Buying a New Car Does Require Some Upfront Research

One of the most frustrating parts of buying any car is deciding exactly what you want in it, even if you have the foggiest idea of the type of car you want to buy in the first place!

With all of the models being offered at fire-sale pricing today and with all of the types of vehicles being offered (hybrid, gas, diesel, electric - next year), buying a car can be as confusing as trying to figure out your checkbook, especially if you've missed a couple of numbers.

So, here are some things to think about when you start to think of buying your new car. Let's list them for convenience sake:

Ask yourself what you will be doing with the vehicle? Will you be carrying lots of kids and dogs and equipment to ballgames or the beach or the mountains? Will you be using it for carpooling? Will you be using it just to go back and forth to work?

At the same time, ask yourself whether you want to go "green" or not with a hybrid? Most automakers offer hybrids now in most of their lines and Chevy is even coming out with the "Volt," all-electric next year so that's a consideration, too.

Ask yourself how much you want to spend for this vehicle? This will go a long way to telling you exactly what type of vehicle you will be buying.

Ask yourself what you want inside: do you need power windows; zoned climate control; power door locks; power doors, if you are buying a van or SUV; a rear entertainment system with DVD for your kids or other folks back there; a GPS; automatic transmission; all-wheel-drive; intelligent all-wheel-drive.

Ask yourself what kind of wheels you want: fancy wheels are more expensive and do require special locks so they remain on your vehicle.

Ask yourself what type of upholstery you want, and whether you need heated seats or a remote starter.

Ask yourself, plainly - and maybe this should be first - do you need this car and the payment, in the first place.

Let's just take a couple of examples and you can see how this works. Let's say you have a couple of kids and another's on the way. Your kids are on the youngish side - still in car seats and you have an older parent or in-law who rides with you when you go on visits and such. What kind of vehicle should you look at? The most obvious answer would be a minivan in this situation. Such a vehicle usually has two seats in the middle that will take car seats and there's usually a third seat for other adults.

How should you equip it? Well, since you have youngsters, a rear entertainment system will keep them busy on long trips, especially you have DVDs they like. It's also a good idea for adults, too, if you're going to be doing lots of driving because you can run a good move back there. Where should it be installed? It depends on whether the dealer equipped it at the factory with a rear entertainment system or whether you have to have one installed in the front headrests. You'll also probably want to make sure the doors close automatically but that there are safety features that stop them if something is in the way, like a little person. Also, leather upholstery is a good idea here because it is easier to clean up than cloth.

Now, should it be a "green" van or not? It depends whether the manufacturer you are shopping at has a hybrid van. You'll have to check that out and you may find your van suddenly becomes a crossover like a Ford Edge or Chevy Traverse or and SUV like a Ford Escape Hybrid. Or you may find that a sedan will handle your needs.

At this point, it's a good idea to assess exactly how you will be using the vehicle? If it's a family-hauler, as we've just described, then the minivan or crossover is the way to go (a crossover is nice, too, because they are - most of the time - ordered with intelligent all-wheel-drive so they stay in front-drive until you need all four wheels). If, on the other hand, the new buggy will just be driving you back and forth to work, consider one of the mini-cars now making their way to market. They are very easy on gas and on the environment.

You can see where we are headed with this, can't you? One of the big questions to ask yourself, aside from how much you want to spend, is whether you really need the new vehicle. The chances are good if you are looking that this is self-explanatory, but it never hurts to ask yourself again.

At the same time, make sure you include all of the "goodies" you want in your thinking. Do you need the rear entertainments system? Do you need leather? Do you need power front seats and climate control? Do you need a moonroof? Do you need rear windows that open? Do you need all-wheel-drive or front-drive? Do you need a hybrid? These are all things that you must think about, including such things as power windows, power door locks and such. It does build the cost of your vehicle, although it does ad value.

Using this tip sheet isn't guaranteed to get you the car of your dreams, but it is more than likely to help sort out anything that might be confusing to you. This is by no means the most comprehensive tip sheet on the planet, but it should get you thinking.