helps to limit the impact of carbon dioxide emissions on the environment and it will also help limit damage to your wallet. Petrol prices have risen dramatically in recent years and are expected to continue this upward trend as the world's oil supplies start to dwindle. Typically, the larger the vehicle the more fuel it will consume which is why Australians in recent years have started to switch from large sedans to small hatchbacks. The Green Vehicle Guide (link on previous page) lists official fuel consumption figures for cars sold in Australia, as well as rating them for their environmental friendliness (or lack of it). Reliability If you're going to ask one thing of a car, it's that it doesn't break down on you. A well-built, well-engineered and wellcared for car should work for hundreds of thousands of kilometers. Unfortunately, there is no black and white guide to which cars will just keep on running. There are only the established reputations of the companies that build them, but these shouldn't be taken as gospel. Neither should you expect a more expensive vehicle to guarantee 100 per cent reliability; the more fancy electronics and gadgets a car has, the more things there are to go wrong. Affordability A good first car can only be good if you can afford to run it. Bigger or higherperformance cars will not only cost you more at the fuel pump, but they're also significantly more expensive to insure. And be careful if you've got your eye on a used-car classic you may be able to pick one up relatively cheap compared to its original cost, but you also need to consider the cost of replacement parts if anything goes wrong. It's likely that these would have to be imported from abroad, at a considerable price. Age Cars unfortunately are as susceptible as humans to the ageing process. Regular servicing (see affordability) is the equivalent of anti-ageing cream, so a good first (used) car will come with a full service history. Obviously the newer the car, the longer the odds of a major problem occurring. And if you purchase a vehicle less than three years old, you'll inherit a much-cherished manufacturer's warranty which entitles you to free repairs if a fault develops that is not of your doing. The real cost of owning a car Did you know your first car will at a minimum cost nearly $100 a week run before you've even filled the tank with petrol. The latest survey on private vehicle ownership running costs, conducted by the NRMA [???], reveals the cheapest car to run in Australia is the Hyundai Getz. The little Korean hatchback costs $119.53 to run per week, of which fuel accounts for $25.46. The average family car – such as a Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore costs $265.97 per week. The NRMA calculated operating costs based on a combination of weekly running costs (the cost of fuel, tyres and regular servicing) and a number of fixed costs associated with owning a car (depreciation, registration, finance and insurance costs). Depreciation makes up almost half the cost of owning a car (see page ??), while fuel comprises 17 per cent. The NRMA breaks down the Getz's running costs as follows: - Over 46.4% is for Capital Costs (Depreciation & Interest) - 21.3% is for fuel at $25.46 a week - 20.1% is for Standing Costs (Registration, CTP Insurance, Comprehensive Insurance and NRMA Basic Care cover) - 12.2% is for tyres, maintenance and repairs. The most expensive vehicle to run, according to the survey, is a large SUV - the Toyota LandCruiser Sahara (six-cylinder turbo diesel) at $413.86. drive.com.au 
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