Get the right car for you

You don't buy a new car every day so you'll want to ensure you get the right car to meet all your needs. 

Sure we'd all love that sexy little sportscar - but if it doesn't meet your lifestyle needs you could quickly feel you've made a fustrating and expensive mistake!

 Here are 13 key questions to ask yourself about your lifestyle.  Work from this list to fine tune the detail and find that ideal car. . .

 How many people do you normally carry around with you and do you need the flexibility to be able to carry more? Don't forget to think about changes in the future as you may have your car for over 3 years.

Do you need a lot of boot space or will the car only ever be used for the weekly shop? Do you have a dog? do you have a pram? Do you carry lots of work or sports equipment?  If you do you’ll need a generous boot.  Don't forget that if you're relying on collapsing the back seats instead of a boot make sure that you won't need to carry extra passengers at the same time.

What sort of journeys will you make? A tiny runabout is great if you just need to buzz around town or it's your second car. But if you take to the motorways often, a little more power and comfort would be welcome.

How many miles will you cover? The more miles you do, the more likely it is you’ll be able to pay off the added cost of a diesel and start saving.

Is speed and performance important to you? Would you spend the next three years kicking yourself if you got a 1.6 instead of that 2.0-litre?

What is your budget?  This ultimately determines what cars you can realistically buy.  Though if you're prepared to consider nearly new or used you'll get more car for your money.

Is insurance group important?, if you're a young driver or have lost your no claims bonus, then a car in the lowest insurance group is going to be very important.

Is safety the top priority? What safety features do you want?  Do you want the best Euro NCAP score and as many airbags as possible?

Is reliability or low emissions and a more environmentally friendly car important?

Do you really need four-wheel drive? Or all-wheel drive?

Will you be doing any towing?

Will the car easily fit in your garage or parking area?  Is parking a problem where you live?

Do you want a prestige of car?