Disclosure: This Sponsored post about vehicle purchases is done in partnership with Cars.com
Most of us have done it. Over time we all decide that we need to replace our vehicle, or simply buy another one. But the reality is that it is far from simple. A good example was a test drive I took just this weekend. I was looking at two different cars both of which you would expect to fit me, my wife and three kids. However, the reality was that the distance between the second and third row of seats on one of the cars was so small it was actually unusable for us. This is something that if we had researched before we looked, it would have been clear. Since it was simply a test drive of opportunity, rather than a hard push for a new car, we lost nothing but gained some valuable experience.
The truth is that a simple look at the cars.com website and some of their various vehicle reviews would have made it quite clear what the situation would be. Looking through the site today and I realized that there were a lot of things I had not really put a lot of thought into as far as thinking ahead. In fact, our present method of searching for vehicles is to identify the ones we think are cool and then cross our fingers that they meet the criteria we want. If you want to get rid of an old junker before you start looking for a new car, you can always check out Junk Car Masters for some good options.
Here Are Some Great Questions To Ask About Your New Vehicle
Will it tow the trailer we want to buy. We don’t have the trailer yet but do we want to have to replace our vehicle to get our trailer. Do we want to think proactively and make sure we have the towing capacity?
What about seating, we have teenagers. And neither of them are short. They need to have enough foot room so they do not spend the whole trip cramped. Our youngest is still in a car seat and likely will be for a while because she is small. Does the seating configuration leave enough room for her car seat?
How does the vehicle handle in Ice and Snow. How reliable is it? Is it Fuel efficient.
There are hundreds of questions to ask yourself when you are planning for a new vehicle. It is very important to use a resource like Cars.com to make sure that your new vehicle is the best choice possible for your family.
Carole Dube says
Great information! It pays to think ahead, especially when you are like me and keep your car well over 10 years.
Peter H says
Any sites to recommend for Canadians?
Amie E says
What a great idea ! It is the little things that are important , but you forget or don’t think in the moment ! How it handles in the ice and snow is a good one I need to remember !
Darren Scrubb says
Important questions that every car owner should look into before purchasing their car.
Treen Goodwin says
Thanks for sharing this post , great info to know when buying a new vehicle
Calvin F. says
Some research goes a long way, I agree!
SHIRLEY says
Its good to do lots of research before buying a car. thank you for the information
Erin N says
Thank you for this!! It is SO important to research before buying a car 🙂
Gordon Harmatiuk says
I’m doing lots of research. Just not finding fair value for my money these days. I feel like buying something that is 25 years old, and rebuilding it. At least then, I will have some steel in front of me, not the plastic junk, that is all over the place today.
Lynda Cook says
I’m married to a mechanic so he is the one in charge of looking at the vehicles that we want to buy, which is a big help because those sneaky salesmen don’t like to talk to us once they know he is a mecahnic
kathy downey says
Good post,you are correct these are many questions to ask ourselves before buying a new vehicle!
Kam says
We’re thinking of buying a new car to replace the one we’ve had for the past 16 years…will definitely be checking out Cars.com! Thanks!
Darlene Schuller says
I didnt know about this site! Thanks for the heads up! Hubby and I will be looking to purchase another vehicles by the end of this winter, I will definitely use this!
Heidi P says
Definitely need to be in the KNOW re which vehicle you are potentially wanting to purchase. There are a lot of questions to be asked from things like has this car been used as a demo vehicle, what’s the warranty coverage, how much does the vehicle actually cost after fees & licensing, types of repairs needed on this brand of vehicle, what’s all included in the sticker price. There is really a lot to ask before the final purchase.
Julie says
This looks like such a great tool for selecting a new vehicle. Upcoming we will have a couple of vehicles to buy so this will be helpful!
Alayne Langford says
I love this! I always have questions when purchasing a new vehicle and hubby doesn’t always have the answers. But now I can research on my own and still give him the credit 😉
John C says
Excellent idea! Thanks for the great recommendation!
Debbie Bashford says
I like the review and specs section is there a Canadian equivalent site I wonder??
Rosanne Robinson says
Thanks very much for the tip on the cars.com web site and the researching advice. We will be looking for a new vehicle soon and don’t have any experience with purchasing an electric or hybrid vehicle, but we want to pursue these options too.
Nate says
Thanks for all the good tips
Charaf says
intersting post
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
Cars.com seems to be a good place to do the research necessary before purchasing a new vehicle. Thanks for all this valuable info.
Debbie White Beattie says
My husband does all the research for our vehicles plus his brother will help with opinions because he’s a mechanic but this website would be a great help with his research.
Fredrick Heffernan says
This was really helpful
Catherine Robichaud says
Great tips on things to think about when buying a vehicle. This website has some great info and reviews on all different vehicles.Thanks for sharing I will definitely be checking this site out the next time I’m in the market for a new car.
Louise Smith says
Great article, When we bought our car 8 years ago, we did alot of research on the car as well as how to deal with the salesman, We found this great website that told us all the tricks that salesman do when you are dealing with them, unfortunately I can’t find the name of the site now but it was great.
Elpi S says
Is well have additional information about a vehicle, well done and thanks for that.
The Next Martin Scorsese says
It’s like anything else: the more you know… I’ll research numerous vehicles, becuase sometimes the opportunity that presents itself isn’t the one you expected. I got an Acura that I drovw 10 years because I had found out a bit about even though it wasn’t in my price range.
Melissa Black says
we followed your advise! we just bought a Hyundai and we totally researched before investing.
Lisa says
It sounds like such a resourceful website. I don’t know much about cars at all – my husband handles it but I think even he would find cars.com helpful.
Tammi L. says
It’s nice to have everything together in one place instead of having to sort through a bunch of different sites!
Jenny B says
We’re in the market for a new car soon and I’m already feeling overwhelmed with the options! But it sounds like cars.com will help us filter through and help us make an informed decision. Thanks for the heads up!
Soozle says
I remember car shopping a few years back – what a headache! There is SO much to research and look into that it can be overwhelming! It looks like this site would be helpful to put info in one place
Chris MacDonald says
A car is such an important investment that any tools like cars.com are extremely helpful!
Mike Gismondi says
For my next car, I’m definitely doing this!
Lushka Smith says
So much to think about when shopping for a new vehicle.
Thanks for the information.
Jenn E says
I visited the website and it looks like it has everything there for you. Very useful! I will be using it for sure the next time I am looking for a new car.
Dave S says
Thanks for the the information. It is so important to do your research before making a major purchase on big ticket items.
Jenny says
Buying a card is not a simple process but cars.com sounds like it will help out a lot with that! Great resource.
Jessica C says
Great post ! Thank you for sharing !
Samantha Martin says
There are a million reasons y cars.com is a good thing. They help you know what you are getting before you get it. And a lot of people have trouble haggle n when you are in person and end up getting taken advantage of.