Whether it be a brand new car or a used one, there are general factors to consider before making that purchase. Some very important factors like Fuel economy, price and cost of maintenance should be considered first, then you may consider secondary issues like the history of the car, mileage of the car, state of car engine etc. Naijacarnews will take a close look at the primary factors to be considered which are the fuel economy, maintenance cost and cost price.

Some cars may be expensive in terms of initial price, but may have very high fuel economy and low maintenance, thus will be cheaper overall at the long run. So, you should decide what sleeps well with you.

1. Fuel economy

There are several cars that are known to have low fuel consumption. You should consider this before buying, because a low-price car may become very expensive overall due to its fuel consumption. Cars that are known to have high fuel economy are mentioned below;

• Volkswagen cars

Volkswagen cars are generally known to possess very low few consumptions. From their different variants like Golf, Vento, Audi etc. 10litres of fuel will take considerable time before you may have to purchase any more fuel.

10 litre of gas last a considerable duration of time before you have to hit the fuelling stattion again

• Ford Focus

Ford Focus is another car with very low few fuel consumptions. This mostly due to the low power capacity of this car. It has a mileage of 30mpg.

• Toyota Corolla

Corolla is a car that is known to take little sips of fuel when being driven. Its milleage is about 40mpg (miles per gallon of fuel). People that own this car will testify to its high fuel economy. This is my preferred car, but you may have to consider maintenance cost anyways.

Corolla is a car that is known to take little sips of fuel when being driven

• Toyota Camry

Camry closely follows Toyota corolla in terms of fuel consumption index. It has a fuel economy of 41mpg which is relatively similar to that of Toyota corolla.

• Toyota Picnic

This one car with a known low fuel consumption characteristic. That’s why it is the darling of most transporters in across the country. Just step into Jabi park in Abuja and you’ll notice over 20% of the transport vehicles there are Toyota picnic. You can travel really far with just 15 liters.

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Toyota Picnic has a really high fuel efficiency rating

2. Maintenance cost

This is another very important option to consider before purchasing a car, be it brand new or used car. You must consider the cost of maintaining this car over time. Why not consult experienced mechanics and honest car dealers, as well as online resources before making that decision on which car to buy. The following is a simple index of a few common cars with their estimated annual maintenance cost.

• Honda Accord

Honda Accord is another low cost maintenance car. Generally, Honda cars are known for their high reliability and you may not have to visit the mechanic shop too often. The maintenance cost of Honda Accord is estimated at about 130 thousand naira annually.

The maintenance cost of Honda Accord is estimated at about 130 thousand naira annually

• Toyota Avalon

Toyota Avalon has a maintenance cost of about 140 thousand naira annually.

• Nissan Pathfinder

Nissan Pathfinder has a maintenance cost of about 155 thousand naira annually. This another car with a considerably low maintenance cost considering it is an SUV.

Note: The above maintenance cost estimates are for used cars, thus, cost of maintenance of new cars will be definitely lower but might increase as the car gets older.

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• Volkswagen cars

Volkswagen models are generally cheap to maintain largely duely to the high availability and low cost of spare parts in the country. You should spend between 80-100 thousand naira annually on maintenance and repairs.

Note: Volkswagen authentic spare parts are difficult to come by in the Nigerian market, in fact, the market is flooded with fake and sub-standard spare parts. As a result, the maintenance cost mentioned above depends on the purchase of original spare parts. If not, the maintenance cost might be slightly higher if sub standard parts are used during repairs.

• Toyota Corolla

The Corolla is another ride that has a considerably low maintenance cost. Estimates collected from several auto shops suggest that maintenance cost for Toyota corolla may range from 100 - 120 thousand naira annually.

• Toyota Camry

The Camry has an identical maintenance cost of toyota corolla, just expect to spend an additional 20 thousand naira on maintenance cost for this ride. It is a really popular car around and am sure you can guess why this is so.

Toyota Camry has a similar fuel economy and maintenance cost as its sibling Corolla

3. Price

The major concern of most would be car owners is the initial asking price or cost price. This is rightly so, because money is scares and seems harder to come by these days. But, for me this doesn’t fall on the head of the list. I strongly believe that the running cost which includes maintenance cost and fuel economy, weighs higher than the initial cost price. However, you should be conscious of your finances before making a final decision on the ride to purchase.

>>> Many other car buying tips are waiting for your visit on Naijacarnews.com!