Compare Cars

Most car comparisons go wrong in the same way: the buyer lines up two spec sheets, finds the one with the bigger numbers, and buys it. Specifications are the easiest thing to compare and among the least predictive of whether you will be happy in three years.

Compare like for like

The single most common error is comparing a top trim of one car against a base trim of another. Prices, equipment and even engines differ across a model's range, so decide the trim level you would actually buy in each case and compare those specific versions.

The same applies to price. Compare the full cost of getting the car on the road, including taxes, registration and insurance, not the headline figure used in advertising.

Numbers that matter more than horsepower

• Torque and where it arrives. A car with less peak power but more low-end torque usually feels quicker in ordinary driving.
• Kerb weight. It quietly determines efficiency, ride quality, braking and how the car feels at the limit.
• Boot capacity measured the same way for both cars, and rear-seat legroom if anyone will sit there regularly.
• Ground clearance if your daily route includes bad roads or steep ramps.
• Safety equipment on the specific trim, not the range-topper used in the brochure photography.

Costs that appear later

Two cars with the same purchase price can diverge sharply over five years. Service intervals and package prices, insurance premiums for that specific model, tyre sizes, a low-profile 19-inch tyre can cost twice what a 16-inch one does, and expected resale all belong in the comparison.

Depreciation is usually the largest of these by a wide margin, and it is the one buyers most often leave out entirely.

Then go and drive both

No comparison table captures seating position, visibility, how intuitive the controls are, how much road noise reaches the cabin, or whether the driver's seat suits your back on a two-hour drive. Drive both cars back to back on the same day, on roads you actually use, and take whoever will be sitting in the passenger seat with you.

Use the comparison tool to build the shortlist. Use the test drive to decide.