CONSIDERING OR PLANNING ON BUYING A CAR? READ �

(Next topic will be "Going to inspect a car with a mechanic: what to lookout for so as to avoid the seller conspiring with your mechanic to sell you a bad car or reap you off. So follow or add me up so as not to miss any.)

There are various reasons people buy cars. Common amongst them are:

Easy commute
As status symbol
For transportation
Or a combination of all of the above

Either of this reason or reasons should considerably influence your choice of car brand, category/class, model and year of make.

i- Brand examples are Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Ford etc

ii- Category/Class examples are:

1) Hatchback- volkswagen Golf, Peugeot 206,307 etc

2) Hot-hatches- Volkswagen Golf GTI, Volkswagen Golf R, Volkswagen Scirocco, Ford Fiesta, Honda Civic type R etc these are usually high-end sport variants of the regular hatchbacks.

3) Sedan/salon- Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Volkswagen Passat, Peugeot 406 etc

4) Wagons- there several brands that have their salons or sedans in wagon variant

5) Roadster- Ford Mustang, Porsche 911, Chevrolet Camaro etc "A roadster is an open two-seat car with emphasis on sporting appearance or character. Initially an American term for a two-seat car with no weather protection, usage has spread internationally and has evolved to include two-seat convertibles." -Wikipedia

6) Mini buses- Nissan Urvan, Toyota Hiace etc. Basically buses that can carry more than 8 people at once.

7) SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles)- Land Rovers, Range Rovers, GMC Yukon, Ford Freestyle, Toyota Land cruisers, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Sahara, Jeep Liberty, Nissan Patrol, Mitsibushi Pajero, Acura MDX, Lexus LX etc. Basically off roads capable cars built on a body on frame platforms.

Crossovers- a subset of SUVs. They're basically unibodies. Designed to be lighter and more fuel efficient than regular SUV but with less off-road capabilities as actual off-roaders. Examples are Lexus RX, Acura RDX, Ford Edge, Range Rover freelanders etc

9) Pickups or Trucks- Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Mitsibushi L300, Toyota land cruiser J70 series etc

iii- Models are the examples listed under categories.

iv- Year of make/Generation

Each brand classify as a 'Generation' a model designed from a particular year to another before significant redesigning. For example, Toyota Camry nicknamed "Big Daddy" or "Big For nothing" is a 5th Generation Camry built from 2002 to 2006. 7th generation nicknamed "Muscle" by Nigerians is from 2007 to 2011. Equally, 2003 to 2007 Honda Accord nicknamed in Nigeria as "End Of Discussion/Discussion Continues" aka 'EOD' & 'DC' is a 7th Generation North America Accord.

So, it is important to have this preamble before choosing based on the reasons influencing your choice.

Also important is to search on Google challenges peculiar to the model year of interests to you.

Or within a particular Generation which model year has the most issues or complaints. Or which is less problematic or best. Which has the most recalls and for what.

There are several dedicated websites that review cars and collate complaints from users or owners.

However, in all of this, as per a Nigerian and a car to be used in Nigeria, it is important to be sure of the availability of parts and their costs, especially major mechanical and electrical components and the availability of specialist mechanics or electrician.

Follow for more interesting car tips.

Next topic will be "Going to inspect a car with a mechanic: what to lookout for so as to avoid the seller conspiring with your mechanic to sell you a bad car or reap you off.

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I'm going to check an Acura MDX soon. I'll really need this.

The topic is informative...following

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