A second car in the family is often a necessity. Each spouse has desires and needs, children must be driven to attend school and sports activities, teenagers get their driving licenses. And an additional vehicle comes to the rescue when the main one is sent for repair or service. The Indy Auto Man used car professionals share tips on how to make a second car a beneficial investment in family welfare.
Beginner’s car
The child has reached the age of sixteen. From this moment on, two cars often appear in the family. Buying an expensive powerful model for a beginner is irrational. Statistics show that about a third of novice drivers in the US get into accidents of varying severity, while with growing experience, this figure drops to 5-10%. In this case, too, you can consider different options.
Budget option
Explore the features of budget cars. Choose a comfortable and safe vehicle that is inexpensive to repair and maintain. Good vehicle examples are listed on indyautoman.com.
A wise decision is to consider options on the secondary market. But remember that comfort and safety should be a priority.
- Pros: lower start-up costs, small depreciation, and in case of severe damage, you can sell it for spare parts without much regret.
- Cons: a used car is often a pig in the poke, and a newbie driver may get stuck in the middle of the road if something goes wrong.
It is better to stop buying antiques and cars after serious accidents from private sellers but rely on a used car dealer with a strong reputation, rich assortment, and guarantees.
Exchange
You can buy a new car to replace the first one and give a used one to a newcomer. Many families with two or more cars choose this option – it has almost no cons.
- Pros: you will tell a beginner a lot about the car’s features, and you are well aware of the technical condition and weaknesses of the model.
- Cons: the first car in the family is not always suitable for training.
Second Car for Numerous Daily Tasks
Both spouses received a driver’s license, and each needs a personal car for daily commutes. The principles of choosing a vehicle may be different in this case.
Complete opposite
When buying a second car in the family, most people plan to get new experiences and discover new opportunities. Therefore, they choose a vehicle that will be radically different in size and technical characteristics.
SUV
An SUV is a logical addition to a compact city car or business-class sedan. Some people feel their first car is poorly adapted to long trips, while others do not want to kill suspension on uneven primers. If you like long family trips, look for roomy mid-size SUVs.
- Pros: you can go fishing, see hard-to-reach sights and not worry about the amount of luggage.
- Cons: an SUV is more expensive than a sedan or station wagon, it consumes more fuel, and maintenance costs are higher.
Minivan
The minivan allows you to go on vacation with friends and relatives, gathering a large company. With the seats folded down, tents, disassembled bikes, and everything you need for multi-day outdoor recreation will fit in the luggage compartment. In large minivans, you can even organize sleeping places for two.
- Pros: you can take the whole family to work, study, and do business, gather a large company for travel, and take a huge amount of things with you.
- Cons: a large minivan is difficult to drive in the city, the dynamics of most models are rather weak, and fuel consumption is high.
Compact hatchback
Large sedans and SUVs perform well in representative functions. But they are expensive to maintain and too bulky for busy metropolitan streets. Therefore, a hatchback often becomes the second car in the family. It gives real freedom of movement in a big city like Indianapolis and helps optimize costs.
- Pros: modest fuel consumption, low maintenance cost, maneuverability, no problem finding a parking space.
- Cons: cramped cabin, small trunk, not suitable for representative purposes.
Similarity principle
Consider how you plan to use your new vehicle. Choose a similar model if you don’t need to change anything in your daily life scenario.
- Pros: maintenance costs will be almost the same, and you will not have to get used to other dimensions and characteristics.
- Cons: your family’s opportunities will not expand, and the purchase will not open new horizons for you.
Repetition of successful experience
You can buy even the same model if you are 100% satisfied with your current car. When choosing a second one, you should consider the equipment. Think about what you are missing and what features you consider superfluous.
- Pros: You can learn from mistakes – pay more attention to weaknesses to reduce repair costs.
- Cons: Many US car owners will find this solution boring – you do not get any variety.
And before buying any car model, don’t forget to ask about the preferences of the one who will drive it the most. There is nothing reprehensible in sacrificing some practicality for the sake of comfort and driving pleasure.
