The Absolute Must Knows When Buying a Car in Texas

The average length of time that someone owns a car prior to trading it in is about 8 years according to Kelley Blue Book. Obviously, this can vary from owner to owner depending on their financial situation and the type of car that they currently own.

There are a lot of things to consider when choosing your new vehicle.

How Much to Spend on a New Vehicle

It is recommended that you don't spend more than 10% of your monthly net pay on a car payment if you are looking to be financially responsible. The 20/4/10 rule is a pretty good guide for how much to purchase a car. You want to put 20% down on a four-year loan that won't be more than 10% of your income.

How Safe is a Car

Safety can be the #1 factor in choosing a vehicle (especially for families), so it's important to do the research necessary to find out how safe your ideal automobile is. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) released a comprehensive list on the safest vehicles in 2024. That list can be found here.

Why Do You Need the Car?

One thing that might seem obvious but is often times overlooked when choosing a vehicle is what purpose does it serve you? If you're buying the car to primarily commute to and from work, then you'll probably want to get something with good gas mileage. You may do quite a bit of DIY projects at the house, so you could probably use a truck with a bed in that situation. Maybe you're looking to pick up chicks. If that's the case you shouldn't be so materialistic, and you should look for a woman that is interested in you for who you are, not what you drive.

How Often is This Car Stolen?

Having your property stolen is one of the worst experiences that anyone can go through. You've worked hard to be able to buy a car, and someone decides they just want to walk up and take it. Knowing which cars tend to get stolen the most in Texas could help you prevent having your own vehicle stolen by choosing to purchase a car that is not targeted that much by thieves.