The most obvious is what sort of car you want, yet more important is what you want to do with it. Romantic weekends will be few and far between if you buy something scary, uncomfortable or unreliable, family excursions are impossible in a sporty two-seater and the pleasures of summer motoring in a convertible are soon forgotten in the 50 colder, wetter weeks of the year. If you only aspire to occasional drives, you might be better served by classic car hire.