A family of seven can not fit in a Corvette. A family of seven need at least seven seats with seat belts. I've seen families that allow their children to ride in the bed of a pick up truck. Safety and comfort are priorities.  That is the criterion (or most important feature to look for) So, the number of occupants that fit in the vehicle you are looking for should match the usage. Choose wrong and someone may have to stay home!

If you have a family of five or six people or a work crew of  five or six and need to haul things an extra cab pick up is a good solution. This will  get the seating capacity and the cargo space. A family of six can fit in larger American sedans that have a bench seat in the front. Ford Crown Victoria, Lincolns, some Cadillac's, and Chevrolet Impalas may have this feature. These may be a less expensive alternative to choosing a  larger SUV or station wagon to get that extra seat. Many people prefer the drive of these on long trips too!  Most older SUVs only seat five, so think that over!

The economics of choice. In a perfect world gas and insurance would be free. In reality they are not. Buzzing down the freeway in an Escalade or a Suburban makes you feel like the king of the road. Having such a vehicle and not being able to operate it is no fun. I have witnessed  hundreds of people that gave their car back to the finance companies because they couldn't afford the payments, gas, insurance and maintenance. Most repossessions are destined to be, on the day of the sale, because the buyer chose then bought a car they want, rather than need! Choosing, using needs, rather than wants will help you in the long run!

Some basic rules of thumb. Your car payment should be 10-20 percent of your income. If you make under $1500 per month and your car payment is over $300 per month you will inevitably run into financial problems. The average cost of insurance is $100 per month in California. Gas can run from $80 per month up to a few hundred or more. If you work is located within a few miles of where you live, gas-mileage it is not a major consideration. If you are under thirty,  have a poor driving record, newly licensed, are buying a four wheel drive or an exotic car, the cost of insurance can be much higher! If you are young and like to cruise, or are a student living on a tight budget,  get a four cylinder car! It's as simple as that! Bigger engines also make it easier to speed and tickets cost money too! This should all be considered before you buy.

Unless you are extra savvy when you buy you car, it requires more money from your pocket to change the vehicle in the first half of the finance term. Maintaining an automobile can cost anywhere from fifteen dollars per month for oil, transmission fluid, light bulbs etc., to several  hundred or thousand dollars for major work like engine, transmission or differential. Exotic-imported-cars have hefty repair bills. An inexpensive Range Rover I sold cost over $1000 to reline the brakes!  The internet has a wealth of information about the cost of repairs for a certain vehicle. Most four-cylinder-cars domestic or imported are cheap to run as they are light and the drive train (engine-transmission) don't have to work as hard. I also suggest four cylinder-cars for your first car, at least if you are financing, so you can gauge the other expenses of operation.

Low mileage cars are better.  Anyone that tells you different is not being honest. There are a few exceptions. Low mileage, (less than fifteen thousand miles per year) older cars, (say over five years old) may have issues because they sat around. Oil leaks, transmission slippage, square tires are among the things to look for. A low-mileage older vehicle could be suspect for odometer tampering too. Running a Carfax report may save you a bundle in the long run! A vehicle that has normal mileage and has been driven daily and maintained correctly might be a better choice. Now economics are the next consideration. Low mileage cost more.  In California most cars are driven 20,000 miles per year (higher than the national average) Finding a low-mileage car that you can afford might be an issue. Is low-mileage a decision maker? If you are an older person and not prone to changing your car frequently look for the low-mileage and compromise on other factors. Is a 10 compact disc stacker, fancy wheels and the moon roof really a necessity? If you are like most people you will want to change your car in eighteen months. This is a true number on both used and new automobiles.

 Mileage wont affect your trade in price that greatly assuming you originally don't pay way too much. If you drive the car a lot, the car will depreciate faster however mileage ceases being a deduction in the Kelly Blue Book value at one hundred and seventy five thousand miles. The Kelly Blue Book changes every sixty days. I kept a high mileage SUV for a year and the book value actually was a higher amount because of the cessation of the high-mileage-deduction.  Mileage is just one consideration in determining the wholesale and retail values of a car.

In summary I have prepared a little checklist to help you in choosing a car.