Getting to know your new car – how to make the most of your new vehicle
When it comes to taking delivery of your new car, there’s a lot more to think about than just the lovely smell of the new interior or the shiny metallic paintwork.
Have you stopped to consider all those little differences between your old and new car that could turn out to be the best thing since sliced bread or the most annoying addition to your dashboard if you don’t know how to use them properly?
Let’s take a quick look at how you can get to grips with your new car and make sure that driving it is a delight long after you’ve left the forecourt.
Know your gadgets and gizmos
Many new cars now come with an array of extras that are designed to make your motoring life easier. But make sure you know how to use them if you’ve specified them on your car!
Sat Nav can be a life saver, so make sure you take time to programme any regular routes you take but can never quite remember as this will save you a load of time in the long run. When you first pick up your car, test out the Sat Nav on a fairly local route so that you’re confident in using it when those longer journeys come along.
As manufacturers become more focused on saving space (especially in luxury saloons and smaller superminis), many are now doing away with the traditional handbrake and replacing it with a push button brake or a foot operated handbrake.
If this is the case in your new car, drive to a quiet hill that’s off a main road and spend a few minutes getting to grips with finding your biting point and releasing the push button handbrake. You’ll appreciate the extra time you spent practicing when it comes to your first hill start in rush hour, bumper to bumper traffic!
Mull over the maintenance
A new car means a new engine; and that nearly always means a new maintenance regime.
It may seem tedious, but taking some time to spend half an hour reading through your new vehicle’s owner’s handbook will ensure that you know vital information like tyre pressures and oil type.
It’s easy to assume that your new car run’s in the same way as your old one, but there are often differences that you need to account for to keep things running smoothly. For example, if you’ve upgraded to a bigger engine capacity then you’ll likely need to top up your oil more often as it will be used up faster.
If you’ve upgraded to bigger wheels, your tyre pressures will also be different - so make sure you know what they need to be at for optimum performance by reading the hand book.
Taking time to find out the important information now will save you money in the future and avoid any unnecessary repair bills.
Set up the shortcuts
Setting your new car up to your requirements means taking a bit of time to get to know the shortcuts.
Taking ten minutes to pre-set your favourite radio stations means you can access them all at the touch of a button, but many people still never get round to doing this. If you don’t want to do it yourself, most car dealerships will be happy to help you set them up when you go to pick up your vehicle – so take advantage!
If you’ve got Bluetooth connectivity in your car, ask the salesperson to demonstrate to you exactly how it works and programme your most frequently dialled numbers to save you time and effort.
Above all else – ask them to point out where your petrol cap release button is located. There’s nothing worse than arriving to fill up for the first time and having to drive away ashamed that you couldn’t open your petrol cap!
So, follow our top tips above and you’ll be all set to make the most of every last corner of your new car and enjoy miles of hassle free motoring.
