Summarizing these 6 experiences before buying a car, it can be used as a reference to help you choose your own car
Before I bought a car, I was a little white who didn't know anything about cars, when buying a car, I never consulted anyone and friends, and now I have been driving for almost two years, and I have no regrets about choosing a car, and the more I use it, the more I like it. I think even if you don't know anything about cars, it won't affect how to buy a car, after all, the current level of car manufacturing is very mature, the yield rate of the vehicle has improved a lot compared to the past, if you don't pick anything, close your eyes to buy a car with high sales, or the mainstream model of the market, it will not be wrong, at least there will be no big problem.
The car is bought and driven, you need to understand some basic daily maintenance and maintenance, as for the structure and principle of the car, you do not need to master. Because most people's first car, before the purchase of a car is not understood.
If you are not a person who is studying auto repair related majors in college, there are a few who are very knowledgeable about cars. Most people don't understand cars before they buy a car. They all gradually mastered the knowledge of automobiles when they began to learn to drive at driving school. For example, the first time you go to buy a computer, you only need to master how to operate and use it, and you don't need to understand too much about how the various components in the computer host work together or what the specific model is.
Hello everyone, I'm Xiaobai. As a "passer-by", I feel that before buying a car, I still need to understand some basic knowledge of cars, such as the price range within your budget, which models are worth paying attention to. Below I summarized 6 experiences before buying a car and sharing with you, as a reference before buying a car, even if you don't know anything about cars, it doesn't matter, I believe that after reading my experience summary, I can help you buy your own car.
(Note: This article has a large number of words, it is recommended to read after collection, you can also read selectively as needed)
First of all, clarify your own car needs and car environment
Car demand
Everyone's car needs are different, such as family transportation vehicles, work needs, business needs, etc. Here I will use the example of a family car. Family car buying is actually to improve the quality of life, shorten the radius of life, to put it bluntly, it is for the convenience of travel, if you want to go to the nearby 5 kilometers away to eat a meal, or to play, it will be very convenient to drive yourself. There is no need to take the bus to squeeze the subway people, although the current promotion of green and low-carbon travel, but sometimes it is much more convenient to have a car to walk.
There is also the need for space in the car, whether it is necessary to take into account the frequent sitting in the rear row, and the trunk to store things, which should be taken into account before buying a car.
Car environment
The car environment refers to what kind of road the car runs on most of the time, such as just driving in the urban area, or often need to run high speed, how the road conditions of the usual driving, whether it is a smooth paved road, or will often encounter potholes and so on. These are all situations that you have to anticipate before you buy a car. Because there are many types of models now, such as: sedans, hatchbacks, SUVs, cars, after clarifying the needs of these cars and the environment of the car, you can choose the corresponding models according to your own needs.
What model should I choose?
Based on the previous car needs and car environment, the appropriate model can be basically finalized. So how do you know how to choose the appropriate model? Below I have briefly analyzed the differences between them according to the different models and powertrains for reference.
1. Sedan (sedan, hatchback)
Family cars are divided into sedans and hatchbacks, according to the length of the wheelbase can be divided into A0 class, A class, A + class and B class cars and higher level models, the wheelbase of ordinary A class cars is about 2700mm, the wheelbase of B class cars can reach more than 2800mm, the longer the wheelbase of the model, the larger the legroom for the rear seat, the more comfortable the ride. Hatchbacks are lower than sedans in terms of trunk space, but overall handling is more flexible.
If there is a demand for rear seating space, it is recommended to choose a model with a longer wheelbase, and choose a sedan with higher requirements for trunk space, otherwise the hatchback is also enough for home.
2、SUV
The full name for the SUV is "SportUtilityVehicle", which means sporty multi-purpose model. Compared with ordinary family cars, suVs have a higher chassis, more space, and better chassis passability, which is suitable for taking some potholed bad roads. However, due to the high chassis, it is not as good as a car in terms of overall handling.
3. Engine (naturally aspirated, turbocharged, hybrid)
Naturally aspirated; advantages: linear and smooth power output, more fuel-efficient, better durability. Suitable for urban transportation. Disadvantages: The power output is weaker than that of turbocharging.
Turbocharging; advantages: high power output, strong acceleration ability, suitable for frequent running high speed. Disadvantages: Compared with natural inhalation, it is more oil-intensive and has poor durability.
Hybrid; advantages: Because the initial stage is driven by an electric motor, avoiding the most fuel-dependent stage of the engine, it can achieve good fuel economy and very fuel-efficient. Cons: The price is slightly higher compared to naturally aspirated and turbocharged.
4. Transmission (manual, CVT, AT, dual clutch)
The choice of transmission is mainly manual transmission and automatic transmission. At present, there are fewer manual models on the market, and even many models are equipped with automatic transmissions as standard throughout the series. And most of the manual transmission models are used to pull down the overall price of the lowest models. If you have a soft spot for manual gears, consider that.
Automatic transmissions are mainly divided into CVT, AT and dual clutch.
CVT belongs to the stepless speed change, the use of steel belt to drive the cone wheel, the power output is smooth, but can not withstand a large torque, Japanese cars use more, more suitable for urban transportation.
AT and dual clutch, most of them are more used in German and American models, can withstand higher torque, and are better than the CVT gearbox in terms of power output response, if you often run high speed, you can choose these two gearboxes.
5. New energy vehicles
New energy vehicles are pure electric vehicles, but the definition of new energy vehicles also includes the current hybrid system models (gasoline-electric hybrids). The difference between the two is that electric vehicles are pure motor drives and rely entirely on electricity. Hybrid models use electric motors in the low-speed range, with fuel power accounting for the main power output.
The use of electric vehicles, completely dependent on the current charging outlets are abundant, if you live in a first- and second-tier city, there are many charging outlets around, and do not run much high-speed, in some cities that implement limited numbers, you can consider electric vehicles, otherwise fuel vehicles or hybrid models are more reliable.
Second, confirm the budget range
The guide price is not equal to the landing price
When the car is listed, there is a market guidance price, this price is given by the manufacturer, many models will have certain preferential treatment when selling in 4S stores, such as a discount of 1W or several thousand, but this price is not the final transaction price of your car, this is just the price of the naked car. In addition to the price of the naked car, it is also necessary to pay car insurance, tax declaration, and license fees, plus these are the final transaction price.
For example, about 130,000 naked car prices, plus a series of fees, the final landing price may be around 150,000, if your budget is only 130,000, then the final transaction price will exceed your budget, so when buying a car and choosing a car, your budget will have a certain amount of reserved space.
It is best not to exceed the budget for the landing price
Buying a car is the second largest expense in the family in addition to buying a house. Therefore, before buying a car, it is necessary to carefully consider, first of all, according to their own economic ability to buy a car budget planning. For example, the budget of 100,000-150,000 yuan is whether to buy a car in full or with a loan to buy a car, and if it is a loan to buy a car, whether it can withstand the pressure of repayment every month.
After the budget is determined, don't change it, just choose the corresponding model in this price range. Don't get a hot head when choosing a car or be sold to recommend a higher model, increase the budget to buy, it is true to buy a higher configuration or a more powerful model, but the excess budget will increase the stress of your life.
Because after buying a car, you also need to use a car and maintain a car, these are large expenses, such as fuel costs, annual insurance costs, maintenance costs, if you accidentally bump after the maintenance costs and so on. Originally buying a car is to improve the quality of life, buying a car more than the budget is counterproductive and reduces the quality of life, so buying a car is also to do what you can.
Understand the current situation in the mainstream automotive market
After clarifying their car needs and car purchase budgets, what they have to do now is to understand which models are worth paying attention to in the current mainstream car market.
Master basic automotive knowledge
Now the various configuration parameters of the car, in fact, and digital products are more and more similar, when you buy a mobile phone or computer, the higher the hardware configuration, the more expensive the price, the same is true for the car, the car is also particular about the configuration. If you don't know anything about car knowledge or various configuration parameters of the car, then before buying a car, it is recommended to understand the following concepts and knowledge of the following cars, when buying a car, sales will not be confused when you introduce it.
Powertrain (engine power size, torque, type of transmission)
The power size of the engine is mainly related to the power and torque of the engine, the power is also commonly known as horsepower, representing how fast the car can run, torque is the acceleration ability of the car, the greater the torque, the faster the car speeds up, which can be understood as explosive force. For example, when you run with people, power represents how fast you can run, and torque represents how fast you accelerate.
For example, there are two cars, the power of the engine is about the same, the greater the torque of the car, the faster the speed, when testing the car's 0-100 acceleration ability, this is the torque size of the engine plays a key role. Usually when driving and waiting for traffic lights, when the green light lights up the speed of the vehicle's start, torque plays a decisive role. When overtaking in the middle of the vehicle, the car with the high torque accelerates faster, and the overtaking is more confident and does not appear to drag mud and water.
Chassis (independent and non-independent suspension)
The driving quality and riding comfort of the car come from the materials and tuning of the chassis, which is one of the three major parts of the car. The chassis is divided into independent suspension and non-independent suspension, independent suspension in driving control and riding comfort are better than non-independent suspension (but not absolutely, mainly depending on the manufacturer's tuning), in the manufacturing cost is higher.
The main difference between the two is that independent suspension is that each side of the wheel has a separate suspension under the frame, non-independent suspension is that the two sides of the wheel are connected by a whole one-piece suspension and the frame, when the vehicle is driving through some bumpy roads or potholes, the use of independent suspension of the car can provide better shock absorption effect, reduce the left and right shaking of the vehicle, improve riding comfort. Among the models with the same price, models with independent suspension are more cost-effective.
The difference between the two is mainly reflected in the mechanical structure level, the actual driving experience is mainly related to the actual tuning of the manufacturer, for example, although some models do not use independent suspension, but the manufacturer does a good job of tuning and optimization of the chassis, and can also achieve good driving comfort, so this is the later mentioned must go to the personal test drive to feel.
Tire parameters (tire flat ratio, tire pressure)
"The flat ratio of a tire is calculated by dividing the tire thickness by the tread width and multiplying it by 100%, i.e. the tire thickness/tread width × 100%. For example, 55 in the 205/55R16 is the flat ratio, 205 represents the tread width of the tire, and 16 represents the size diameter of the rim (in inches).
Flat ratio high tires, tire sidewall compression space is larger, in some potholes can absorb more vibration transmission, can filter out most of the vibration, driving more comfortable, at the same time because the sidewall compression space is larger, not easy to hurt the rim.
If the flat ratio is lower than 45, it is a tire with a low flat ratio, which is also known as a thin tire. The low flat ratio of the tire has better handling, faster speed, and better support, which is suitable for sports intense driving, but the disadvantages are also obvious, the driving comfort is poor, because the tire side is thinner, it is not suitable for running non-paved roads and potholes, and it is easy to hurt the rim.
Comparing tires with different flat ratios, it is recommended to use tires with higher flat ratios for general household use. For example, 55, 65 and the like are more suitable for home use and have higher comfort.
Tire tire pressure: Tire tire pressure is the air pressure unit of the tire, the unit is bar or kpa, 1 bar = 100kpa, The range of normal tire tire pressure is between 2.3-2.5, some vehicles show 230-250, the higher the tire pressure, the faster the vehicle speed, the more fuel-efficient, but the shock is poor, on the contrary, the lower the tire pressure, the more expensive the vehicle, but the shock is better, the size of the tire tire pressure should be adjusted according to different climates, it is recommended that the summer tire pressure be maintained at about 230kpa, and the winter can be maintained at about 250kpa.
Fuel
Since gasoline is becoming more and more expensive now, the issue of vehicle fuel consumption also needs to be considered before buying a car. Because the level of fuel consumption directly affects the cost of future use. From the current mainstream tests, the following conclusions can be drawn:
1. Japanese cars are more fuel-efficient than American and German cars (but not absolutely, depending on the power configuration, model, and evaluation data);
2, CVT gearbox is more fuel-efficient;
3, the fuel consumption of different powertrains: hybrid
Wheelbase size
Wheelbase refers to the distance from the center of the front axle to the center of the rear axle of the car, that is, the length of the center point of the front and rear wheels.
The size of the wheelbase affects the interior space and ride comfort. The longer the wheelbase model, the longer the length of the car, the larger and more spacious the space in the car, but the long wheelbase model, due to the longer body, the larger turning radius, the lower steering flexibility, in terms of maneuverability and handling is not as good as the shorter wheelbase model. How to choose the right wheelbase size needs to be judged according to their actual car needs.
Safety configuration (collision warning, active braking, lane keeping, airbags)
The safety configuration of the vehicle is divided into active safety and passive safety, active safety includes ABS (anti-lock braking system), ESP (body electronic stability system), vehicle collision warning, active braking, lane change assist, etc., to provide drivers with safe configurations during driving. Passive safety includes: body steel strength, body energy absorption structure, airbags and other configurations. Driving safety is put first, so when purchasing a vehicle, the configuration of the active and passive safety of the vehicle should be taken as the key consideration.
Follow the automotive media reviews
Now the content of media reviews on automobiles is very rich, such as official reviews, third-party media reviews, and third-party reviews that also include many self-media author reviews. The recommendation is to pay attention to some relatively large, authoritative, scientific and objective independent test media, and these media organizations that have been doing evaluation for a long time are more reliable. For example, I usually pay attention to X car emperor, X car home and other mainstream auto media, as well as some third-party self-media authors, etc., in the text will not discuss the specific author name, if you are interested, you can leave a message below the article to discuss with me.
There are four main aspects of the car evaluation.
Car appearance static and dynamic driving evaluation
Now most car companies will sign contracts with some automotive media, or have cooperative relations, before the new car is listed, the engineering version of the new model will be given to these cooperative auto media agencies to test. So we can see a lot of new cars on the Internet before they are officially released, there are already many automotive media released their appearance reviews, or dynamic driving experience videos.
Including at the annual large-scale auto show, car companies will launch new models or mid-term models, and these cooperative media will also follow up and shoot and report at the venue. Therefore, the static and dynamic driving evaluation of the appearance of the car is mainly focused on the new model. By following these video presentations, you can learn about the current mainstream models, or what models will be released.
The appearance part can intuitively see the design, interior and specific configuration of the vehicle, whether you like a car from the appearance of a conclusion at a glance. The dynamic driving part has the author's subjective feelings, if you look at a car, it is recommended to look at the evaluation of this car by different media, you can get more objective suggestions.
Testing of the durability class of the car
Whether a car is durable or not, we consumers certainly do not know in advance, only through the purchase, after daily use, can we draw a conclusion. Then the test of the durability of the car is a good solution. It can test the durability of the vehicle in a limited time by means of road surface reinforcement testing and simulating daily road conditions to reach the corresponding number of kilometers.
In the endurance test process, if you encounter part damage, such as body noise, chassis wear and tear and other wear problems, because the vehicle is still within the warranty period, the vehicle will be sent to the 4S shop to repair the warranty process of the whole process recorded, so that the car's pre-sales and after-sales through such endurance tests, can be very true in front of the consumer. If you want to know whether your favorite model is durable, you may wish to pay attention to the durability test of the car.
Crash testing of cars
The safety configuration of the car is divided into active safety and passive safety configuration, and the crash test is to test the passive safety performance of the car. Because driving safety is always put first, the safety performance of a car is the key to ensuring the safety of drivers and passengers.
At present, only some large media organizations have the financial resources to do crash testing, because crash testing is very expensive, and the general small media cannot afford it, but there are many media that do such tests in China. For example, the Corolla and Sagitar crash tests done by X Car Emperor,
Car dismantling review
1. Through the evaluation of the disassembly class, you can get very rich information. To give a few examples:
2. The spray quality of the paint (such as: thickness, hardness and uniformity)
3, body structure manufacturing process (such as: laser welding, spot welding, integrated door frame or welding door frame)
4. Body, interior materials and design (such as: door frame sound-absorbing cotton, soundproof cotton material, harness wrapping) body steel strength test, front and rear anti-collision steel beam material and strength, through cutting and inspection, test the strength of steel structure in different parts of the body.
5. Disassembly of the engine.
6. Design of chassis part, flatness, anti-corrosion spraying design, material design of front and rear suspension, etc.
The evaluation of the disassembly class more intuitively understands the design, manufacturing process and materials of the vehicle, so that consumers can see what they usually cannot see.
Go to test drives, compare the driving and riding experience of different models, and find the most suitable for yourself
"Test drive" is a must do when buying a car, even if you know the configuration parameters and power parameters of the car very well, do not ignore the test drive step. Because the book data of a car and the actual driving experience are often not proportional, it is not necessarily the higher the configuration of the car is suitable for you to drive, only you can understand whether the car is suitable for you.
If you buy a car, at the same time in several cars between hesitation, then through the test drive of each car, you can intuitively feel the difference between them, the most intuitive feeling, is the different models of throttle, brake tuning, that is, commonly known as the sense of foot, the softness of the chassis, these are the most affected driving experience and riding comfort. Exterior styling is your first impression, and good driving handling is an important factor that prompts you to finalize a model.
summary:
Not knowing anything about cars doesn't affect you too much to buy a car, because if you are not a auto repair professional, it is normal not to understand car knowledge, and most people do not understand cars before the first car they buy. But after all, buying a car is a large living expense, so you still need to do some homework before buying a car.
Through the 6 aspects I summarized above, it basically covers the knowledge and information related to cars that need to be understood and mastered before buying a car. Even if you are a complete car white and don't know anything about cars, you can learn and master through these methods to help you buy your favorite car.
I didn't expect to write so much in one breath, don't think I'm wordy, in fact, these contents I wrote may be just a fur in the eyes of professional car critics, but it is very practical for car whites, I believe that everyone can benefit a lot through these aspects of understanding, the above is my answer, I hope to help everyone.
I am Xiaobai, a UP master who likes to share life, sports, car experience and badminton! (The picture in the article comes from the Internet, invaded and deleted)
Note: Original content, please do not reprint!
Author: Xiao Bai of Wen and Wu Shuangquan