“What are you driving this week?”
That’s the question I most often get asked by friends, family and co-workers. But something else I get asked on a regular basis bugs me a little: “So what’s the best car?”
The best car. That’s a tough one. In fact, that’s an impossible one to answer without a few more details on the person who’s asking you that question. Obviously, I’ll be wasting my time telling him or her that the best car is a $300,000 exotic roadster when they’re shopping for a $15,000 subcompact.
And even if I know what type of vehicle they’re interested in, there are still a lot of factors that will influence the answer I’ll give them. Will they pay cash, finance or lease? Do they have kids? If so, are they children or teenagers? Do they travel a lot? Do they rack up mostly urban or highway mileage? What comfort and convenience features do they absolutely need to be happy? There are a lot of questions to be answered before answering THE question.
My point being: when shopping for a car, take the time to list your needs so you don’t go nuts with useless options. And while you’re on a test drive with the salesperson beside you blabbering away on how bad the competition is, try as best as possible to recreate the driving situation you face on your daily commute. Don’t be shy to ask, you’re the buyer (read: you’re the boss).
The best car is the one that best suits you.
Friend: “Hey, is the [insert model here] a good car?”
Me: “Well, not really. I wouldn’t recommend it, there are a lot of better choices. Why?”
Friend: “Because I just bought one.”
Me: “Oh. Sh*t.”
That’s the question I most often get asked by friends, family and co-workers. But something else I get asked on a regular basis bugs me a little: “So what’s the best car?”
The best car. That’s a tough one. In fact, that’s an impossible one to answer without a few more details on the person who’s asking you that question. Obviously, I’ll be wasting my time telling him or her that the best car is a $300,000 exotic roadster when they’re shopping for a $15,000 subcompact.
And even if I know what type of vehicle they’re interested in, there are still a lot of factors that will influence the answer I’ll give them. Will they pay cash, finance or lease? Do they have kids? If so, are they children or teenagers? Do they travel a lot? Do they rack up mostly urban or highway mileage? What comfort and convenience features do they absolutely need to be happy? There are a lot of questions to be answered before answering THE question.
My point being: when shopping for a car, take the time to list your needs so you don’t go nuts with useless options. And while you’re on a test drive with the salesperson beside you blabbering away on how bad the competition is, try as best as possible to recreate the driving situation you face on your daily commute. Don’t be shy to ask, you’re the buyer (read: you’re the boss).
The best car is the one that best suits you.
Friend: “Hey, is the [insert model here] a good car?”
Me: “Well, not really. I wouldn’t recommend it, there are a lot of better choices. Why?”
Friend: “Because I just bought one.”
Me: “Oh. Sh*t.”