Perrys Car Buying Tip - Get Comfy!
WHAT’S the most important part of buying a car? Is it the finance, or choosing which options you want? No, I reckon it’s making sure that you are comfortable behind the wheel.If you can’t reach the pedals or the seat height isn’t easy for you get into and out of you will curse the day that you ever bought the car. And this is not necessary, it really isn’t, and people who buy badly should not blame the dealer or manufacturer.Let me illustrate the point. A couple of weeks ago a colleague and his wife took advantage of the scrappage scheme to get rid of an old Proton in favour of a new Kia cee’d – following my advice, I should add.He was delighted with it but after a few days she was not so enamoured; being of very short stature she had trouble reaching the pedals and found it uncomfortable to drive.On a return trip to the dealer they bought another car, this time a Rio, but it seems this too isn‘t quite the ideal fit – happy dealer but not so happy customers.Amazingly she had not tried out the seating position before they signed on the dotted line and yet she would be the one spending more time driving the cee’d.We wouldn’t buy a par of shoes without trying them on beforehand so why a car?Being comfortable means that you can reach and operate the pedals without having to stretch and without sitting so close to the steering wheel that you are in danger should the airbag go off in a bump. There is no law on this but as a rule of thumb your chest should be about ten inches from the centre of the wheel to let the bag deploy properly.You don’t have to take your first choice if it doesn’t fit so talk to the dealership sales staff. They might be able to suggest a car you had not previously considered. For example, if you want a hatchback such as a
Citroen C3 but find it too low, maybe a C3 Picasso compact MPV would be more to your liking; it’s effectively the same car but with a higher seating position. Most big manufacturers offer a hatchback or MPV option and it is worth considering.Talk to your dealer and trust their judgement. A good dealer wants a sale, for sure, but more than that they want you to be happy with the car. And that starts with you feeling comfortable behind the wheel.
Perrys takes great pride in the training it gives to all staff, so you can be sure of good, sound advice and a great deal on a car to suit you at Perrys Dealerships when you are buying a new or used car.