7 ways on how to avoid impulsive car buying

Planning is a part of almost anything in life, like how extra early you should wake up tomorrow just to have your favorite cup of joe before work. It takes a serious amount of time to make sure that the decision you're about to make is non-regrettable, especially if you're planning to get your next car. As they say, “regrets are felt when its already too late.”

As such, we formulated a car-buying cheat sheet to help you determine your brand new car.

1. Check your budget 

Before you start thinking of anything, ask yourself "how much am I willing to spend for a brand new car?" This is really helpful as it is easier to spend money than to earn it. Meaning, you might end up emptying your bank account in a blink of an eye. 

Check if you have enough money before purchasing a car. You should also make sure that you have a steady income in order to sustain monthly payments for your car. It would also be best to ask for an advice from your family, best friend, partner, dog, cat, and so on before you decide on purchasing a car.

By this, you could determine which financing plan would be appropriate on your current status, as well as tackle extra expenses before and after purchasing the vehicle. To help you set your budget easier, check AutoDeal's promo page to see the latest special deals.

2. Do you want it big or small? 

If you want your car to be the perfect fit in your life, you have to determine where you are most likely to use it. Are you a parent who's fond of having road trips with the family? Or are you a bachelor/bachelorette who's looking forward to having a car to drive to the best party places in the metro? On the other hand, are you an adventure seeker that likes to go to places with rough terrain?

In addition, you might also like to consider the number of seats a car has. This would help you narrow your scope down if you're torn between a 5-seater and a 7-seater vehicle. 

Whichever lifestyle you have, there is an appropriate car that could go along with it. It would be a lot easier and worthy to know which car body type would fit your description of an ideal car before pulling out your money from the bank.

3. Gasoline or diesel? 

Even if you have already determined what type of vehicle you want to own, you're still left with a pile of selection from all the available brands in the market. So, to further narrow your scope, you could rule out vehicles that aren't using the type of fuel you prefer. In addition, this could also help you if you're comparing variants of a single model.

4. The type of transmission counts 

As you completely ruled out cars that don't fit your preference in regards to the items mentioned above, the next step would be looking at the transmission. If you are someone who wants a total control of the car, a manual transmission would likely be the best choice for you.

Now that you are left with a few options to compare, your next car is just right around the corner. You can apply all these items on AutoDeal's Guided Search for more convenience. However, as you get down to this stage, the competition might get tighter as you have easily ruled all unqualified vehicles out. No need to stress, though, as you're getting close to your next car.

5. Closely compare models inch by inch 

You are not living in the 90's anymore, where you'll have to go to showrooms and take home a bunch of brochures (although you could still do as you please). Good news is that AutoDeal features an advanced and handy 'Car Comparo' section where you could compare any car you like as without having to move away from your couch. Conveniently see the differences between the cars on your list, from technical specs to safety.

6. Watch/read reviews for first-hand opinions 

Test driving a car is the best way to determine if it's a buy or a 'nah.' Yet, you are faced with tight schedules from your job and making an appointment is not that easy. If that’s the case, you can read or watch quality car reviews through AutoDeal's 'Media' section.

7. There's what you call the freedom to test drive 

The last, and literally the closest way you can get to your next car is through test drive. Test driving the cars that are on your list is the best way to compare one vehicle to the other. This way, you can get a personal opinion about the performance and feel of the car. There is nothing compared to actually sitting inside your dream car.

There you have it. Follow this simple list to avoid the hassles of regretting and impulsive decision at the end of the day. After all,  buying a brand new car should not be a stressful story.