Buying a Car is a tough choice to make. Consider yourself lucky if you have to make that decision.
Cars have become a necessity in our lives. Cars make our traveling more comfortable, fun, easy, and fast.
We are always excited to buy new cars as they are super smooth to drive, shiny interiors, and exteriors. The new dashboard makes the car look amazing from the inside and the outer shiny body grabs everyone’s attention.
But when we Buy a Car we need to consider lots of things like budget, maintenance cost, comfort, and driving style. So let us start with our guide on how to buy a car in India.
Table of Contents
Budget for Buying a Car
In India, there are cars available at all prices. You can Buy Cars starting from 3 lakh to almost 10 crores. Well, first things first always choose a car according to your budget. Make sure you have a fixed budget so that it will be easy for you to consider cars that you can really buy.
Also, there is a huge difference in the price of different variants of the same car. Maximum between the Base Model and the Top Model.
For example, if we consider the Ex-showroom price in 2022 before purchasing a car.
These were the most loved cars of 2021.
Kia Seltos
- Base Model- 9.95 lakh
- Top Model – 18.19 lakh
Maruti Swift
- Base Model – 5.85 lakh
- Top Model – 8.67 lakh
Hyundai Creta
- Base Model- 10.23 lakh
- Top Model – 17.94 lakh
As we can see there is a huge difference in the price between the variants of a car with the fully loaded top model as the Most Expensive.
We even have to choose between the variants when we purchase a car as per the features that you need.
Driving Style of the Car You Buy
Always look for a car that suits your driving style. Keep in mind that when you Buy a Car it is going to stay for at least 5 years with you. So choose wisely.
Type of Car
Sedan
Pros
- Comfortable
- Agile
- Fast
- Preferred for long Trips.
- Luxury Feeling
- More Space
Cons
- More parking Space Required
- Lower ground clearance
- Expensive
Hatchback
- Less Expensive
- Fast in Acceleration
- Perfect for Short Trips.
- Easy to Park
- Easy to maneuver through traffic.
- Good mileage
- Best for City Rides.
- Small
- Less Comfortable than Sedan
- Driving Experience is not so good.
- Legroom Space is less
- Boot space is less.
SUV
- Seating high above the road.
- More Road Presence
- More Safe Feeling
- Ground Clearance
- Off-roading can be done.
- Bigger Wheels
- Less Mileage
- Difficult to drive in Traffic
- Require huge Parking Space
- Expensive
- More Maintenance Cost
It’s easy to choose which type of car will suit you the most.
When you buy a car, make sure to look for all the pros and cons of the category you choose.
Transmission
We can choose between two types of transmission – Manual and Automatic as per our convenience when we are Buying a Car.
Automatic Transmission is a bit costly but makes the drive very easy and comfortable. Auto transmission is very helpful in places with more traffic on roads.
There are few options in automatic transmission too
AMT V/S CCTV/S CVT
It’s easy to learn to drive a car with automatic transmission.
Manual Transmission is the common one but we are all familiar with it and has been used for a very long time. We find ourselves comfortable in manual too.
Manual transmission is More fuel-efficient as compared to an automatic transmission.
Manual Transmission is a little cheaper Due to which people Buy Cars with Manual Transmission.
Read more about:- Transmission System in India
Which Engine to choose for your New Car?
Always consider the fuel type when you are Buying a New Car which can save you a little money.
You have 3 Options to Choose from-
- Diesel
- Petrol
- Petrol/CNG
Per Year | City | Highway | City + Highway |
Below 15000km | Petrol | Petrol | Petrol + CNG |
Above 15000km | Petrol + CNG | Diesel | Diesel |
Choose as you Travel and Drive your car.
There is another perspective to look at when you choose the engine
POWER & TORQUE
If you want the overall performance of the engine to be good then you should always choose power over torque.
Read More about- Torque Steer
Test Drive and Choose the Best
This option has been around for a while now and is very helpful in making your final choice a go.
After you’ve gone through all the different options available in the Indian market at the time you are planning to buy a new car. Now, is the time to have a test drive. It’s for free you can go to any nearby car showroom and ask them for a test drive.
Don’t do careless driving drive with caution and Try everything you would when you drive.
- See the driving position if it is comfortable or not.
- Adjust seats accordingly and see if you can the desired posture you want when you drive.
- See if the visibility from the driver seat is through.
- You should drive till you are not satisfied or dissatisfied. A lot of money is at stake so make sure you take all the benefit you can.
- Always check the breaks more precisely. Know that breaking is more important than acceleration and the top speed of the car.
- Side mirrors should provide enough details of the road behind them.
- Drive in all speeds slow below 40, medium below 80, and fast above 90.
- See if the clutch is not too tight, as in traffic it will trouble you more.
- If it’s an automatic car you are buying always get a test drive of it.
- Check A/C
Safety Features.
When you Purchase a new Car always choose a car with a high safety rating never compromise on the safety of the car. Safety features might add to the overall cost of the car but will provide a safe feeling.
Know more about- Road Safety Measures
Best Color for Your New Car
46% of the cars registered in India are white. That’s why it is said that “1 car out of 2 cars is white in India.
So when you Buy a Car make a good choice of color.
White has many advantages
- Absorb less heat,
- White cars are easily Visible in foggy weather
- Scratch and other dents are the least visible.
- White is a very classy and nice color.
The color of the car is also written on your registration card which means when you are purchasing a car, its color is permanent. If you change the color of your car you need the car itself to get changed. And also considered that at the time of resale, we should choose the car color wisely.
Well, you can always get your car repainted at any VEHICLECARE workshop at the best price available in the market and make it look like a Brand-new Car.
Documents required when you Buy a Car
Well, you can’t just go and buy a car like shopping you need to follow a process for car purchasing.
There is a requirement to carry a few documents when we buy a new car or even buy an old one, we need to register the car under our name.
For registration of a car, we need the following documents
Form20
Form21
Form22
Form34
Identity proof.
Address proof.
Passport-size photographs.
There is an additional registration cost required for all the registration processes, it includes road vehicle tax.
Ex-showroom price + registration cost + road tax = ON road price
Know More about- Vehicle Registration
Boot space and legroom
- If you carry around a lot of luggage or you need lots of things when you travel, then it should be kept in mind the overall boot space of the car should be more. We can’t increase space later.
When we travel with family, we mostly have more bags than people. If that’s the case, make sure you keep that in mind.
- If you want a comfortable long drive make sure there is enough legroom in the car both in the front and as well as in the rear. Legroom is the space between the front and the legs. Most cars have less rear legroom, I would suggest that you sit and try for yourself when you go for a Test Drive.
Conclusion
So this was our complete guide on how to buy a car in India. To conclude, we can say when you buy a car, choose the car type that would suit your driving style and budget, choose fuel type, engine, and color wisely, and look for future possibilities that might happen in the future.
Read About – The Ultimate Guide for Buying A Used Car.