No matter who you are, buying a car for the first time can be scary and intimidating. Here are a few tips to help first-time buyers navigate this process.

Today’s car-buying process is much easier than decades ago, but today, there are more car types available to you than ever before. Will you buy a small gas-powered sedan as your first ride or go with a larger vehicle? Are you looking for a new or used model? Do you want a hybrid, electric, or traditional vehicle?

Regardless of the vehicle you choose, these tips for first-time buyers can help you get the right car at the right price.

Understand your budget

What can you realistically afford to pay for your car? Review your budget and learn how much you can pay for insurance, fuel, maintenance, and car payments. Consider paying cash for a vehicle to avoid payments. This would mean spending more upfront but would mean you don’t have to make monthly payments. If you borrow for your car, you need to know how much your payment will be based on the loan term and financing rate.

What do you need in your vehicle?

Understand the difference between wants and needs. This is one of the most important things to determine for first-time buyers. You might not need all the bells and whistles, but you would need to have room for some cargo. It’s important to have a vehicle you can depend on for the next several years of driving, which makes it easy to have the drive and experience you want during your time on the road. You might only truly need a small car but want something more.

Make a prioritized list of wants

The top trim level of a vehicle is typically not what people buy for their first cars. Understand the various features offered in the cars you’re considering and determine which items you want to have at the top of the list and the other items you can live without. You could save a few thousand dollars in the long run and still have a vehicle that includes a few extras that make your driving experience much more enjoyable.

Take advantage of the information

The world of first-time buyers is better than it’s ever been. You have access to an incredible amount of information that wasn’t available to your parents and grandparents when they bought their first cars. Start your search online with the vehicles you want/need and begin to make a list of the pros and cons of each one. You don’t need a high-powered sports car, but you might want one. Your first ride should be something that handles all your driving needs without any hesitation.

Visit a dealer for a complete test drive

There’s nothing wrong with buying a car from a private seller, but it can be difficult to know all the issues with the vehicle before you pay for it. Head over to a local dealership and take the car you’ve chosen for a test drive. This test drive needs to be on your terms. If the salesperson goes along with you, listen to them, but don’t allow them to direct your test drive. Play with the buttons and knobs, check out the seat comfort, make sure you have the desired outward visibility, and test the driving of the vehicle for at least half an hour.

How much should you pay for your car?

Now that we’ve put the strangeness of the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, car prices are returning to acceptable levels to make it easier to pay what you should for a vehicle. Determine the Blue Book value before you head to the dealership. If a dealer has the car listed above this value, ask them why its listed so much higher. If there isn’t a good answer or they only quote fees to you, its time to find a different dealer and the right price.

Understand your financing options

As one of the many first-time buyers, you might not know all of your financing options. Ask about them. You can secure financing at the dealership and might receive some incentives and discounts for doing so, but you could pay higher interest rates. If you’re part of a credit union, you’ll likely find the best interest rate through them. It might be a good idea to lease your first ride, but you’ll need to weigh the pros and cons to do so.

These tips for first-time buyers should help you find the right vehicle and pay what you can afford to drive the car that fits your needs.