Are you sure which type of car fits your life and budget?

In my last post I was talking about how today we do research online before shopping the car dealerships and how we no longer need to answer the salespersons' questions but ask these questions of ourselves as we do our research.

The salesperson was trying to figure out what car would suit you and lead you to it. Today most buyers will have made their own minds up before they go to the dealer. The question is has the buyer got it right?

To take it a step further what does the buyer believe car types promise and do they deliver?

I need to warn you todays' car body types are styled to suggest a lifestyle to spectators and don't necessarily deliver the features the owner might think a type of car promises. I suggested in my last post the bigger the car, the bigger the problem - you may not experience what you wanted. So make a car comparison or three.

Let's simplify this to promises of space, driving pleasure, economy, safety and comfort, and expectations along with my flippant comments.

Small City Car - typical Citroen C1- the class is very good overall though dating.

• Space - Good up front, poor in the back and boot but no promises were made.
• Driving - more for comfort than go-kart handling.
• Economy - exceeded expectations back in the day but where's tomorrow's figures?
• Safety - acceptable at 4-star but no excuse for new models not being 5-star like the Fiat 500.
• Comfort - OK

 Small Car - Mini, Micra, Swift, Yaris - you could say the same about this class as city cars. They've a little more space and power. They deliver for economy, safety and comfort. They're ideal if you think Corsas and Clios have grown too bulky and could be the best small car for you.

Small Super-Sized Car - typical Ford Fiesta

• Space - long enough at 4m to claim this is all the car you need but is it? You judge.
• Driving - my favourite class of car but some think it's too big for a small car.
• Economy - good and getting very much better.
• Safety - it's the makers excuse for making them so long so 5-star is a promise, accept nothing less.
• Comfort - better than a small car once promised.

You get the format, so -

Medium Small - cars in this class deliver the promise they're car for everybody - family cars. If they're not for you their platforms support many estates, mpvs, crossovers, even coupe cabriolets.

Medium Size - once the benchmark for all other types of car they're now growing to a size many might find to big. They are excellent cars that deliver on all features.

Estate Cars come in all sizes. The space/versatility feature may not be there with some, so there's no advantage, no benefit, Why? Style for spectators. The higher the brand equity the more you pay, the more dimension comparisons are important.

MPV Cars perfect family cars which should have well thought out interiors and versatility. The originals, the innovators - Renault, Citroen, Ford, Vauxhall, VW all remain committed to the job.

Crossovers, SUVs, 4x4s a mishmash to figure out for yourself.

Luxury Car - driving a luxury car can be one of life's greatest pleasures. But an overlooked feature like tyre noise can trigger a medical condition. The slightest rattle can flip the owners' mind into thinking they can justifiably threaten to smash their car through the car dealers' showroom windows and demand their money back. If you consider this class of car then every tiny detail has to meet expectations.

The above are my personal guidelines. You're the judge of what these car types should promise and what they deliver.

Regards
Ralph