These shouldn't be the reasons to stop you from buying a particular car

What do you look out for when trying to shortlist the cars that you are going to buy? Is it the price of the car, is it the brand, or could the engine capacity and, hence, road tax be a key reason to avoid a certain car?

We all have our own set of metrics when trying to decide what car to spend our hard-earned money on. But some reasons may not really matter as much as you think, and you really shouldn't dismiss a car just because of them. Here are the things that shouldn't affect your decision when buying a car.

0-100km/h timing

Ah, the classic century sprint. Have you ever wondered, why 100km/h and not any other speeds? Some say that it is the kind of speed that you would be going when merging onto the expressway, while others believe it has its roots in racing.

While 0-100km/h is an age-old standard for measuring the acceleration prowess of a car, it really doesn't apply much to your daily drive. Who actually goes around mashing their accelerator to the ground, right off the line on their daily commute?

With technologies such as different drive modes, launch control and clever tricks with gear ratios, carmakers are able to specially tweak their cars to achieve particularly quick 0-100 km/h timings - what this means, is that using this metric to judge a car's ability to accelerate in various different situations will no longer be accurate.

Hence, if the car you truly like has a century sprint timing that's a little slower than its competition, you should still go for a drive and experience the car before making your decision.

Top speed

I remember as a kid, I'll always look through the car listings in magazines and try to seek out the model with the highest top speed. While the top speed of a car is something that many people consider when shopping for a car, it isn't something that matters at all. Well, unless the figure is well below the local speed limit, or if we were playing Top Trumps...

How often do you even drive well above the speed limit? Probably not too frequent, I suppose? Even then, there isn't much incentive to opt for a car simply because it has a 10km/h higher top speed then its competition. In the grand scheme of things, top speed shouldn't play a huge part in your decision making process.

Features that you don't really need or use

Modern cars are packed with features, and when you are shopping for one, it is normal to compare them. But there are some features that might not be useful for you and these shouldn't affect your choice.

Examples include features such as heated seats (do we even need them in this climate?), park assist (give it a try before you decide if it's actually suited for you), and a sunroof or panoramic roof (as cool as it is, should these really make or break a deal?). The point is, you shouldn't weigh a car by its list of features - having more features doesn't necessarily make one a better car.

Brand snobbery

Avoiding a good car simply because of your prejudice for its brand is the worst choice one can make. If you were a driver since the early 90s, you might remember certain brands that produced less refined products than its competition.

However, after decades of development many of these brands that were once shunned by drivers are now much better than before. Just look at the Koreans. If you choose to avoid a certain brand, or to stick to a brand for no good reason, you are simply limiting your choices unnecessarily. At the end of the day, you could well be short-changing yourself.

Drivetrain

As much as the marketing department of car manufacturers would like to promote the benefits of a certain drivetrain, you should consider if they really apply to you.

While all-wheel drive can indeed offer better traction, it might not be necessary for normal day-to-day driving. In fact, quality tyres that are in good condition matters much more. Moreover, all-wheel drive will likely result in worse fuel economy.

Instead of letting the car's drivetrain determine your decision, you should take it out for a test drive and experience it for yourself. After all, a well-engineered car will still drive well whether power is sent to front, rear or all wheels.

ALSO READ: New car buying guide for first-time buyers

This article was first published in sgCarMart.