A gift is one of the finest expressions of love, affection, gratitude, and all possible positive emotions. Gifts come in all shapes and sizes ranging from the occasional “I saw this, and I thought you’d like it” all the way to “it’s our anniversary I have to do something over the top” and it’s usually the latter kind of situation where you tend to go all out sparing no expenses trying to put your best foot forward. On such an occasion you may have a friend or a spouse or any other loved one with a passion for automobiles that you’re well aware of, and you know that the vehicle in the parking lot with a big red bow attached to it will be the highlight of the decade for them.
But while their knowledge of automobiles might be abundant odds are you are clueless where to start.
So here are 7 important things to consider before purchasing a car
1. Tyres
While there are many factors in the actual car that you will want to check before purchasing it one of the most important ones is the tyres. The tyres come in varying sizes, shapes and forms from various companies and each has its benefits and drawbacks. Another thing to consider while considering the kind of tyres you wish to have on your gift is whether the car is a four-wheel-drive or a two-wheel drive. 4wd tyres are very different from the 2WD tyres as 4WD cars are designed to go through obstacles and terrains that good old 2WD cars cannot. This again boils down to the personal preference of the individual for whom you wish to purchase the gift and perhaps you can inconspicuously discuss it with them so as to not ruin the surprise.
2. Year of making
Odds are the car you’re looking to gift is going to be a used car and there is nothing wrong with that as cars are supposed to have long lives that can spread across multiple owners and thousands of miles but make sure you check the year of the car you are looking to purchase as the year of its making determines a lot of factors including the price. The older the car is, the cheaper it will be. However, if you’re looking to buy a car that’ll last decades, then a used car may not be the best option altogether.
3. Automatic or manual
The choice of transmission is a crucial one, ask any car enthusiast. Automatic transmission offers a lot of comforts, minimum hassle, has better fuel consumption, but again any car enthusiast will tell you that manual transmission is a much more attractive option to them, the adrenaline of a roaring engine, the thrill of the time shift, the level of control on your vehicle has long been romanticized by car enthusiasts. So it really comes down to the personality of the individual to whom you may wish to gift the car too.
4. Fuel efficiency
A car is a big responsibility as much as it is a luxury, maintaining it, taking it in the shop every month and keeping the fuel tank full all require a diligent supply of finances so keeping the finances of the person you’re gifting it too in mind, you may want to consider the fuel efficiency before purchasing it. There are varying fuel consumption rates in different cars, and if you’re loved one is someone who wishes to get the most out of their travels with the least cost than purchasing the car with the maximum fuel efficiency is a must.
5. Affordability
It’s obvious that if you’ve decided to gift someone a car than you can probably afford it, but there is still a wide range of cars out there that come in a wide range of prices and you must know which cars you can afford and which ones you cannot, just because you have the finances necessary to buy a car doesn’t mean you’ll be able to head to the dealership and pick any vehicle you like. Consider what’s the best vehicles you can actually afford without damaging your finances too much.
6. History
If you are looking to buy a used car, looks can be deceiving the car may look fantastic but might not actually be in such a great condition. In such cases to be on the safe side of things, you may want to consider looking into the history of the car to check any previous repairs or modifications that it may have gone through to ensure that you’re aware of the vehicle’s “strengths and weaknesses” and whether they will affect your purchase.
7. Test drive
The most important thing of all is, of course, taking the vehicle for a test drive. No matter how much you love the vehicle, how perfect it may seem, nothing beats a good old fashioned test drive to ensure that it is something one would enjoy sitting in for long hours on the daily.
