After being prompted in a reader comment "what would be a good first car?", I felt I couldn't simply answer that question properly in a Blog Comment. There is enough meat in this to make a sizeable story.

There is not one car that will suit all types of people, and different people have different priorities. Not to mention different price ranges. I can recommend stuff, but the range of things to choose from is so large these days that you'd still be scratching your head. However, for most reasonable price ranges, you can still get a variety of used and new cars. But there are a few golden rules to buying a good first car - so pay attention as I start listing them. I'll test ya later.

1. If it was a good car when it was new, then chances are, it will be a good used car as well.

Now what I mean by that is when the car was new - like in 2004 when Proton launched the Gen-2 - how was it considered? The Gen-2 was crap then, and is still crap now. Good new cars tend to make good used cars. So:

2. Forget about Chrysler, Daewoo, Daihatsu, Dodge, Hummer, Hyundai, Kia, Proton and Ssangyong. You won't miss them.

Why have I been so harsh? Because I can't think of one car any of these manufacturers have made that is actually good. New or used, it doesn't matter, don't be tempted by these carmakers. They may try to lure you with low prices, and seemingly good warranty etc., but these cars are made with the philosophy "near enough is good enough", and they will require more maintenance and repair than other cars. They are quite likely to be faulty. Not only that, they will not make you feel special in any way, and will be dull in every respect, not least to drive. With the exception of one or two recent Hyundais, all these manufacturers make cars that are significantly less safe than their competitors. Don't be fooled by how many airbags are quoted - they are made by Asian slave labour, and wearing a Michellin-Man suit is a more effective protection system than one of these cars. They are cheap, and that's it.

So talking about reliability, here's a rule that might help you out.

3. Buying a Japanese car will mean virtually trouble-free ownership.

More than a European car, anyway. Okay, here's the trade-off. A Japanese car will be really reliable, and won't cost too much to service or to insure either. But a European car will have more personality, will usually drive even better, but won't be as reliable or as cheap to service and insure. Really, the disparity in insurance costs can be an eye-opener. Get an online insurance estimate for your car before you buy, just to know what you're in for. Some online calculators are quite innacurate, but I can recommend the RACV insurance calculator, as they seem to be just about spot on. European cars are also more expensive than their Japanese counterparts. Really, those little Japs have worked out marvellous ways to manufacture with fantastic quality - especially Toyota. Toyotas never seem to as much as cough. Which reminds me:

4. Don't buy a Toyota unless you really, really have to.

But why, you ask? Well, let me as you a question in return. For your first car, would you like a whitegood on wheels, or would you like a car? If you answered "a car", then you do not want a Toyota. You will want to smile as you turn the key of your car every day, not groan because after 35 years your bland Toyota still keeps going and you wish it would just die. Okay, I know you can sell your car, so that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you should be a car because it is good, not because it won't die.

But that's enough brand bagging for one day. It's time to help you with what kind of car you should buy, and helping you come to your own conclusions about what is right for you. The first question you need to ask yourself is: how big does my car need to be? Which leads on to my next rule:

5. Don't buy a car that is at all bigger than you need it to be.

It may sound like common-sense, but you'd be surprised how many people just get carried away. Basically, the principle is this: you are far better off buying a better quality small car than buying a sh*tbox of a large car. And besides, a small car will provide better fuel efficiency (less money at the pump), and will be easier to park. That should be quite important, because if you're buying a first car, chances are you are young, and young people tend to need to drive in the city. You will be very surprised how much the right-sized car will lessen your in-car stress levels.

When people go out to buy a car, all they seem to talk about is their price range. They're getting it wrong! The first thing you should think about is your size range. What cars are the right size for your needs? Once you know that, you can see how old the cars have to be before they reach into your price range. But remember this:

6. Buy the newest car you can afford, with the least amount of kilometres on the odometer you can find.

Don't try and find the cheapest car that looks fine - a newer car will perform better and be more reliable than an old one. Spend as much money as you can (within reason) on your car - every penny is worth it, trust me. Cars get better all the time. These days they do, anyway. Try to find a car that has the least amount of kilometres you possibly can. But a good guide to follow is this - don't buy a car that has significantly more than 15,000km on the clock for every year of age. So a MY2003 (Model Year 2003) car with more than 75,000km is a bit of a worry. Why? Because any higher than that and it is likely that the car has been thrashed, and its internals may not be in great condition. Really, you do have to make sure everything about your car is in good condition.

7. Always, always test drive the car, and give it a thorough once-over, twice-over and thrice-over.

Play around with all the switches and knobs, and check to see if the electricals (air-conditioning, radio, CD player, windows, mirrors, etc.) are still working. If they are not, that will be an extra expense, and you really don't want that - depending on what car it is, it can be quite an expense, too. If you don't trust your own judgement, pay for an expert assessment of the car - they will point out mechanical problems that may not be immediately evident. But I'm talking about used cars here, not new ones.

But regardless, make sure there is absolutely nothing about the car that is really going to drive you up the wall. I mean it! Just about all cars have some sort of downfall, or something that is going to irritate someone. Just make sure that nothing at all is going to annoy the crap out of you, because once you've bought the car, there's nothing you can do about it. For example, when my sister was looking for her first car, she found that a few cars were just about perfect in every other area, but had one small problem: The speedometer was in the middle of the car, not directly in front of the steering wheel. My sister has multifocal lens glasses which are nigh on useless in the corners of the lens - they are designed for the straight ahead, and if my sister were to glance at the speedometer, she would have to physically turn her head away from the road - which poses a safety, not to mention an annoyance issue.

If you find that for the size of car you want, you can afford a new car, great! A new car doesn't have the same risk as a used car (risk of it being a lemon), and you don't inherit the problems of the previous owner. However, you may wish to look at buying a slightly used car or dealer demonstrator car - these are called "nearly new" cars. They may save you a few grand, but be warned - a car that is being sold after just a year of previous ownership is always a bit suspicious and fishy. Why don't they want it anymore? Find out why the seller is selling the vehicle. You don't want to buy their lemon. If they couldn't stand it after only one year, how will you fare?

8. Get the Roadworthy Certificate, and see the Servicing History Log-Book of the car.

If the car has been serviced abnormally often (use your own discretion, it's easy enough to tell), then chances are, the car is a dud. If the seller cannot provide a roadworthy certificate, do not buy the car. They should know they need to provide this, and are probably just trying to do a shonky deal with you. If at any time, the seller of the car refuses to answer one of your questions, or is witholding information, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. The car could be stolen, and you don't want to get duped. It could also have money owing. For example, if the seller bought the car for $16,000 but still has $4,000 left unpaid, and you buy the car, then the $4,000 debt is now yours. Retarded, I know, but all the more reason to make sure you aren't dudded. That's why if it looks to cheap to be true, it probably isn't.

You can avoid this trap, however, by doing a free Vehicle Status Check on the VicRoads website - it will check whether the vehicle is stolen, it's registration, whether it has been in a "write-off" accident (some cars are repaired on the outside, but still have unsafe componenents), or any financial information that may be of interest to a buyer. I'll take you there now if you click HERE.

But when it comes to working out what car to buy, this comes first:

9. Do ya bloody research, ya lazy bugger!

After you've worked out what size car you need, you really need to do some research about the cars within that size range. The internet is a great way to do this simply, at your own leisure, and without car salesmen (usually men) breathing down your neck and telling you to buy, BUY, BUY!!!

Some cars will have different features, and so you will have to prioritise. Do I want better safety, or more performance? Do I want good handling, or do I want a more stylish car? They're not always mutually exclusive, but often, you will have to compromise. But how much you have to compromise depends on how well you've done your research. You shouldn't have to compromise very much at all (unless you expect a Toyota Yaris to be equipped like a Rolls-Royce).

By the time you walk into the dealership, or the car yard, or meet the seller to have a look at the car, you should know as much, if not more, about the car than the seller themselves. The seller should not tell you something about the car that you are at all surprised by, or did not know. If they do, you should be confident enough in your research to suspect them of lying - shonky car salesmen tend to lie, and you need to be able to show them up. When you finally see the car in the flesh (or metal, I should say), all you should need to do is see the Service Log Book, the Roadworthy Certificate, test drive the car and make sure everything works, and negotiate a price. That's it. You should already have found out about the car, either online, or by telephoning the seller for more information.

This way, not only do you save time, but you look more informed, and the seller will be less likely to rip you off. But at the end of the day, this is also a really important tip:

10. You should love the car you've bought.

Honestly. Providing you've followed the rules, you should be able to find a car that you will fall in love with, and grow attached to. It sounds lame, but think what a fantastic feeling it will be when you look at all the other cars on the road and laugh because yours is just soooo much better. Cars usually aren't perfect, but if you find one that you truly love, then in the end, that's what truly matters, isn't it? And don't think I'm comparing buying a car to finding the partner of your dreams, because if you are thinking that, then you've missed the point entirely. You too should be a car enthusiast. You should be enthusiastic about your car. Cars are not just transport - they are personal transport, and a symbol of global culture.

So anyway, if one of your mates reckons they've bought a lemon, its because they haven't followed one of my ten simple rules. Learn from their mistakes, buy a better car than they did, and chuckle quietly to yourself when they give you a jealous glare as you drive off down the street.

FEATURE STORY: Your First Car