So the time has come .

You have the appropriate amount of money you think you need , in your pockets and the time to buy the car of your dreams ( or close to ) , has arrived . You waited for this moment for such a long time and you want everything to go perfect .

You have made your needs search , you have made your soul search , you know what type of car you want and you want the best possible your money can buy .

You know it that everything starts with the money you have in your pockets , then by analyzing the needs you have as a person ( family , number of kids , hobbies , outdoor life , city needs , parking needs , annual expenses for taxes and servises ) , and then with your personal preferences .

Yes maybe this isn’t the ideal scenario , but it is the rational scenario , concerning the colossal factor of money . Because if you have no money theme and you can buy whatever you want , you wouldn’t be here reading this article !!

You would go to the nearest Ferrari , Porsche , Lamborghini , Bugatti , Pagani or whatever agency and you would buy some of the above “dreams” . So now if you have finished with the financial issues and you are ready to make your final choice , you know for sure this :

You don’t want to buy a “BAD” car and you need to avoid the WORST car .The car labels are so many and it is very narural to be a little confused . But of course all cars aren’t the same and differences exist .

Car Safety first .

Before we continue , we should be fair with the car manufacturers and say that they always try to develop their products for our safety and pleasure .

Seat belts , airbags , better suspensions with absorbers and springs , brake discs ( nowdays from carbon and exotic materials ) , ABS , better steering wheel systems , better engines with low fuel consumption ,
“countless” electronic safety systems and many more have made our transportation lives better and SAFER .

All car manufacturers are making their cars safe ,with very good energetic safety and pathetic safety .

A)Energetic safety .

Energetic safety , is the ability of the car to avoid risky situations using its mechanical advantages ( powerful engines , good brakes – suspension – steering wheel – electric assistants ) and good road behavior .

B) Pathetic safety .

Pathetic safety , is the ability of the car to keep you alive , during the accident ( having elite material cabins – seat belts – airbags and more ) , absorving the energy of the accident and keeps you unharmed as possible .

All the car manufacturers are passing the Official crash tests and they try to take the hole amount of safety stars . So all the cars in the area of safety are from a very good level and above .

But we can separate the cars in their reliability area and general quality . The other areas , external looks and shape are subjective fields and everybody likes different things in life .

I’ve written a post including some quality “secrets” of the cars , read it in HERE .

Always inform by the experts .

Before all we must say that very Serious Organizations and Research Centers exist , which tests the reliability and general quality of the cars . These Organizations and Centers are widely accepted for their seriousness of their tests and results .

These Organizations are making long – time reliability tests , speak with thousand buyers , have highly experienced personnel , contacts with the factories exchanging opinions and data and they are the “lighthouses” for all of us , to consult .

So every time we want to see the LATEST tests and results for the vehicle we want information , it’s very wise to go to go to their web pages , and seek helpful info . These helpful informations are changing in very sorts periods of time , because the automobile “planet” is moving and evoluting every single day .

One car label which was very reliable the past quarter of the year , now it can be in a worst state , for several reasons . Production line problems , supply parts problems , software themes , luck sometimes and many more factors , can make a car label lose some places in the ranking .

Of course , using the benefits of our new era technology , all manufacturers are trying to minimize these factors and retain their “good name” . So going every time we want info to these world wide testing centers will help us the most .

These Organizations are :

1) www.Consumerreports.org .

2) www.Jdpowers.org .

3) www.Euroncap.com .

4) www.Adac.com .

5) www.Dekra.com .

After all this , the next thing we should have in mind , is some General “laws“ in order not to buy a bad car .

A ) All Manufacturers are trying to do the Best and the Social Media , help US .

All the car manufacturers are trying to make the best they can , even if sometimes they don’t succeed in the level they want . In out current times and in the world of Social Media , news are spreading with the “speed of light” . And the bad news maybe more (!) .

So the factories know that every “mistake” or imperfection their products have , it will spread to the globe in a couple of minutes – hours .

This fact makes them , very cautious even to the smallest detail . Any tiny detail can be used as an advantage for them and as a disadvantage for their competitors .

All this , the “world” of Social Media ( and not only ) , maximizes it the most , and gives to manufacturers pressure to be as much perfectionists , as they can .

The result of all the above is for our benefit of course . Pressure from competition makes better products and the one who can manage all this , enjoy the LOVE and TRUST of the buyers .

B ) The Higher Price , buys you a Better Car – Product .

Usually , and this applies for any physical product we buy , as higher is the price , the better the product . Of course this isn’t always and 100% certain , but buying a more expensive product , we “eliminate” the posibility to buy a bad product .

A 60.000 Mercedes is a better car , than a 30.000 Mercedes and i guess from a 15.000$ area , car . Sometimes even the expensive cars of the “heavy” labels in industry , may have some reliability problems , but this isn’t the “Law” , is the exception .

Expensive cars ( and all products ) aren’t expensive , radomly . They are expensive for a reason .

C ) The Japanese and Korean Manufacturers are leading the Reliability “race” .

The Japanese and the last couple of decades , the Koreans , aren’t in the first places of the reliability ranking , by luck . Toyota , Honda , Nissan , Mitsubishi , Suzuki , Huyndai and KIA aren’t in the first places of all the reliabilty lists and for so long , radomly .

Yes of course the Americans and Europeans are making very elite cars , but the Japaneses and Koreans have the “something” more , concerning their reliabilty of the mechanical – electrical areas of the car .

In the general quality of the interior cabin , body metals , painting quality , and quality in general , the Japanese and Koreans aren’t in the level of the Europeans ( mostly ) , but in the mechanical – electrical parts , are very good .

Mercedes , BMW , VOLVO , VW , Audi , the PSA group and Europeans in general are managing to make better quality cars for both , concerning the interior . Not that the Japaneses aren’t good , but their advantage is the reliability of their mechanical – electrical parts .

As we all have said , from times to times : the Japanese cars don’t “break” , no matter how hard you “abuse” them . The gap between the Europeans – American and the Japanese – Koreans , isn’t huge , but exists in a grade .

Different philosophies , different Cars .

I think their general differences exist , because of the differences of the cultures , philoshophies and general approach they have as humans . Every country and every continent has its own way of seing “things” , and this reflects to their cars .

The “black sheep ” of the European manufacturers , is (not anymore nowdays)Italy . We aren’t talking about the Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s , but for the “common” cars .

They’ve gained a “bad name” back in the 70’s and 80’s , concerning their problematic electric and rusty metals , but now things are way better . You know it is a very difficult “job” to reverse a bad past of yours , but it can be done .

Alfa Romeo( and not only ) since the creation of the Alfa Romeo 156 back in the 1998 is trying to reverse “things” and everything for the Italians has changed , to a better state .

As a bottom line and summary , the scale between the Japanese – Koreans and the other manufacturers in the world , it “weights” to the Japanese side . They are in general more reliable , even for a small percentage .

D ) Road behavior : Pathetic – Energetic safety

All the cars of our times , are very safe to drive , and have more than good , road behavior . All cars are passing the advanced road tests from the factories and the research centers and their body chassis are in the highest levels .

From where do we owe this tremendous evolution in the automobile area ? We owe all that to the Motorsport Racing .

The continuous participation to the many car races through time , made our cars safer and sophisticated . Throught the ultimate testing of the cars throught the racing activity , the “products” became better and better .

Among the race tracks , the factories can identify the “weak” spots of their cars and make them better in the future . So don’t have concerns about the road behavior of your new car . All cars have more than good road behavior .

For their pathetic safety ( how they keep you alive during an accident ) , the elite materials and technology , are making a very goog “job” . The factories design the car cabins , in such way so the passengers go out safe , from a road accident they may have .

All the decades of experience through races , mistakes and technology evolution , made our “common” daily cars very safe , easier to drive ( hydralic steering wheel and more ) and more fun .

So having that in your mind , start searching for the car you want and satisfy your needs the most . After your search and when your determination to buy it , is 100% solid , the 1st thing you should do is this :

1) Go to the above ( as many you can ) research reliability Organizations and see if your car is in their lists with the problematic ones .

If you find your car being in that lists , the best thing you can do is to avoid buying it .

2) If eventually you are so “in Love” with that specific car and you want it VERY badly , check in which areas it has problems . If you are willing to “live” with those problems , proceed .

But the best thing is the avoidance of a car which has issues . Any kind of issues , because you don’t know in the future how these issues will harm you . On the other hand , there are so many cars outhere . Something will satisfy you .

3) Visit a car’s agency and see yourself .

So after the checking in those lists and the certainty that your car is a reliable one , next thing you should do and it is very crucial , is to go and SEE it , in a car agency .

This is very important . You should go , see the car very closely and of course drive it . You and only you , you must go and see it . Touch its materials , seat in it , see its areas , the engine , and make a good and long ride as you can , trying to understand if you LIKE it .

Yes the “sweet” talk of the salesman , is always useful and we can learn many things from the salesmen , but YOU and only YOU are the “boss” in here . Use the information of the salesman , “judge” his words and focus to identify , if you like the car .

Drive it with several speeds and in several roads and visualize living with it , every day . If it passes the “tests” , with good “grades” , your “job” is coming to the end .

Take your time to make a good deal with the car agency and we wish you , many and safe miles .

If you want to see WHAT can you do in order your car last many decades , see some “secrets” and tips , in HERE .

Drive carefully .