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Savings Tips When You Buy A Car

Savings Tips When You Buy A Car

Tags: Tips and Tricks
Last updated by Kayley Harris on

The annual list of Australia’s best value cars - across key price ranges and category types was unveiled by WHEELS magazine this week.

Wheels Magazine Editor Alex Inwood spoke to us on the Daily Drive show and said “cars are a big investment so it’s important to understand the real costs involved in owning a car.”

Wheels tested more than 2,500 cars with one car named the winner in each of the 21 key categories (car types/budgets) on offer. Across all categories, the Kia Picanto (costing around $14K) returned the highest overall rating.

According to Wheels, “the real cost of a car is not based on what it cost you, or even what you can sell it for. Its real value needs to factor in what it costs you to own and operate”.

Factors in determining the true value of any vehicle include: depreciation, fuel costs, purchase price, insurance, servicing costs and warranty protection.

Here’s Wheels Magazines Top Tips:

  • Shop for the lowest total payment cost rather that the most attractive interest rate and make repayments fortnightly rather than monthly.
  • Capped-price doesn’t always mean cheap-price service and 3 years is a common capped-price period but some brands offer schemes for the life of the car
  • Get quotes for insurance prior to buying the car, not after and pay your premium annually instead of monthly

Click now to check out our members only offer on Car Insurance with Budget Direct 

Any advice provided in this article is general in nature and does not take account of your individual circumstances, objectives or needs.

Click here to go to Wheels Magazine

Originally posted on .

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Gertraud
Gertraud from ACT commented:

“cars are a big investment" - I do not call something that depreciates significantly the moment I drive it out of the dealer's yard an investment! Investment APpreciate rather than DEpreciate. My car, a KIA Cerato, will be five years old next January and I hope to keep it for another ten years, by which time I will have to consider whether I should still be driving or not 

Gertrude
Gertrude from NSW replied to Gertraud:

Gertraud you are right I think the same way. Many because my name is Gertraud also. Have a nice day from Sydney 

margaret
margaret from NSW replied to Gertraud:

Probably an investment in lifestyle. It is only when you are completely grounded from 2pm Sat to 8am Monday every week and after 6.30 pm each week day that you consider it this. Oh, have just enjoyed a long weekend 2.5 days without transport. Many a low cost activity is missed because when one adds the cost of two taxis, to the cost of the outing it simply is not viable. Never-the- less I agree with your attitude towards your car A car is something that allows you to move quickly and comfortably between two points, not something that makes up for personal inadequacies. Think that, in the main, is a 'man thing'. 

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