There are some pretty important purchases that we make in our lives – our first house, what we spend our first paycheck on and our first car. As we grow up, we have plenty of people that have already been through the process wanting to share their knowledge with us but often it’s a matter of learning the lessons ourselves before we can really take it in. Remember your parents telling you that school would be the best days of your life; who believed them!? People tell us that things like car servicing are important, but when we first get a car we usually have much different priorities in mind!
Buying Your First Car
Buying your first car is an exciting experience; it’s a milestone of great importance but for most people, the car they buy when they first learn to drive compared to the one they might buy 10 years later is really different! When we’re young and getting our first car we generally have a tight budget and we also want a car that is going to impress our friends. The shape and colour of the car and on the top of the priority list and for some engine size is up there with importance. Fast forward a few years and believe it or not you’ll be looking at things like boot space and how safe a car is before you go ahead and purchase it. I bought my first car because it was red; even though my boyfriend thought a similar one in black was better mechanically, I really liked the idea of a bright car!
What I Wish I Knew When Buying My First Car
One of the most important things I wish I knew when I look back at buying my first car was to consider how the car had been used in the past and how that might affect its performance. For example, did you know you can check the MOT history of a car online? – this gives you an idea of what it needed to pass MOT checks in the past & also if there have been any advisories that you might want to pay attention to. If you know someone with an OBD scanner then getting them to check the car for any errors is a really good idea too; so you get peace of mind over what you are buying.
Much like anything else, I wish I knew that sometimes a cheap car isn’t the best car – after all, we all know that things like cheap shoes tend to run out quicker and need replacing sooner so why should purchasing a car be any different? I wish I understood that as much as I might want a car I think is pretty, or in a colour I like there are more important things. It’s important to rememeber that actually the whole point of a car is to give you some freedom and therefore something practical and that runs well is much more important.
Looking After Your Car
When I look back at my first car, I also wish that I knew more about looking after your car and how this would affect how long your car would last and how reliable it would be. I wish someone had told me that a car service is pretty essential, even though it is not mandatory. I’ve recently been introduced to the ATS Euromaster ‘I Wish I Knew’ campaign which aims to introduce people to the knowledge they might find helpful when buying a car for the first time. Or, more importantly, the value of regular maintenance for keeping a vehicle in tip-top condition.
If you have anything you wish you knew when it comes to buying a car for the first time I’d love you to share them below.
*Collaborative post with ATS Euromaster. All thoughts and experiences are my own.
About Debz Louise
Debz Louise is a UK-based lifestyle expert and the founder of several lifestyle blogs, including Wannabe Princess and Under 5s. Specializing in everything from interior design and home renovation to body-positive fashion and early years development,