1. B
Students will understand options
and practices for meeting
transportation needs.
6.02-B “Choosing the Right
Vehicle”
Source
www.AAA.com December 2011

2. Factors to Consider Before
Purchasing
 Determine what is affordable for you
 Evaluate your driving habits
 List needed features
 Consider vehicle depreciation costs
 Will you buy New or “new to you”?

3. What Can You
Afford?
 Value of your trade-in
 Amount of down payment
 Budget $ available for
◦ Monthly installment payments or
◦ Monthly lease installment
◦ Lump sum payment for vehicle
 Investment financing options
 Insurance costs

4. Evaluate Your Driving
Habits
 How will vehicle be used?
◦ What types of trips will be most frequent?
 Local Short distance…will Electric car work?
◦ How many passengers will vehicle need to
carry?
◦ How much cargo space is needed?
 Need trunk to lock
 Open storage (pickup truck)
◦ Will vehicle be mostly on 4 lane highways?
 Weather/geographic conditions? snow, mountains,
gravel/muddy roads
◦ Where will you park at home/work?

5. List of Needed Features
 Needed or Wanted?
◦ Seating
◦ Cargo space
◦ Fuel economy
◦ Commute –Electric- MPG
◦ Style: 2 door, 4 door, 2WD, 4WD, sedan,
truck, SUV
◦ Safety features
◦ Specialty or convenience: GPS, CD
player, DVD player, Sirius radio

6. Consider Depreciation Costs
 Biggest yearly expense for new cars is DEPRECIATION
 Consider a model that has a track record of holding its
value for longer
 Research how much models depreciate within the first 5
years

7. New or “New to You”?
Will you buy NEW or NEW to YOU vehicles?
Both have Benefits & Detriments
Consumer must weigh options and related costs to make best decision.
 New Vehicle
◦ Higher pricing
◦ Possible purchase
incentives-rebates,
gas for year bonuses,
etc.
◦ Longer & broader
warranties
◦ Wider variety of units
available
◦ More variety in
features
◦ Can order “custom”
from factory

8. New or “New to You”?
Will you buy NEW or NEW to YOU vehicles?
Both have Benefits & Detriments
Consumer must weigh options and related costs to make best decision.
 New to You
◦ Lower pricing
◦ Less buying incentives
◦ Warranties more limited
◦ Harder to find desired
vehicle & features
◦ Less choices widely
available
◦ Search longer to find
desired vehicle
◦ More maintenance due to
age & prior usage
◦ Get inspection to ensure
quality and performance

9. WARRANTIES &
MAINTENANCE
 Review Warranty  Investigate
◦ Length maintenance costs
◦ Coverage ◦ Check with an auto
◦ Limitations repair shop ( a
reputable or trusted
mechanic) for
estimated costs of
 Fluids-oil changes, etc.
 Parts-tires, batteries,
etc.
 Other repair items
 Overall value of vehicle
 Check out major
components-engine,
4WD

10. INVESTIGATE SAFETY
RATINGS
 Check with National
Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
(NHTSA)
 www.SafeCar.gov  # of airbags
 Insurance Institute for  Vehicle “roll” factor
Highway Safety (IIHS)
 If using car seat,
 www.IIHS.org/Ratings chek out access to
vehicle’s LATCH
system

11. SEEK RECOMMENDATIONS
 Recommendations
 Reviews
◦ Check webwsites for
◦ Ask friends expert opinions or reviews
◦ Ask family ◦ www.AAA.com/autosales
◦ Ask colleagues ◦ www.AAA.com/Go , click
◦ Ask your mechanic “On New Cars”

12. DON’T LIMIT CHOICES
 Don’t get stuck on
one vehicle that
you can’t live
without!
 Be flexible to get
more negotiating
room with seller
 Check out vehicles
that meet your
needs