Elle Drive

The ELLE Guide To Buying A Car

From getting the best value to test driving with real-life in-mind, here's everything you need to know when buying a new car.

By BTYB Honda
That new car smell! The super-shiny exterior! The sense of freedom! Often the single biggest item we will purchase on our own, there truly is something empowering about owning your own getaway mobile.
Cars are our most-used and most-trusted items—we need them to be safe, roomy, versatile, comfortable and a reflection of our lifestyle. However, buying one doesn't need to be intimidating.
Here, we arm you with the cheat sheet to finding the perfect whip for you.


Arrive at the car dealership prepared. Do your research and think of things like size and space (five seats or seven?); ANCAP safety rating (five stars is the highest awarded); Apple CarPlay and/or Android Auto (for seamless mobile phone pairing on-the-go) and a minimum five-year warranty with unlimited kilometres.
Decide on your priorities. Do you want smile-encouraging performance? Wallet-happy fuel consumption? Safety features like lane departure warning (the car warns you if you drift over the lines) and adaptive cruise control (the car automatically maintains a safe distance between you and the car in front, even in stop-start traffic)? Parking cameras and sensors? Proven reliability? Keyless entry? Dual-zone climate controls to keep passengers happy? Alloy wheels? Timeless design?
If those things are high-priority, consider looking at something that bundles all you need and nothing you don't, like the Honda CR-V. One of the world's most popular SUVs, it has most of the above as standard, taking the stress out of deciding what boxes you need to tick.

If you do want extra flair, this is where variants and grades come in (for example, Honda offers four different grades of CR-V). As the grades go up, expect more luxuries to be added, like all-wheel-drive (for adventuring to the snow and on unpaved surfaces), leather and/or heated seats, a sunroof and more advanced tech. In the case of the CR-V, all variants have the same turbocharged 140kW engine, making decisions easy, but some brands offer multiple engines and fuel types.

Ask yourself the important questions:

1. Think about your lifestyle and the purpose of the car. Do you need space and an interior suitable for a pet or kids? Will it need to fit luggage for a family? Is it the right size for where it'll be parked?
2. Find three competitors in the segment bracket, download the local specification sheets, print it out and compare the gear. You might be surprised at what is often included or not included.
3. Budget for long-term. Use unbiased industry tools to calculate your insurance and repayments. Also, consider servicing costs (including tyres) over the next 4-7 years.

Take it for a test drive

Now for the real fun: the test drive. Try as many cars and ask as many questions as you need. How does the infotainment and dash layout work? What drive modes does it have?
Crawl all over the car and get to know every crevice and storage space. How much luggage fits in the boot? How easy to clean is the interior? Are the systems easy to use? Does the stereo meet your standards? Are the seats comfortable? Is there anything that, over the next five years, will drive you nuts?
Consider its versatility and ask yourself: 'Can I live with this?'


  • Drive over bumps and in traffic. Are there any blind spots or excess road noise?
  • Practice parking the car. Are the cameras clear? Do you feel comfortable?
  • Connect your phone, make a call and test the stereo with your favourite songs.
  • Take a friend and an overnight bag to compare boot and backseat space.
With the right checklist, buying a new car can be a thrilling, empowering experience. And all that's left once you've asked the hard questions and signed on the dotted line? Just get in and drive (we suggest a celebratory road trip).
Brought to you by Honda. The Honda CR-V starts from $30,990.
  • undefined: BTYB Honda