Russians were told about common mistakes when buying their first car

Buying your first car is an important and responsible step. Experts of the service for the purchase, maintenance and sale of SberAuto cars told Izvestia on May 27 what mistakes are most often made by those who choose the first car.

"When choosing a car, beginners often focus on the design, cost and mileage of the car, forgetting about the importance of active and passive safety systems. As a result, you can, for example, purchase a car with the airbags disabled or not repaired after an accident. It is important to check the serviceability of the ABS, ESP (electronic stabilization) systems, and, ideally, to study the crash tests of the model generation being considered for purchase," the experts noted.

According to them, with high anxiety and an additional budget, it is worth considering cars with driver assistance systems such as, for example, a lane keeping assistant, blind spot monitoring.

Another mistake novice drivers make is choosing a car with excessive power or dimensions. A large SUV or a powerful sedan may seem more reliable, but for an ordinary driver such cars can be inconvenient and costly to maintain. Large dimensions make parking more difficult, and a powerful engine makes driving more difficult, especially when it comes to novice drivers traveling in standard urban conditions, experts explained.

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"It is necessary to choose a car that meets the operating conditions. Compact sedans or hatchbacks with up to 150 hp, with good visibility and easy operation are suitable for urban driving. For frequent trips outside the city, you can consider moderate-sized crossovers with increased ground clearance and assistance systems when driving on slippery or uneven surfaces. At the same time, it is important that the car remains economical (fuel consumption of up to 8 liters / 100 km in a mixed cycle will be optimal)," the service added.

At the same time, you should not buy a car "by acquaintance" without diagnostics. Even if the seller is an acquaintance or relative, risks cannot be excluded, experts stressed. Without diagnosis, you may face legal restrictions — bail, arrest — or hidden technical problems that the seller may not even know about. It is best to carry out a full technical and legal review, as well as draw up a purchase and sale agreement in writing, regardless of the degree of trust. The history of the car and the condition of the systems must be documented.

However, among the mistakes is the refusal of a full—fledged test drive. Viewing photos and a short drive "around the yard" will not allow you to objectively evaluate the car.

"It is especially important for beginners to check the landing, visibility, cornering and braking behavior of the car — even if the license was obtained recently and it seems that their own feelings may not be enough to check the car. It is mandatory to conduct a test drive on different types of roads, paying attention to the seat settings, mirrors, ergonomics, braking dynamics, cornering behavior. Comfort behind the wheel is an important safety factor," the expert said.

They drew attention to the fact that tall people, for example, will not be comfortable driving every car — and it is better to immediately make sure that the seat is able to move back to a comfortable distance than to sit in the wrong position for years at the wheel.

In addition, when planning a purchase budget, drivers who previously did not own their own car often take into account only the purchase price, forgetting about taxes, insurance, and maintenance. The service emphasized that it is especially important to calculate the CTP price, which is higher for young drivers, and possible costs in the absence of a hard hat. It would not be superfluous to put an additional 10-15% on insurance, replacement of consumables and registration.

"The pursuit of the "perfect" car often leads to a losing situation: while the process of selecting, collecting information and comparing continues, the most successful and balanced offers manage to leave the market. When there are no more suitable options, there is a risk of buying on emotions and without proper analysis in order to complete a protracted search. In other cases, the decision may be postponed indefinitely," the experts said.