It’s easy to get a little too excited when you decide to buy a car, and to rush into the process as a result. So before you start visiting car-yards, take some time and consider how buying and owning a car will impact your finances.

1. You should also know that the type and size of your car will impact your registration costs. Generally, smaller, less powerful cars will cost less to register than high performance vehicles.
2. Bear in mind the ongoing costs of ownership. Will you be able to afford to fuel and service your car in order to keep it on the road? If your car were to break down or need repairing, can you afford the servicing costs? Typically, European and high performance cars will require more expensive parts and servicing fees.

Once you have taken this all into account, you can look for your car with confidence.

With your price range in mind you should start thinking about what you need from your car, as well as whether you want to buy a new or used car.

If you are in the market for a new car, you should be thinking about things like on-road costs, what comes standard with the car, whether the price is negotiable, and how long the warranty will be.

If a used car is more your style or suits your budget, there are some key questions you need to ask before buying. For example – how many kilometres has it travelled, what has it been used for, are you able to get a full service history, and are you able to have an inspection performed?

Once you’ve taken all this into account, you should use the tools available to you to find the right set of wheels. Online sales and comparison sites will allow you to price each and every car, as well as view service history and much more.