If you are buying a car to use for business purposes, then it’s likely that your priorities will be different from those of a motorist who drives for personal reasons. But exactly what should you be looking for? Here, we will run through some of the factors worth considering when buying a car for business use.
New or Used?
If you’re intent on buying a new car, then you’ll have to factor in depreciation. The moment that you buy a car new, its resale value will experience a sharp downturn. You might offset this through Guaranteed Asset Protection (or GAP) insurance, which will cover the cost of this depreciation, even if you manage to write the car off within hours of purchasing it.
Another strategy is to simply buy a used car instead. There’s a considerably wider breadth of choice to be found in the used market, and you might find a few gems to be uncovered. Of course, there are also risks in this approach – but these can be mitigated through the right precautions. You might shop at an approved used dealer like Fords of Winsford, rather than directly from the seller. In doing so, you’ll incur a higher asking price (the dealer, after all, needs to cover their costs). But you’ll have the security of knowing that you’re in a safe pair of hands. Make sure you’ve completed the necessary legal steps.
Mileage
A vehicle’s mileage is, along with the year of registration, among the most often-cited measures of a vehicle’s condition. The more miles it’s driven, the worse condition it’ll be in – all other things being equal. Think about how many business miles you expect to put in, and then shop accordingly.
The problem here is that all other things rarely are equal. Motorway miles, which tend to be smooth and relatively easy on the various moving parts, inflict less wear and tear than inner-city miles, which involve frequent turning, stopping, and starting.
Try to take your car for a test drive before you commit to buying. Listen for the tell-tale sounds of an underlying fault and pay attention to the way that the car handles around corners. It’s worth also researching the faults which the model you’re buying is known for – that way you can look out for them.
Style
Finally, we should consider the impact that style might have on your choice of vehicle. If you’re going to be entertaining would-be clients, then you’ll want to impress them. Avoid bright and garish colours in favour of neutral, professional-looking ones. Black is a popular choice, as is dark blue. White might seem pleasingly neutral, but you might find that it’s more difficult to keep clean – which means that you’ll spend more time worrying about it.