I start by listing my needs, then finding a car that meets (but does not greatly exceed) those needs. If I know I will be doing most of my traveling in the city, I look for a car that has better city mileage, and would even consider a low range electric vehicle. I take into consideration the brand and the manufacturer, and read reviews of both. I look into the history of the car brand as well as seeing if it’s a car that is commonly stolen. I also look at the features, certain features are necessary (PW, PS, PB) and certain are optional (cruise control).