So you’re finally going to buy your first car. Congratulations! This is a big day in anyone’s life. Whether you’re newly licensed or you’ve simply always leased, purchasing a car is a major commitment. You’re going to spend a lot of time in your car. You’ll count on it to get you from A to B safely, comfortably, and possibly efficiently, based on your needs.
Narrowing down your choices can feel overwhelming at first, but it doesn’t have to be.
Below are questions to ask yourself before you begin shopping. Considering these questions will save you a lot of time and, hopefully, help you pick a vehicle designed for how you plan to use it and the places you drive.
What Type of Climate Do You Live In? What Kinds of Roads Do You Drive?
One decision you’ll need to make is whether to get a vehicle with front-wheel drive (FWD), all-wheel drive (AWD), or four-wheel drive (4WD). FWD is perfectly fine if you live somewhere dry that gets little to no rain. If you live somewhere with frequent inclement weather, like frequent rain in Seattle or snowy winters in New England, AWD is a good choice to improve traction on slippery roads.
I’ll add a quick note about part-time or intelligent AWD. This type of AWD disconnects the rear wheels and drives in FWD most of the time. When it detects the front wheels starting to slip under acceleration, it will automatically activate AWD and transfer some power to the rear wheels, then switch back to FWD when traction improves. It’s a good option for those who live somewhere that rarely gets rain, but when you do get it, it’s intense. Many manufacturers use this type of AWD system. Others, like Subaru, use full-time AWD, which supplies power to all four wheels at all times.
Four-wheel drive is the best choice for off-roading or for leaving pavement and driving on more rural terrain on a daily basis. This can include rural unpaved roads as well as rugged trails. While dirt or gravel roads can feel as solid as pavement when they’re dry, they can quickly turn to slippery mud when it rains. Rather than an AWD system’s center differential, 4WD uses a transfer case, which you must manually switch between rear and four-wheel drive. Put simply, if you drive less on pavement and more on trails, sand, mud, etc., you need 4WD.
Do You Plan to Have Many Passengers?
Asking yourself this question will help you decide which vehicle size to get. If you frequently transport passengers and know you’ll fill every row, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle can not only carry everyone, but also do so comfortably.
If you know you’ll rarely have passengers, and when you do, it won’t be many, you can get away with a compact sedan, a midsize sedan, or a subcompact SUV. These are the smallest vehicles, and they’re perfect for someone who usually just drives themselves, such as a young professional rather than a parent with four kids. Rear-seat passengers will feel a bit cramped in a compact sedan on long drives. Midsize sedans will give them a bit more room. However, if it’s truly rare for you to have rear-seat passengers, and when you do, it’s for short periods, these types of cars will do just fine. The smaller the vehicle, the more fuel-efficient it usually is, and the easier it is to maneuver and park.
If you know you’ll frequently load your vehicle with passengers for long trips, consider a larger SUV or a full-size sedan. A full-size sedan or midsize SUV will work if you know you’ll never need room for more than five people (including yourself), but you want to make sure rear-seat passengers are comfortable. A midsize SUV delivers the same roomy backseat and space for five, and it adds SUV perks like AWD or towing capability. If you need room for seven or eight passengers, you’ll be looking at three-row and full-size SUVs. Some full-size SUVs can even carry nine passengers. If you have a big family or love traveling with a full car of friends, you’ll be looking at these larger SUVs. Minivans are another option if you frequently drive a lot of people.
Is the Cost of Gas a Concern?
If you’re just doing in-town driving, fuel costs might not matter much. However, if you have to drive a long distance for work, school, or another obligation each day, or if you simply like traveling long distances for fun, fuel efficiency will matter a lot. When you’re new to car shopping, all the engine options can feel pretty overwhelming, so I’m just going to focus on the most efficient types. Put simply, if saving money on fuel (or not paying for it at all) is a major priority of yours, don’t look at anything with any other type of powertrain.
An I-4 is right for you if you want a traditional gas engine. In other words, you don’t want a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or electric vehicle. You want to fill up at a gas pump, and gas is the only thing you need to keep your car moving. An I-4 is a traditional inline four-cylinder engine. It’s not the most powerful option out there, but it’s the simplest, and it’s much more fuel-efficient than larger V6 or V8 designs.
A hybrid is right for you if you want better MPGs than you’ll get with a pure gas engine, but you still want to fill up at a pump. It adds a large battery and a small electric motor to the traditional gas powertrain, and the two work together to improve fuel economy and increase power. You gain some benefits of an electric car, but you never have to worry about finding an EV charging station.
A plug-in hybrid is right for you if you want better MPGs than both an I-4 and a regular hybrid, plus you want the option to plug your vehicle into a charger, just like an electric vehicle. Most plug-in hybrids can drive short distances off electrical power alone, without ever firing up the gas engine. If you’re able to charge at home, you can run local errands or commute to a nearby job with the savings of a pure EV, but still have the extended range and convenience of gas stations available for longer road trips.
An electric vehicle is right for you if you never want to look at another gas pump again. It runs entirely on battery power, with no fuel required. You’ll need to charge exclusively from a home charger or EV charging station, but you’ll never have to stop at a gas station again, at least for fuel. While older EVs had a fairly short range, modern EVs can equal or surpass the range of a gas-powered car. Plus, the instant acceleration that only an electric motor can deliver can be addictive.
However, if your priority isn’t efficiency, but rather power, either for performance driving or towing and hauling, you’ll want to look for a turbo I-4, V6, V8, or diesel engine. Their overall muscle and power ascend in that order, and their fuel economy decreases.
Do You Need to Tow or Haul a Lot of Stuff?
Maybe you’re adventurous, and you’d love the option to hitch a little camper or boat to the back of your vehicle for weekend adventures. Or, maybe you’re starting a landscaping or contractor business, and need the freedom to tow/haul different sorts of equipment and materials to your jobs. If you relate to either of these or similar scenarios, you might need a truck. There’s also nothing like the convenience of tossing whatever you need to bring with you in the bed, tying it down, and hitting the road. You can’t exactly put your motorcycle in the back of a compact car, but even in a compact truck like the Ford Maverick, it’s no problem.
A truck bed’s utility is its greatest asset, but I say you “might” need a truck for towing because you can also tow with certain SUVs. Trucks will naturally give up some of the passenger space available in larger SUVs. The biggest trucks can usually only carry five passengers. However, if you don’t need room for more people, but you do want some of the best towing figures available, you’ll want a truck. Trucks can tow far more than SUVs. For example, the 2026 Chevy Tahoe with the standard 5.3L V8 can tow up to 8,400 lbs. The Chevy Silverado with the same engine has a towing capacity of 11,300 lbs, a 2,900 lb difference. Unless you need a third row of passenger seating, the truck is the obvious choice here.
