When it comes to choosing a car, it can be difficult to decide exactly which make and model to opt for. With hundreds of cars to choose from, there are plenty of things to take into consideration, and if you don’t do your research, you could end up missing out on the best possible car for you.

The best strategy to decide on the car you want is to narrow down your options based on a number of considerations – no car is going to be perfect in every way, but you might just find one that comes close.

Cost

Cost is one of the biggest factors involved when it comes to choosing a car. Sure, we’d all love a brand new Lamborghini, but for most of us, we simply cannot afford it. With 74% of new car sales bought on credit, it is clear that much of the British public is opting for car finance as opposed to paying for a car in full, in cash. Car finance has come a long way, and thanks to products like PCP, many customers can access new or nearly new cars for low monthly repayments.

If cost is the number one concern, check out the bargain Dacia range – the Dacia Sandero is officially the cheapest new car in the UK priced at just £5995 for the entry level model.

Safety

Whether you’ve got a big family to take care of, or you simply want to know that you are the safest you can possibly be, there’s plenty of choice on the market as new car manufacturers step up to the plate to provide cutting edge safety assistance programs and achieve 5 star ratings from Euro NCAP. You can find out what the safest cars for 2013 were by reading our blog post on the matter.

Looking for a safe car, perfect for the family? Check out the Volvo V40 – it is the only car to average more than 90% overall in Euro NCAP tests, and is big enough to fit the whole family in.

Style

We spend a lot of time in our cars – and just like a designer handbag or a tailored suit, it is a huge statement about who we are. The Creditplus bloggers have each been explaining their choice of car – and often refer back to the fact that style played a huge role in the choice of car. Whether you choose a Maserati because of its status, or a VW Beetle because of it’s iconic features, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a car to suit your individual style.

Want to be able to customise your car to make it incredibly personal to you? The Citroen DS3 is highly customisable, which allows customers to choose the colours (and even graphics) of the roof, side stripes, mirrors and even different key fob designs. With companies like Benefit working closely with the company there’s plenty of exciting limited edition DS3s available.

Efficiency

Efficiency is one of the most important factors in bringing down day-to-day running costs for your car. Running a car is more expensive in the UK than in any other country in the EU, so keeping fuel costs down is very important. Whilst there are groups such as Fair Fuel UK who are continuously petitioning for reduced fuel duty, an easy way to lower your costs today is to buy a car that does plenty of MPG. To find out what the top ten most economic cars of 2013 were, check out our blog post.

There are plenty of hybrid models out there that can dramatically reduce MPG figures, but if you’re looking for a combustion engine with a lower cost price, look to the Renault Clio 1.5 dCi 90 ECO, which manages a brilliant 88.3mpg.

Size

Size is a big factor, especially for those with big families. Cars are getting bigger and bigger, and the MPV and SUV market are creating cars that are ideally suited to family life. Manufacturers understand the need for plenty of room, both in the front and in the back, with plenty of boot space.

If size is your biggest concern, but you don’t want to opt for a van, check out the Ford Grand C-Max. It has seven seats, so is perfect for a big family, and offers up great mpg and safety ratings. Best of all, it’s one of the cheaper cars in the category, so won’t break the bank, leaving lots of extra money for family trips out.

Performance

If you’ve ever watched a car review, you’ll find that the reviewers will spend a great deal of time discussing the performance of the car. Even if speed isn’t a primary concern for you, you’ll still want a car that delivers a comfortable, enjoyable drive. The way a car handles, accelerates and steers is all important when it comes to driving a car, so, naturally, is a focus of most manufacturers. A car that has a superb drive will always be popular – and it’s for this reason that you should test drive a few examples of the type of car you want before committing to it.

Performance can be quite subjective – executive saloons almost always offer the best quality, but can be quite pricey. For a really good drive, at a very reasonable price, look to the Subaru BRZ, voted on of the ten best performance cars at the Geneva Motor Show last year.

These are just a few of the many factors that you might take into consideration when looking to buy a new car, but everybody’s individual circumstances will dictate a different car for them – otherwise we would all drive the same type! A good all-rounder, according to the general consensus here at Creditplus, would be a Ford Focus – reasonably priced, with good performance, it would be hard to go wrong. If you are struggling to decide on a car, our expert logistics and advisory teams can help you decide, and even find you the perfect car and a great rate thanks to our exclusive partnerships with dealerships. Simply tell your advisor what type of car you want – and be as specific as you want to be!