Safety, Expenses, and Your Next Vehicle

There’s a lot to consider when you’re shopping for your next car, truck, SUV, or other vehicle. You’ll be looking for something that appeals to your tastes, and something that will be able to tackle the jobs you ask of it — whether that means hauling hardwood or sitting in traffic on your commute to work! You’ll care about fuel mileage, of course, and you’ll need to know that everyone in your family can fit in the vehicle.

But a couple of concerns loom largest of all. The first is safety: When it comes to your safety and that of your family, you’re not going to make any compromises. The other is price: If you can’t afford a car, then you can’t buy it. Period.

With those priorities in mind, let’s talk about how you can find the perfect vehicle for you.

How can you find the safest car?

If you walk up to a salesperson at a car dealership and ask to see the unsafe vehicles, you’re probably not going to get a very satisfying answer. Every car company and every salesperson wants you to know just how safe their vehicles are. So what’s the difference between all of these makes and models?

To be fair to the salespeople, there is a sense in which all modern vehicles are relatively safe. Car safety has come such a long way over the years that virtually all modern vehicles are safer than their older counterparts. You’re going to be much safer in the brand-new car versus a classic car if you’re in a crash, explain the experts at one auto body repair shop in Ann Arbor, MI.

But this isn’t a very satisfying answer, because it doesn’t give you a good way to differentiate between all of the different makes and models of new vehicles.

The most straightforward way to evaluate a car’s safety is to check out its safety ratings. Learning how to read the research-based ratings that are standard in the motor vehicle industry is crucial to choosing a great car.

It may also help to understand why certain cars are safer than others. Some of the engineering behind safety is difficult to understand, but other aspects are simple: Heavier vehicles and vehicles with low centers of gravity are, by and large, safer.

This isn’t to say that older cars can’t be safe, though. If you choose to buy a used car, though, you’ll want to be careful — especially if you opt to buy the vehicle directly from its old owner. Take the time to check things like the tire pressure and wear, and run down a full safety checklist before you get behind the wheel. You need to know that your car is safe to drive.

Affording the safe car that you deserve

All of this design, engineering, and production of super-safe vehicles doesn’t come cheap. So how can you afford the best vehicle for you and your family?

For starters, you can change how you shop. Targeting used vehicles and looking online is a great way to bring prices way down relative to what you’d pay for new cars on dealership lots. Of course, you’ll want to look for sites that offer trusted used car auctions and that offer certifications, guarantees, and warranties that protect you. Working with a trusted website will help you reduce the risk that you end up with a dangerous lemon.

While you’re shopping, remember that your preferences need to be prioritized. If you feel that you can’t afford everything you want in your next vehicle, then what will you cut back on? You know that you’re not willing to compromise on safety, but there are other areas where you might be able to lower your vehicle’s price by lowering your own expectations. Ideally, you’ll find that you can make a reliable and extremely safe vehicle fit your budget.