Research is key when buying a car. Before you start looking at cars, you should know how much of your budget to spend and what type of car you're looking for. Scour the internet for reviews on cars you're interested in, and ask friends or family who own similar cars what they like and dislike about them.

You should also consider how often you'll be driving your new vehicle and whether it will be used primarily for city driving or highway driving. If you'll be doing mostly city driving, look for a car that's good at navigating tight spaces, has good fuel economy and is relatively easy and cheap to repair. If it's mainly going to be used for highway driving, look for something that has good fuel.