How to buy a car guide questionnaire
April 3, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
Here at CarAdvice we are committed to helping our readers get the best car for their needs. From time to time you’ll see us promote certain cars that are not mainstream but that’s because we find the gems from the crowd.
With that in mind, we want to produce a proper, reliable, and trustworthy free eBook to give away to our readers. The eBook will focus on the choosing, buying and financing process of a new or used car. However before our team goes to work to create the book, we’d like to hear about some areas which you think we need to cover.
What are the areas that you were/are frustrated with when buying a new or used car? For example:
- not knowing if the make/model is reliable
- not knowing if the price is good
- dealing with car salesmen
- not knowing if this is the right car
- not knowing if there is a new model coming out soon
- not knowing the resell value
- etc…
The CarAdvice team appreciates your help in making this free eBook as useful as possible.
Please leave your suggestions and comments below.
Print it: 
Great idea!
In addition to what is mentioned in the article, when looking at car purchases I always make it a point to find out the typical repair and insurance costs relative to other models and different makes.
It would also be very helpful if there were certain tips to look out for when purchasing a car that owners/dealers may be unwilling to share – for example, I always view a car from up close at an angle of around 60% – the aim is to view a reflection in the car’s shine of something straight; poorly fixed panels sometimes reflects straight lines in a sinusoidal or wavy pattern. Perhaps some misc. tips that could help.
Furthermore, it would be nice to have a breakdown on maximising resale value and cost efficiency – whether purchasing that $300 car detailing will yield an extra $1k in a sale, owning a new car and holding for 10 years or swapping 3 year old cars every 5 years, etc.
I’m sure it’ll be a great read.
If I buy a new car these days, these safety features is a MUST to have;
ESP & TCS
At least 6 airbags (curtain airbags is proven very important in saving lives)
ABS,EBD,BA braking systems.
ANCAP Safety ratings, the more stars,a safer car.
Cheers,
Not knowing if the make/model is reliable.
I would like to see the NRMA, RACV, RACQ etc publish information on the major problems they see, in each model, with their patrol cars.
If it’s an E-book – you could think about linking to (where available) on-line video of crash testing for each model, possibly with the ability to view two models back to back.
E.g. if deciding between c-class or 3-series, be able to view both crash test videos one after the other.
Stats, figures, acronyms, adjectives – they are all great, but nothing is more telling than seeing something with your own eyes.
Some good ideas flowing here. I would also put in the advantages and disadvantages of buying privately, from a dealer and from an auction house.
Resale depreciation rate would also be very useful.
Actually what i’d be most interested to know is:
a) how often the car will need to be serviced,
b) what needs to be done at the services,
c) are there any known problems with this make/model,
d) and a really simple “what is it going to cost me to maintain this car?”.
I’ve been stung a number of times by poor manufacturer and dealer service and I partly blame myself for not being aware of these things.
How about a coolness meter as well??
(TIC obviously)
When making this E-Book can you also show and tell people about looking at the engine of a used car.
Common mistakes that used car buyers make is just looking at every pannel, bumper and interior to make shore its nice but making shore your engine is clean and not cloged with oil, coolent is renewed and if it has the new coolent that it is the red colour not yellow which means its warn out and good service hisoty and how to read the service history. And a must if your buying a 2nd hand car that is near the cam belt interval of getting changed DONT BUY IT unless the cam belt has been replaced casue they are expencive to get done. This E-Book will be a geart read carn’t wait to have a squize at it.
I’d assume you’ll include ANCAP ratings. It would be good to see them broken down, so we know why they are safe (e.g. knowing if one got points for something like a seatbelt reminder and stability control, while another got good points for a safe structure.)
I never recommend buying a brand new model of any car if you can help it,best to get the updated version that way the problems are mostly sorted.Buying second hand I always suggest you look up their faults and recalls. So a page on this would be helpful.
Insurance costs ?
I agree with that BM. I have bought the first of a new model a few times now, against my dad’s advice (for exactly the reasons you say), and I have had to take them back to the dealers several times in year 1 to sort out little bugs. There are problems they dont know about, and trial and error with fixes. Software problems are a particular nuisance. That said, I am shallow and am motivated by the looks of the car, so I will continue to buy new models and suffer for it.
More on topic, how about links to the forums for the enthusiast models, and advice on approved aftermarket bits (with the appropriate disclaimers, of course).
I don’t think insurance costs are relevant for this guide. THey will all vary between people, and depending on their own circumstances, where they live etc. It would be downright impossible to cover every single scenario for every single car. You like a car, get a quote for insurance. WIll take just as quick and will be more accurate than reading the guide on here.
Ha ha you boys have opened a can of worms here. You sure have your work cut out for you!
Dan, I find it so funny that you seriously think that this was somehow going to encompass all scenarios for all people.
Insurance cost are very important to a vehicle purchase and individuals MUST ring around to find out what their costs for a particular car would be.
Exactly, which is why I find having anything about insurance costs in this guide as redundant. What’s the point. It will vary between people by so much, small sumary really wouldn’t be relevant to anyone. Reliability, quality, known problems etc. they’re all fine and well to have in the guide. Unless you encompass all scenarios, having insurance in this guide would simply be useless.
Perhaps a recall list for the model – eg brakes on Territory etc, so that the potential buyer can check that these have been completed with the dealer (for used cars).
Have to laugh at the “dealing with car salesmen” line (although I agree). In another life I used to sell cars (ahem – new cars), and I can tell you that no matter how honest the salesman is, it always brings out the worst in the customer suprisingly!
So a tip: be alert and on guard for the salesman’s smooth talking etc (I never did that!), but don’t lie to them – it won’t ultimately help you get a better deal, and if the dealer ends up not making any money from the deal, they’ll probably not want to know you after the sale. The best car deals are where they are good for both the dealer and the customer alike – a good discount, but still enough for the dealer to remain in business.
Seems most just have a pet issue or two to consider. I suppose all that matters if your just shopping for econo box/white goods on yr way to a Toyota/Hyundai/Kia dealer.
For me I’d like to see some guide using:
* Performance.
* Economy / Running costs.
* Safety
* Engineering/Quality/where built?
* Race cred / heritage (this is a car site after all)
* New technologies
* Best buy price
A useful guide to compare these points might stop the ongoing arguments here (yawn)..
Full size spare yes/no.
If no, can a full size spare fit in the wheel well without disturbing the rest of the boot.
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Brett some people cant think outside the box.
Of course there is a way,it doesnt have to spot on but a representation of what the over 25 year old in the average suburb will pay for that model. Compared it to other cars that will also be represented on the site in the same suburb and people will get the overall picture of difference I think!
Or have a button from a reputable insurance company that can calculate personally,now Ive just given them an idea for a site sponsor! hahaha Most insurance companies have that available on their own sites anyway .
Robj, I think performance, fuel economy, safety etc are all things that anyone can easily find nowadays with the internet. Any half decent review will cover these things. I’m not saying they aren’t important I just think that for the most part that information is already out there.
For me it’s the long term use and reliability of the car that is harder to gauge. I think the long term road tests on this site are a fantastic idea. Obviously the vast, vast majority of car sales involve people upgrading so the ‘better’ car (for lack of a better word) can initially seem, well, better than it is, and short term reviews don’t always help with this.
And to go with that, reliability is a huge issue but one that can again be very difficult to find reliable information on. Even talking to people who own the car you’re looking at buying (or perhaps one of the same make) isn’t always a good idea. I’m sure most people have gotten lucky at some point in their car history and had a car that is seemingly indestructible. Other times people get a car that is generally considered reliable and have nothing but problems. So some actual facts and figures (as others have said, perhaps list the most common problems, any recall info etc) would be, at least in my opinion, a huge help.
ratings out of 10 for:
-insurance
-crash worthiness
-environment (CO2)
-quality rating (eg JD Power)
yes/no
-ipod connection standard
-recommend to family? (in this category)
-buy yourself? (in this category)
And my sister wants to know about how many cupholders it has!
I want to know where the vehicle has come from ie auctions, someone who traded, an ex fleet etc. Sometimes you can get them to tell you some of this info, but usually its “well, it was an old ducks car who traded it in for a Merc…” But who had it before, has it had an insurenace claim. Did they go into the local auction, and pay $5 for it?
Mr Brooks I dont think it really matters if the books are all up to date you have it checked out and no ones done a Speedo George on it you shouldnt really have a worry.
Do a rego check on it to verify its owners if your worried……..
how about
- a scaled rating or dB for NVH (interior noise at say 60 or 100kph)
- % of warranty claims or issues by model/brand
- inclusion of JD Power customer satisfaction surveys (could be copyright/permission issues here but worth a try)
For used cars, definetly the common problems that owners have had with the car. For example i had a very early BA Falcon from new as a company car, and it was riddled with problems, like brake shudder, headlight bulbs continuosly blowing, seat belt sash not retracting, hand brake stick having to be pulled back into the back seat to be applied.
I may be wrong, but I think CA asked for what sorts of things are complicated or worrisome when buying a car.
I don’t think they are going to publish a book of comprehensive statistics for every car sold in Australia for you.
I believe this is merely to provide a guide on where to find information about cars, what is the process you go through at a dealer to buy one, and what sort of questions you should ask.
So for example they might include: “You should ask around at mechanics to see what sort of problem the car commonly experiences”. Not “Car X has the following problems”.
Few add ons:
Techno-capabilities
Techno-ease of use
Kid-friendliness
Interior unique features/gimicks
Last but not least, the Cock-o-meter!
I think buyers need to know the age of the technology and when new models or updates are coming.
Also explain more to people about the 5 star crash rating. Obviously everyone with a brain should buy a 5 star car but understanding the frontal crash score and how much your life could depend on it, there is a too bigger variance from a 12.5/16 and a 15+/16 score.
I’m in the middle of trying to buy a Mazda 6 and I am astounded by how crooked car dealers still are in this day and age. They still lie cheat and decieve buyers even at supposedly reputable dealers.
I’ve learnt that I can trust Mazda (I hope) but not their dealers.
And warn buyers about the blantant ripoffs on accessories.
Headlight protectors and bonnet protectors have a recomended retail price of $71.00 from Mazda, some dealers are charging up to $125.00 – thats $54.00 for the 5 minute job of fitting them.
The mats are even more ridiculous, Mazda RRP is $175.00 (bloody dear mats to start with) but the dealers are trying to charge up to $230.00 – thats $55 to fit MATS, even a 5 year old could do that job.
I can buy those 3 items from the Mazda parts for their true prices then spend 15 minutes fitting them myself and save over $150.00
The car industry is still VERY shonky
With respect to your e-guide, I think it would be useful to know the following – perhaps more for buying from a dealer – esp a new car:
* What a person needs to do and look for when taking the car for a test drive, where the dealers have set routes and a person has all of 10-15 minutes to make a decision on how it drives
* The typical add-ons (accessories) that a person can easily get negotiated into the car without paying extra (e.g. window tinting, good quality rubber car mats, head light protectors etc some of which were mentioned above)
* Negotiating down the cost of the over-priced extras such as dealer fitted accessories e.g. in dash sat-nav, rear parking sensors etc, to bring the price more in line with the after market costs. The advantage of having a dealer fit is they are normally all under a manufacturers warranty for ‘..X..’ years same as the car
* Facts on whether buying at the end of the month is really better from a pricing point of view
* Facts on buying a car from a car broker and whether it is really a better deal
* What to look for when picking up your new car such as
– Inspect the car in full sun, and never in the late afternoon or evening or when it is raining
– Has some hack being hired to detail the car and left the paint full of fine scratches – how do you get the dealer to fix up that sort of thing
– Typical things that might not be right – e.g. irrespective of the model of the car, body kits are normally painted by a local spray shop in Australia and fitted to your car by the dealer. Look for quality in the fitting and paint job and ensure there are no paint runs
I look forward to your guide. Great idea
well now i know to see how good the speakers work. ah… how easy it is to customize. well idk you can just look up a heap of revies of the car on youtube before you buy it but if it’s a second hand car then… as long as you can test drive it it’s all good. just tell em to pop the hood and ask em where everything and how to replace it and how often it need replacing and servicing. service history.
idk
This is a great idea.
The key areas I always look for in a new car is:
•The way the dealer deals with me and my wife regardless if the car is for me or her.
•Service intervals – I drive a lot, in a Corolla, I’d be in the workshop on a monthly basis. With my current car, it’s quarterly. And servicing it isn’t too much more expensive. So it’s a saving as well.
In relation to how to buy a car? I give myself a budget, then I research (online) the cars I can purchase with the money I have, including insurance and anything else. Then I test drive each car more than once. Then once I have narrowed down what I want, I start to visit dealers talking about deals, never agreeing or committing to anything until you are ready, because as we know most of them are pushy.
From that, I pick a dealer who is willing to negotiate a price that’s realistic, because the asking price never is. I also look at how I was approached at the dealership the first time. It’s a start of a relationship, albeit short term, but it may well turn out to be a longer lasting one if they play their cards right. Since my new car purchase, I have said as long as the sales manager I dealt with is there, I’ll always come back to the same dealer.
While this leaves me a bit brand loyal, I don’t have that problem, otherwise I’d be driving a different car. So that’s not such a bad thing.
In fact, I think picking the right dealer is more important than picking the right car. And for that I have found myself a pearler that is happy to help me with anything. I once dropped my car off for a service and they accidentally gave the loan car to someone else. I was happy to call a mate to pick me up or catch a bus home (only having to turn around and bus it back because the car would be done). Alternatively I was going to wait around as long as I had net access on my laptop. The sales manager walked passed, remembered my name, said hello and asked me how things are going.
When I mentioned I was going to hang around, he asked me about the loan car and I told him what happened. I was then asked to follow him and was given a demo car for the day.
I sent them a high quality bottle of vino for Christmas last year because they looked after me so well I know what they would have had to go through to bend over backwards for me to stay happy.
I do the same for my clients and they all appreciate me and my efforts too.
The bonus is my car is reliable and well looked after. Sure I might pay a premium for servicing, but it’s no where near the headache you can feel if you get a car back that’s been apprenticised and you’re in the workshop more than on the road.
I think we can all pretty much see a wanker sales person when they come trundling towards you. Best thing you can do is walk the other way. If you have your heart set on a brand and car, go to another dealer of the same marquee.
I’ve actually thought about comprising a list of dealers I went to for my search for the right dealer, and I can tell you. I wonder how a lot of people even stay in business with their crap service and lack of human qualities that make you feel comfortable forking over your hard earnt for a piece of metal that will inevitably end up as scrap.
SteveC
Hey,
Maybe its just a little late tonight but I can’t find the ebook? (or has it not been made yet?)
I am pretty interested in reading it!
CPF