[KiloAlpha]

The only number I use when buying a car is "how much money can I afford". I set a budget first, and then let my heart run riot within that budget. Whether I have bought new or used, I feel this is the best way to buy a car.

[lemedico]

I have nothing to say about which one you should finally buy but your super detailed psychometric analysis and data presentation is something similar to what Doug DeMuro uses at the end of his videos on youtube!

"The Doug-Score"

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsq...JYTaEnf_vmTNqg

[pannags]

Originally Posted by Kishen.padiyar

On the hunt for a new car? The selection is not an easy task anymore! Courtesy - the multitude of models and variants across different manufacturers/brands.

You nailed it right here mate! When my dad brought home our Premier Padmini, the only thing we could choose was the colour

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Actually, if you would look into how people choose anything, that’s the way most of us do it. Then we find the data, numbers and arguments to back up that initial choice we made in a split second.
Jeroen

I know of people who are stuck with a shortlist for years and have had to resort to Analytics to make a decision. Eventually, in most cases, it's a battle between the head and the heart.

Originally Posted by dhanushs

If you don’t look back after parking and while leaving your car, that say you’ve got the wrong car.

Big thanks sire! My admiration for the S-Cross just shot up a significant deal

BTW, people usually also do that to check if they've parked correctly or to see the lights blink upon locking the doors. I reckon these don't count

[Palaver]

Originally Posted by gkveda

WILL NEVER BUY IF HEART AND BRAIN DO NOT SYNCHRONIZE

You are really lucky if your heart and brain are both in harmony when picking the right car for you. I personally have never found that sweet spot, it completely eludes me. Maybe I want an extremely impractical car but settle for whats best. The only solution that I can think of, to overcome that problem is to have two cars - one for the heart, the other for the brain.

[AMG Power]

Whatever clowning act one does with spreadsheets, you will ensure that the car your heart (and head to a limited extent) selected is weighted so as to win.

And if it doesn't, you will reject the conclusion and work on it again and again till the spreadsheets justify whatever your heart has decided.

I'd like to meet someone whose heart decides on a GTI and then goes out and buys a Wagon R because the spreadsheet said it was the more sensible choice.

[Kishen.padiyar]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

Whatever clowning act one does with spreadsheets,

You may choose a car based on your heart at the end of the day but that does't make the whole effort of putting together facts and figures a clowning act.

I'd like to meet someone whose heart decides on a GTI and then goes out and buys a Wagon R because the spreadsheet said it was the more sensible choice.

Well, if one is a GTI kind of person, while populating the sheet, his weightage will be more for fun to drive factor, build quality, safety and will have least scores for brand, maintenance, FE and resale. try it yourself - I am attaching the sheet

[yogesh.8984]

I think for me it’s always the choice I make the first up and then support it with all the research. Seldom the research changes the choice made first up.

[hkborah]

Extremely logical if one were to assume that we use our heads and not our hearts while choosing a car.
But while buying a car, it is x% brains and 100-x% heart...
Similar to the girl of your dreams. Head wants rupwati, Vidyawati, gunawati, Kalawati.... but when it comes to choosing, ........... you go with

[pradeepnair]

Originally Posted by Kishen.padiyar

On the hunt for a new car? The selection is not an easy task anymore! Courtesy - the multitude of models and variants across different manufacturers/brands.

This thread focuses on selecting the best car from a shortlist - assuming all the initial filtration has already been done from the plethora of choices.
Though the method which I am going to describe may not be very accurate in all 100% cases, I feel it helps select the right car to a good extent.

The rating for each of the cars is subjective and varies from person to person. What is shown above is just my personal opinion.

I feel it is more logical to first fix the budget and look choices within it. It can be wide range of choices or sometimes just two or three.

Secondly, I look for practical things. Looks of the car, even if it is not as good as others, we will get used to it after some time, including colour (leaves it to family members). Safety is an important criteria, Comfort comes next and then comes the maintenance cost in the long run - This can be mileage and service cost. Head and Heart comes under this.

[dark.knight]

Let me get a bit scientifically spiritual here. There are two hemispheres to the brain - the left and the right. The left is like the finance department (whatever version of finance the individual has been taught or perceives anyway) and the right is about love, creativity, intuition, visualization, holisticity etc.. akin to the marketing department.

Looking deep within my thought process each time.. this is how decisions happen and I wouldn't be surprised if most of you might relate :

- *Looks at car and likes how it looks* right brain approves and passes the next decision to the left.

- Left brain introspects the pricing, calculates affordability, running costs, insurance costs, fuel consumption etc.. approves and passes the next responsibility to the right.

- Right brain analyses the interiors, visualizes life in the cabin for the next 5 odd years.. analyzes the ride quality and overall experience.. ticks off all the potential sensory experiences that would qualify the product for further approval from the left.

- Left brain does a one-last time financial re-look and makes sure that in terms of resale value and depreciation etc, that there is money to be recovered off this car in the overall ownership period. Final pass.

- Right brain goes into the deeper meanings of life and asks "would this truly make you happy?" or even "its time to finally splurge, as the left brain has got you covered". Final pass.

This is how most decisions are made, by the average educated individual of adult age.. as most adults are taught to be responsible and careful with finances. The rest depends on whether the individual is naturally prone to be a left-dominant or right-dominant brain user. Even though I'm a business grad with plenty of knowledge in finance, statistics and forecasting, my marketing obsession makes me an emotional buyer.. I fall for catchy advertisements, fantastic marketing slogans and grand visuals of luxury/comfort/beauty, I feel I'm right-brain dominated. My cousin on the other hand is a Chartered Accountant, he couldn't care less as long as his house has the basic rooms required to survive within and as long as the car has 4 wheels and 5 seats, he isn't a miser but surely, very left-brain oriented thanks to his training (not stereotyping btw, its only a biological proclivity and not related to education all the time).

I have told more than a few people to quit looking at numbers and to take a plunge if the mind wants it bad enough. A car is a liability looking strictly by numbers.. but given the cost of taxis such as Uber or Ola, advantages of owning a car like depreciation savings and the sheer comfort and freedom it offers in our short quest to explore and understand the everlasting question "why are we here?", one can easily say that owning a car, ANY car, is the wisest thing one can do after owning a home.

[prince0407]

Don't see much sense or logic in this exercise. It's simply putting one's preference on paper and assigning them some ratings. It's kind of complicating the process at best. I mean, who does buy a car this way??

When I am in the market, I am pretty sure what my heart wants and what my mind says! Basis that, I evaluate the options. But ultimately the deciding factor is the "budget". As many members rightly pointed out, the parameters are subjective. The handling and road manners of a Swift may make someone happy and another guy unhappy at the same time. You can't put that into this sheet. It's all perspective actually.

[Jeroen]

Look at the car.
If you like it, put your ass in the driver seat.
If you like the cockpit, like the seats, take a test drive.
If you still like the car buy it. Take a second mortgage, sell the kids, donate a kidney. We are talking cars here!

Anybody that believes a list of questions or EXCEL sheet is going to get them the a better car certainly is no petrol head. Just a boring accountant, YAWN! Why are you on TeamBHP?

Folks, we are talking cars here! There is no rationale, only emotions. Can we do away with the mathematical approach and just buy what we like and can afford?

Jeroen

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Look at the car.
If you like it, put your ass in the driver seat.
If you like the cockpit, like the seats, take a test drive.
If you still like the car buy it. Take a second mortgage, sell the kids, donate a kidney. We are talking cars here!

Anybody that believes a list of questions or EXCEL sheet is going to get them the a better car certainly is no petrol head. Just a boring accountant, YAWN! Why are you on TeamBHP?

Folks, we are talking cars here! There is no rationale, only emotions. Can we do away with the mathematical approach and just buy what we like and can afford?

Jeroen

If I may add, even if one's not an automobile enthusiast, they'll still be able to shortlist 1-3 cars and decide without wasting their and others time on spreadsheets.

[DinG]

A very well-articulated article by @Kishen.padiyar. Hats off to you by putting thoughts into words very nicely.

Moreover, I am so overwhelmed by the thoughts of other respected fellows especially the golden words curated by @Jeroen. I couldn't resist myself to keep out of this interesting topic.

My journey started long back early-mid 90's when I purchased my first ride "RX 100", Need I say "Yamaha"!!! Of course, I shopped around to look for available options i.e.

1. Hero Honda
   • CD 100 SS
   • Sleek
2. Suzuki
   • Shogun
3. Honda
   • Kinetic

Interestingly, Yamaha was not even on my list since I thought it was a higher maintenance bike in terms of FE and spare parts. During the exploration, my friend’s uncle who owned spare parts shop(s) at Leamington Road (Grant Road) told me “son, the last thing you would be caring about is maintenance and try out RX 100 as you are just a student.” I appreciated the gesture from an expert and rest is history!!!

I personally believe that exploration is a nature defined by one’s heart not mind and so is buying the vehicle.

I was lucky enough to select my wheels in sync with my heart and really didn’t bother much about anything else... namely, Yamaha RX100, Honda Unicorn 150, Chevrolet Spark and currently Hyundai i20-Active. Believe me, I still not only look back just once but few times before going away from my sweet candy (not only the current one but all the previous beauties).

I have my own sweet stories for each buying experience but I might share in future as I do not wish to deviate from the current thread. However, the buying experience for SPARK holds a very special place in my life!!!

In a nutshell, If I had gone with the numbers then I would be owning either Maruti Alto or Hyundai Santro instead of Chevy Spark. Most of our readers might disagree with my decision but personally, I feel that I had made a right decision and drove for about 8 long years before upgrading to i20-Active (well, Create is still on my mind and it might be sooner than later to owing that dream). Please do not judge me quickly about making any wrong decision about i20-Active no that's not the case. It would be an addition not upgrade...

Another item on my wishlist that’s cropping up now and then a touring bike. My heart says BMW 310GS but mind says a big NO and keeps directing me to Kawasaki Versys X300/650).

One thing that I followed religiously that you MUST give yourself a window of about 6-8 months before making any hasty decision. Keep asking yourself about your decision at a regular interval. If you get the same answer even after months then I am pretty sure you will never go wrong!!!

Last thing before saying goodbye… Enjoy the journey be it buying or on the road!!!

[Kishen.padiyar]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

If you like it, put your ass in the driver seat.

Bit surprised to see such statements coming in from a distinguished BHPian. Not sure what you are trying to covey by telling sell the kids and what not to buy a car. All I can say is hold your emotions mate. Nowhere in this thread it is mentioned that this THE way to go about buying cars. It is just one of the ways and those who find it worth will give it a thought, others may please ignore it.

Just a boring accountant, YAWN! Why are you on TeamBHP?

What gives you the authority to question one's existence in this forum and also comment on other professions?

Guys, we petrol-heads are generally in the company of other petrol-heads and all have same/similar thinking when it comes to cars. But then practically how many car buyers out of the 3L cars sold every month are petrol-heads? Food for thought.