Buying Your First Car for University? 7 Things to Consider Before You Choose

Heading off to university this autumn? Whether you are moving away, commuting to lectures or expecting regular trips back home, having your own car can make life considerably easier.

But buying your first car can also feel a little daunting. The price on the windscreen is only one part of the decision. There is insurance to think about, along with fuel, servicing, reliability and whether the car actually suits your day-to-day life.

If you are buying your first car for university, or helping your son or daughter choose one, here are seven practical things worth considering before making a decision.

Decide What You Actually Need

It is easy to start with a particular make or model in mind, but your first question should be much simpler: what do you actually need the car to do?

Think about the journeys you are likely to make each week. Will you mainly be driving around town, commuting to university or travelling longer distances between university and home?

Consider practical things too. Will you regularly carry passengers? Do you need enough boot space for bags, shopping or moving your belongings between home and student accommodation? What is parking like where you will be living?

For many first-time buyers, a smaller, practical car can make a lot of sense. The important thing is choosing something that fits your real life rather than paying for space, performance or features you are unlikely to use.

Set a Realistic Overall Budget

When buying your first car, try not to look at the purchase price in isolation.

Work out what you can comfortably afford once the everyday costs of owning the car are included. That might mean budgeting for:

• insurance
• fuel
• servicing and maintenance
• tyres and other wear-and-tear items
• vehicle tax, where applicable
• finance repayments, if you are using finance

Leaving yourself some breathing room is sensible. A car that uses your entire available budget before insurance, fuel and maintenance have been considered may not be as affordable as it first appears.

If you are considering finance, make sure you understand the repayments and total cost before agreeing to anything.

Check Insurance Before Choosing the Car

For younger drivers in particular, insurance can make a significant difference to the overall cost of a first car.

Rather than assuming a particular model will be inexpensive to insure, get indicative insurance quotes for the specific cars you are considering. Two cars with similar purchase prices can produce very different quotes depending on the vehicle and your individual circumstances.

It is worth doing this early. Finding the perfect-looking car and only checking the insurance afterwards can lead to an unpleasant surprise.

If you are comparing the best first cars or looking for low insurance first cars, treat insurance as part of your initial research rather than something to sort out once you have chosen.

Put Reliability High on the List

Your first car does not need to be exciting on paper. It does need to be something you can depend on.

When viewing a used car, ask about its service history, mileage, MOT history and general condition. You should also understand what checks have been carried out before the car is offered for sale.

At CarBee, every car comes with a multi-point vehicle health check and certified history and mileage check. Cars have a service completed within the previous six months and an MOT with at least nine months remaining. A minimum three-month warranty is included too, with extended warranty options available.

You can read more about how we prepare our cars on our Peace of Mind page.

For a student who may be travelling between university, work and home, that extra reassurance can be particularly valuable.

Think About Everyday Running Costs

Affordable first cars are not necessarily the ones with the lowest advertised price.

Think about what the car will cost to live with over the months and years ahead. Fuel economy matters if you expect to cover plenty of miles, while servicing, maintenance, tyres and insurance all contribute to the true cost of ownership.

You do not need to become a motoring expert. A few sensible questions about likely running costs can help you compare cars more realistically.

This is especially useful if your budget needs to stretch across university costs, rent and everyday living expenses as well as your car.

Always Take a Proper Test Drive

Specifications and photographs can tell you plenty about a car, but they cannot tell you whether you will actually feel comfortable driving it.

A proper test drive gives you the chance to check your driving position, visibility and how easy the controls feel to use. Try parking and manoeuvring too. If you are newly qualified, feeling confident and comfortable behind the wheel matters far more than choosing a car simply because it looks good online.

There should be no pressure to make a decision immediately afterwards.

At CarBee, we are happy for customers to take a relaxed test drive, ask questions and take the time they need to make an informed choice.

Buy From Somewhere You Feel Comfortable Asking Questions

There is no such thing as a silly question when you are buying your first car.

If you do not understand something about the service history, warranty, finance, vehicle condition or buying process, ask. A good dealership should be willing to explain things clearly without making you feel rushed or uncomfortable.

CarBee is a father-and-son, family-run used car dealership in Olney. Chris and David Hammond set the business up around straightforward advice, properly prepared cars and personal service rather than high-pressure sales.

If you are a first-time buyer, we would much rather you ask plenty of questions and leave feeling confident about your decision.

You can find out more about the people behind the business on our About CarBee page.

Looking for Your First Car Near Olney or Milton Keynes?

If you are searching for used cars in Olney, used cars near Milton Keynes or simply want some friendly advice about choosing your first car for university, you are welcome to visit CarBee at our Olney showroom.

Have a look through our Cars for Sale to see what is currently available. If something catches your eye, you can contact us to book a relaxed test drive in Olney.

No pressure and no need to pretend you know everything about cars. Just come along, ask the questions that matter to you and see whether the car feels right.

Browse our current used cars.

Book a relaxed test drive in Olney.