frame left frame top frame right
Buying Your First Car header image
frame bottom
 
MENU
ARTICLES
BOOKS

Deciding On Which Car Is The One For You

You are shopping for your first car and have been analyzing all the options. You are trying to decide what is best for you; a car, minivan, SUV, or pickup truck. While cars normally have better gas mileage, the other types of vehicles are also quite popular.

 

Several truck, SUV, and minivan manufacturers have carried out research on gas economy issues and are attempting to make newer models that are more fuel efficient. The automakers are shifting to a new gas formula such as an ethanol-gasoline mixture; the newer vehicles are adhering to Flexible-Fuel-Vehicle guidelines. These guidelines are focused towards achieving better fuel economy and low levels of vehicle emissions.

On the other hand the larger vehicle manufacturers are making sure that if their vehicles are not fully equipped with proper parts, they can add on conversion parts which make the change easier. Another thing that the auto manufacturers are offering is the option to opt for a greater fuel economy engine but not including features such as 4 wheel-drive on their vehicles.

When you talk about minivans, you can observe the difference in the aero dynamic design being manufactured today in comparison to five year ago. So, how can you tell if a minivan is aerodynamically designed? When the front portion of it has a sweep and the rear portion does not stop but bends downwards.

If you are looking for a vehicle based on gas mileage alone, the car has been in the lead in the race for a considerable time, however with improvisation, the other vehicle types are making progress in this area as well.

However if the parts required to convert your vehicle for using a gas and ethanol mix becomes unaffordable you can make improvements in its mileage and even its performance. A simple way of improving gas mileage is by avoiding big accessories like tires designed too huge or extra roll bars. Maintaining your vehicle properly and keeping the maintenance schedule up to date also helps the gas mileage.

If you have decided on purchasing a truck as your first vehicle and the interior size is not an issue, then a small truck would perhaps be suitable for you. A small truck will get good gas mileage if proper care is taken and it is driven responsibly. Do not punch it to show off how fast it is, and also maintain a fixed speed limit while driving on the open road.

No matter what vehicle you select, you can always improve your gas mileage. If you are buying your car used, check and make sure that the previous owner took good care of it and adhered to the preventative maintenance schedule. At the very least, you can buy a Carfax report to see what the car has been through in the past.

SPONSORED LINKS
 
 
Buying Your First Car Headlines

For Starters | Care for your car now, spend less later

While the weather has been kind to Kansas City of late, the next snowpocalypse could be on its way. What can you do to prepare your car for the snow and ice? Staying ahead of problems could keep you trucking and off the side of the road, says Barry Degges, a service advisor at Sallas Auto Repair in south Kansas City.

Read more...


Is 'Made in America' Back in Style?

My grandparents had two criteria for buying a car: It had to be blue, and it had to be American.

Read more...


Buying a car? Shop for reliability and fuel economy.

All of the luxury features you might want in a car should be completely secondary in your search. Focus instead on getting the best bang for your buck in terms of fuel efficiency and reliability.

Read more...


First Person: One Car, 7 Years, $5,500

*Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Do you have a personal finance story that you'd like to share? Sign up with the Yahoo! Contributor Network to start publishing your own finance articles.

Read more...


5 hidden costs of having your own classic car

6 of 1 Owning a classic carJay Leno's multimillion-dollar collection of some 200 cars includes a 1909 Baker Electric, a 1928 Bugatti Type 37A, and a 1926 Bentley Roadster with a twin-turbocharged 8-liter ...

Read more...


 
 
Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Terms of Service
bottom bar
?>