Cars For Every Budget |
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Sivakorn Siricharoensataporn
20 August 2008
Dreaming of owning your own car? In spite of the rising cost of fuel these days, there is still a steady demand for cars - most especially, budget cars. Sleek, cute and compact, the various budget cars available in the market today offer people the convenience of having their own car without having to shell out so much money.
Since budget cars also have smaller engines compared to normal cars and SUVs, these babies are also considered as eco-friendly vehicles. A smaller engine is actually the more practical choice when it comes to buying any budget-friendly vehicle, not only does it help save the environment by using up less gas, its fuel efficiency also allows its owner to save more on gas fuel.
There was a time when the trend was SUVs, which of course, looked pretty cool but due to its big engines, a lot of SUV owners nowadays are finding it hard to maintain these upsized vehicles. Let's face it, the economy is certainly not booming these days and as people try to find more and more ways to save their money, it really is impractical to want an unreasonably large vehicle that gulps down liters of gas by the minute.
So if you are in the market for a new car, there are several entry-level budget cars out there that might catch your fancy. However, if you are turned off by the thought that it is comparatively smaller than the usual sedans, budget cars can actually seat up to four, even five people if they're skinny. If you are someone who dumps a lot of stuff in his/her car, there are also certain types of budget cars which offer bigger compartment space. Budget cars are actually ideal for students, single people, and small families. It is certainly not a good choice for racing aficionados though.
Well if you are looking to have more options in your "car hunting" but you still want to stick to a reasonable budget, second hand car shops is the best way to go. If you do not know much about cars though, it is best that you bring someone along who is knowledgeable about cars. Why? Obviously you would not want to get duped by those overenthusiastic car salesmen who are trying to offer you seemingly good deals but will turn out to be a big disappointment after a couple of months. Do not be disheartened though, a lot of second-hand vehicles nowadays were usually well-maintained by the owner, but if you really want to play it safe, choose car models which you can easily buy spare parts for in case it starts acting up in the future. You should also educate yourself at least a bit in car maintenance so that in case anything happens, you at least have inkling about what to do. Car repair shops can sometimes charge exorbitant fees even if your car only needed a minor tune up. Unless you know what is really wrong with it, then you would easily be charged for something that you can easily have fixed at home.
When it comes to shopping for a car just try to enjoy the experience and not stress too much over it. Do not get easily overwhelmed by all the choices made available to you out there and do not just go buy anything without thinking it over. Your car should be something that you can truly depend on as well as something that will last you for a reasonable amount of time. To lengthen your car's life, make sure that you maintain it well. If you notice something weird with your car, do not just dismiss it as a minor thing, try to check if there is anything wrong before the problem becomes worse.