Car Shopping

Choosing the best options for your new vehicle

by Lauren Dierolf

Adding options to customize the look, feel and safety of your vehicle can be a costly or well-spent adventure - it all depends on the choices you make.

Personal Touches

If you choose to alter the paint of your car, keep in mind that while customized paint jobs may add a great deal of personality to your vehicle, you'll be offered less money when you sell your car later. To obtain the highest resell value when it comes to repainting, stick with conservative colors like white, black or silver. Colors like purple, yellow and orange are harder for the manufacturers to sell, and therefore earn a lower re-sale value.

Also, if you decide to spend money on wheels for your vehicle, it pays more in the end to choose alloy or premium wheels. These types have a high resale value.

Manufacturer Options

Other items that increase the value of your vehicle include leather interior surfaces, a sun / moon roof, anti-lock brakes, and a premium sound system. These features are great investments, allowing you to enjoy the luxury yourself and still obtain most or all of the money you spent on these items when selling.

A more divisive option for your vehicle is a front-seat DVD player. Installed in the dash, it allows you to watch TV or DVDs while you drive. On the one hand, this makes sitting in traffic easier to cope with, but on the other hand, it compromises safety while you drive. Eyes need to be kept on the road, so if you opt for this luxury, vow to use it only when parked or stuck in a traffic jam. Also, always be prepared to turn off the DVD when traffic starts moving again.

OnStar

A popular feature in GM vehicles these days is OnStar. It provides turn-by-turn directions, safety unlock feature if you lock your keys in your vehicle, a stolen alert to the authorities, vehicle diagnostics and hands-free calling. No doubt, OnStar provides many useful safety features.

Unfortunately, you cannot have this device installed in your vehicle since it is exclusively factory-installed. If this feature is important to you, consider purchasing a new GM vehicle that is already equipped.

There are many options for your vehicle that can add resale value, luxury and a customized look and feel to your car. With a little research and a lot of thought, you can spend your money wisely on these options and make the experience worthwhile.

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