The ultimate guide to buying your first car

There aren’t many bigger moments in your life than buying a first car. It’s one of the first steps as you venture into adulthood and independence. It’s a culmination of all your hard work and dedication.

Whether you’ve saved up for it, taken out a loan or even had a little helping hand from the bank of mum and dad, it’s something you’ll always cherish.

To help make the process easier, Tempcover has put together some helpful tips for buying your first car. After all, buying a car is expensive, so you don’t want to waste your money on something you’ll regret later down the road.

How much should I save for my first car?

There are many considerations when it comes to buying your first car. Are you looking for something older that will get you from A to B or a newer vehicle with all the bells and whistles? Like with anything worth saving up for, it’s worth establishing your budget first and sticking to it - only changing your mind if the extras are worth more cash.

It’s always tempting to throw caution to the wind and spend beyond your means for added extras or a ‘better’ vehicle but these additions can soon add up. You need to be aware of just how much you’re spending and stick to your budget as best you can.

If you’ve stayed budget conscious and bought a new car for a price you’re happy with, you’re off to a good start. Saving money on the price of the car doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. You’ll still have to consider all the running costs, which can include:

• Car insurance – This is something that will likely be high for new drivers, especially those under the age of 25. However, there are alternative means of getting a good deal – for instance, you may wish to consider getting temporary car insurance with Tempcover.
• Road tax – Unless your chosen car is in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) band A or an electric vehicle, you will have to pay road tax.
• MOT test – Every road vehicle in the UK has to undergo an MOT test to ensure its roadworthiness. This is typically done once it becomes older than three years old and the checks also look for any maintenance that’s needed to ensure it’s fit for driving.
• Tyres – Your tyres will need replacing regularly, as it is against the law to drive a vehicle with an insufficient tread. If your vehicle doesn’t comply with this then you may be at risk of receiving a fine and points on your licence.
• Fuel – Cars need fuel to drive, with prices tending to fluctuate.
• Maintenance costs - All cars will have general wear and tear as many are used on a regular basis. This will incur extra costs during the time you own it. 

Once you have all this in order, getting an idea of how much you should save should be a bit more straightforward. As a reminder though, remember to consider all the additional costs outside of the initial price of the vehicle.

When buying a car do I need insurance first?

It is a legal requirement to have car insurance before driving your new car, so before you do so make sure to search around for a good deal.

If you’re looking for a short-term option so you can buy and drive the car before arranging annual car insurance, temporary car insurance could be the ideal insurance option. At Tempcover, our temporary car insurance policies have the same level of comprehensive cover as annual options.

What’s a good insurance group for a first car?

Choosing a car can be tricky business, not least because of the price of car insurance. If you’re looking for an ideal first car, then you may want to consider choosing an option that has a low insurance group rating.

Every new and existing car in the UK belongs to one of 50 car insurance groups set by the Group Rating Panel. There are several factors taken into consideration, such as the value of the car, how it performs, how secure it is, repair costs, and costs of car parts.

If the car ranks well in each of these areas, it is more likely to be placed in a lower insurance group (1-50) – so vehicles in Group 1 are the cheapest options.

Some cars in this insurance group include:

• Nissan Micra
• Ford Ka+
• Kia Rio
• Volkswagen Polo
• Vauxhall Corsa

Take the car out for a test drive

If you’ve found a car that meets all your criteria, then the next step is to take it out for a test drive. While the car may look good on the surface, you won’t truly know what the car is like until you get behind the wheel.

What do you need to test drive a car?

One good tip before starting driving is to make sure the engine is cold before starting, as a warm engine could be hiding problems.

Once you start driving, consider the following:

• Performance – you need to be asking yourself how the vehicle performs. Does it accelerate well? Does it shift to one side? How does it handle corners? Once you can answer this you should have a clearer picture
• Test the clutch – the first thing you should probably consider is how responsive the clutch is – be sure to test the biting point. If it doesn’t bite until it’s almost fully engaged, then it will need replacing
• High speed driving – problems may become more noticeable when driving at high speeds, so be sure to take the car on a motorway when testing if possible
• Gear shifting – does the transition feel smooth when shifting gears? If not, then this may be something you want to avoid
• Test the brakes – how responsive are the breaks? Do they require a lot of pressure?
• Steering wheel vibrations – does the steering wheel vibrate when driving?

You can find out more about this in Tempcover’s test driving guide.

The most important things to consider when buying your first car are a) can you afford it? and b) do you feel comfortable and safe driving it?

If you’re happy with both, it’s time to sort your insurance (remember, temporary car insurance gives you more time to consider your annual options), pay for the vehicle, pick up the keys and get on the road.