More so than making major purchases of houses or a country club memberships, buying a car has a thrilling feel to it. Perhaps it’s because a car is an asset that is mobile (pun intended) and that people can readily identify you as the owner.

Before you get seduced by every vehicle advertisement, however, wake up to the realities of car ownership. Ask yourself what your needs are, rather than wants.

Often, the choice you make depends very much on cost. Besides monthly loan instalments, you also have to consider other costs like the rate of depreciation, servicing, parts, insurance and petrol.

t’s important to work out the numbers before going on a round of test drives so that you begin with a clear head of what you can afford.

Try to go during non-peak periods like weekdays or just after the showroom opens. You won’t have to fight with crowds to view the car you want, and the salespeople will be more attentive.

Part of the test-drive begins in the showroom. As you sit in the driver’s seat, ask yourself if it is a good fit. Can you see all around clearly? Is there enough legroom and headroom? Does it have lumbar support? Can the steering wheel be adjusted?

Take note of the locations of all the features on the dashboard and display panel. The windscreen wipers and headlight controls are located on different sides for Continental and Japanese cars. Is it easy to turn on the air-conditioner? What about the radio? Are the controls easy to read and intuitive to use?

Now sit in the front passenger seat. Is the glove compartment big enough? Are there cup holders and cubby holes to store sunglasses? Can the seatbelt height be adjusted?

Move to the backseat. Are there three-point or bucket seatbelts? In a sedan, can you access the boot by lowering the backseat? For an MPV or SUV, can you easily reconfigure the seating arrangement? Is it easy for passengers to get in and out of the car, especially if they are very young or very old?

Check the boot space. Is it big enough to hold the mountainous load of groceries from your weekly supermarket trips? Is it wide enough to accommodate the length of your golf bag?

Look under the hood and see the layout of the engine compartment. Can you identify the radiator overflow tank, the car battery, the containers for brake oil, power steering and windscreen wiper fluid? These are the ones that you’ll come into contact with the most during regular maintenance.d now you’re ready to try out the car on the road. Depending on each distributor’s policy, you may have to drive along a predetermined route or you may make a request to test the car against a variety of road conditions.