Ground Report

Congratulations on your new purchase. We hope you’ve enjoyed the entire car buying experience. Buying a vehicle is one of the most exciting things you’ll ever do in your life, maybe second to buying a new house.

Now that you’re done with choosing which color you want, comparing features, and test driving, there are still some necessary steps you should take after you’ve christened your new set of wheels.

If you’re not quite sure what to do next, we’ve partnered up with the good folks at Alpha Car Finance to prepare a quick guide for new car owners just like you. And in case you have some friends or family members who are looking for car finance in Adelaide even with bad credit, they might also find these tips handy when they get a new ride of their own.

Read the owner’s manual.

This may not be the most thrilling thing to do, but most car owners make the mistake of not taking time to read their owner’s manual. If you decide to do this too, you’ll miss out on a lot of important things about your vehicle.

By reading your owner’s manual, you’ll learn many useful things like knowing what your fluid requirements are, understand what those warning indicator lights mean, when you should have your car scheduled for maintenance, and other important information.

Check all your paperwork.

Do you have all the essential documents that are related to your vehicle? These documents include registration details, insurance certificate, the original receipt of your car, tax receipts, and other documents pertaining to loans or financial statements you’ve made for your vehicle.

Register your vehicle.

Make sure it is registered in the state you’re residing in. In case you haven’t done this yet, you’ll need to have the following documents prepared: valid car insurance, the car’s title in your name. Alternatively, if you availed financing, then it should be in the bank’s name. Then, you also need proof that your car has passed safety inspections and emissions tests.

Get car insurance.

In some states, you’ll need to have car insurance before you can register your vehicle. In case you have an accident, or someone vandalises your new ride, it’s a good idea to have protection for your investment. Also, you need to learn how much insurance you need, what kinds of coverage are available, before purchasing one.

Learn the ins and outs of your new ride.

After you’ve dealt with all the tedious but important paperwork, familiarise yourself with your new car. Your owner’s manual will play an important role here. You should know when to bring your ride in for tune-ups or oil changes.

You should know what the right tyre pressure should be and know how everything else works. The last thing you want to happen is needing to read about how to adjust your windshield wipers in the middle of a storm because you haven’t bothered to learn about it at the onset.

Be aware of the costs of owning a car.

The cost and upkeep of your new investment is not something you should take lightly. Aside from keeping up with your monthly car payments, insurance, you also need to save up some money for other things like car parts, roadside assistance, servicing, parking fees, fuel costs, you name it.

And if you’re the type who likes to customise things, you may want to upgrade your audio system, buy special rims, get custom seat covers, the choices are almost limitless. So, make sure are fully aware and can keep up with all these expenses related to your vehicle.

Now that you’ve checked out all these tips, don’t forget to enjoy your new ride and remember to keep your essential car documents handy. Happy driving and always drive safely. If we’ve missed anything, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.