User:Daniel Opare Agyakwa

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A CAR:

Getting a car has become very cumbersome lately due to choices and trust. With the below points, we wish to give you some tit-bit about your choice in getting a good car and a good deal

1. BUDGET:

The Bible says, " for which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and count the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?(Luke 14:28). In advancing our point,we consider budget and cost as the most important on our scale of preference. Everyone likes the best and the most valuable but the economist says" limited resource or scarcity will push us to make choices. It is always prudent irrespective of your purchasing power to get a good deal with less cash, therefore considering price  and budget is as essential as getting the car.

Value of a car should also be considered highly. There are some cars, irrespective of their age, can still get a good deal when you want to sell them.

2. TYPE OF CAR:

The next item to ponder about is the type and nature of the car. You need to ascertain if you want an *Automatic* or *Manual*. These two has advantages and disadvantages but we shall not dwell on, at this time.

You will also consider *Fuel* i.e if it's Petrol,  Diesel, Electric or Gas. Once again we do not want to dwell too much on these because each of them has it merit or demerit.

You may also consider if you will like a Saloon, four wheel ( 4x4),  a Sedan etc. These mention invariably have bearing on your fuel consumption, parking lot etc. All of these  should be factored in your cost and type of car.

3. BRAND & YEAR:

Brand and year is equally important as the above two listed. Strenght  and agility of a car is as important as it performance. Example *Bavarian Motor Works* (BMW) is know for it *ultimate driving machine*  so you need to ask if your brand choice has connection  with your expectation. The year of a car can also affect it efficacy. Most 10 years cars are even regarded in certain countries as over aged, so imagine your car is close to that age..it will presuppose that most functional parts are almost getting retired if not retired.

Comfort! It is a  proclivity for humans to love comfort. The speed, exterior(design), interior and other safty(airbags) inputs gives hope and relaxation to the user. It is therefore incumbent on individual to look for these *sine qua non*.

CAR HISTORY:

This point is very salient to the buyers of used cars. In this part, we segmented into Legal and Function. Legal is a broad scary word, but it's relevant in any enterprise. Be it formal or informal. You have to first demand the  documentation(registration) of every car. These will reduce the risk of buying stolen car or litigation car. Things you may want to look for; Name of owner, year of registration, country of the vehicle, port history etc...

* Note*: You should be particular about the *VIN* number because it can be the right source of verification of document. VIN is *Vehicle Identification Number*. This mostly are written under the carpet of the driver seat, close to where the Accelerator, Break and Clutch is. You may also find beneath the lower part of the front windscreen.

Finally under the bonnet ( the engine gate)of the car. *Function*, we look at the age and whether it is an accident car etc. You may look at the paint if it is change or not, if there is any cut and join in the car- *you should go with an expert when buying a used car.*

GET A GOOD LOOK:

Getting to the finalization of owning the car! You need the touch and feel of the car. At this point, you should be checking for faults and hidden problems. Well, it might sound a bit problematic with the seller because due to your checks, it may raise isssues of inegrity and trust but you have to gather the confidence and go ahead- *you can not see the head's of men but men are trusted for what they do!* You should check for locks and windows. Check if all electrical  fittings  are working and usable .Test for tire alignment. *Odometer*- it is simply a meter that shows mileage traversed. Odomoter is essential because it tells you how many miles and distance the car is covered. The more distance the car covers, the more the strenght and it's capabilities deteriorates.

You need to check for *Clocling*- it is the process of rewinding the odometer in a bid to reducing the number of mileage covered. Better, changing the genuine mileage reading of a car in order to make the car seem like it has been driven less than it actually has.

ENGINE & TEST RUN:

The last but not the least, The engine! The engine is liken to the stomach of human. It carries major part of your human anatomy, so you should be extra vigilant with the engine.You may open the bonnet and see how neat and clean the engine is. But more importantly, the engine is mostly tested when driving! It is worthy to note that fumes of the exhaust pipe can also measure the health of the engine.. when the engine is so smooth and healthy, you may find some droplet of water from the exhaust Pipe.

Check sound and possible odd noise when driving.

* Note* that you should test drive for about half an hour at different speed, apply breaks, turning wheels and changing gears to be sure of the car you are paying for.

BY: Daniel Opre Agyakwa