Pros and Cons of Used vs. New Cars
You want to buy a car but are not sure whether you should buy a used or new car?
Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you all the pros and cons of buying a used instead of a new car in the following chapters.
Contents
Advantages of Buying a Used vs. a New Car
- You can get used cars at a lower price
- You may not have to go into debt for used cars
- You can pay off used cars quicker than new cars
- Used cars have lower depreciation
- You don’t have to be afraid of minor damages that much
- Insurance premiums for used cars are often lower
- More unlikely that people steal used cars
- Buying used cars is good for our planet
- Used cars can give you a vintage feeling
- Buying old cars can make sense if you know how to fix things
- Buying antique cars can make sense as an investment
- Buying a used car makes sense in college
- Buying a used car is great if you have a low income
- Used cars are quite popular among retirees
- You don’t have to care about electric issues that much
- Huge variety of used cars
You can get used cars at a lower price
One advantage of buying a used car instead of a new one is that you will be able to purchase used cars at a much lower price.
In fact, new cars lose in value pretty soon and you can get relatively young cars at a much cheaper price compared to buying the same car new.
Hence, you may be able to get a great car at a reasonable price by buying used instead of new and this enables you to save lots of money that you can use on other nice things.
Cars are one of the things where it often makes sense to buy them used instead of new from a financial perspective since new cars are just almost never a good long-term investment and buying used can save you lots of money that you can invest in a more reasonable manner.
You may not have to go into debt for used cars
Since the purchase price for a new car will usually be much lower compared to a new one, you may also be able to buy your car in cash instead of having to get a loan.
Getting loans for consumption purposes is never a good thing since you will have to pay back those loans plus interest and this is just not a wise financial decision.
Hence, by getting a used car, you may not have to take on those loans and will be more financially flexible in the long run.
You can pay off used cars quicker than new cars
Even if you have to take on a loan for buying a used car, this loan will be much lower than it would be for a new car and this allows you to pay off your loan much quicker.
In turn, the sooner you pay off your loan, the sooner you will have additional money that you can spend on other things that make your life better.
Once you pay off your loan, you will also get a feeling of financial freedom and that you have really achieved something.
Thus, getting a used car can also make sense from a psychological perspective.
Used cars have lower depreciation
Another upside to getting a used car instead of a new one is that used cars also have a lower depreciation rate.
While new cars lose plenty of value during the first years, used cars have already lost this value before you have become the new owner.
For instance, if you buy a car that is already 10 years old and sell it again after three years, chances are that your car will not lose that much in value and you will be able to sell the 13-year-old car at almost the same price as you bought the 10-year-old version.
Consequently, you will not lose much money by buying a used car compared to buying a brand-new car that will depreciate quite a lot in value over the first few years.
You don’t have to be afraid of minor damages that much
Since a used car will already have many minor blemishes and scratches, you will also not have to worry about those issues anymore.
In fact, you will just not care about protecting your car from those things and will rather be happy if your car brings you from A to B in a reliable manner.
In contrast, if you buy a new car, you will often worry about how to protect it from hail or also from other damage properly and this can really be annoying in the long run since you will have to use more of your mental capacities for your car.
Insurance premiums for used cars are often lower
Another benefit of buying used cars is that insurance premiums will often be much lower compared to new models.
Since new cars are much more expensive, insurance companies will often also demand higher premiums for insuring those new expensive cars and this means that you will not only have to pay a higher purchase price, but you may also have to pay higher yearly fees for insuring your car in a proper manner.
More unlikely that people steal used cars
If you buy a used car, you will also not have to fear that people will steal your car.
In fact, the older your car is, the less likely thieves will be interested in stealing your vehicle since it will just not be worth it.
Hence, you may not even have to park your car in a garage but can rather park it on the street without having to worry that someone will steal your car.
This can be great since you will not have to think about those issues but can rather use your time for more joyful things in life.
Buying used cars is good for our planet
By buying a used car, you can also do good for our planet.
You may not know it, but many of our old cars that are no longer needed anymore will just be disposed into the garbage.
Sure, some parts of cars will be recycled and some precious metals will be recovered.
However, the longer we use our cars, the better it is for our planet since we can use our natural resources as efficiently as possible.
Moreover, by buying a used car, you can also mitigate the problem of environmental dumping.
Quite often, our old cars that are no longer needed in our rich Western world will be shipped to poor Third-World countries where our car waste is processed.
This work will often be done under pretty poor working conditions and also lots of waste will end up in our oceans.
Consequently, buying used things most often makes sense from an environmental standpoint.
This is not only true for cars but also for various other consumption goods.
Used cars can give you a vintage feeling
Many people also really enjoy driving old cars since it gives them sort of a vintage feeling.
Old cars are also well-known from popular movies and driving one of those cars can also let you remember some nice childhood memories.
Thus, while the driving comfort in old cars may be much lower, driving these old cars can still be quite a lot of fun, especially if you are an enthusiast in this regard.
Buying old cars can make sense if you know how to fix things
Buying a used car instead of a new one can also make sense in case you are a car mechanic or someone who is just really interested in fixing old things.
In fact, the better your knowledge about fixing cars, the more sense it makes for you to buy used cars since you will be able to fix minor issues yourself without having to bring your car to a car repair shop which often costs lots of money.
Buying antique cars can make sense as an investment
While buying used cars is often senseful from a money-saving standpoint, buying antique cars can make sense if you really want to increase your money over time.
In fact, many of those antique cars have greatly increased in value over the past years and decades and if you know this industry, you can also make quite a lot of money by buying antique cars and selling them a few years later.
Buying a used car makes sense in college
Used cars are also great for college students who often don’t have the money to afford to buy a new ride.
They just have to pay significant amounts of money for tuition and housing and there will barely be any money left for buying a new car.
In such a case, buying a used car can be great since you will get from A to B while you can still save lots of money on the purchase price.
Buying a used car is great if you have a low income
In general, the poorer you are and the less disposable money you have, the more sense it makes to buy used cars instead of new ones.
Thus, if you are currently in a bad financial condition and urgently need money to pay off your loans, chances are that you should not buy a new car but that you should rather go for something used and cheap.
Used cars are quite popular among retirees
Used cars are also great for retirees since many retirees don’t have lots of money to spend and are happy to afford any kind of car.
Moreover, used cars are also great for pensioners since they often get some nice feelings out of it since they have often already driven those models in past decades when they were new.
You don’t have to care about electric issues that much
Old used cars also have the advantage that you don’t have to care about electric aspects that much.
In our new cars, there are so many electric things involved and chances that something breaks down will be much higher.
Our new cars are also more sensitive to several sorts of issues and it can therefore make quite a lot of sense to get an older car if you don’t want to deal with all those additional things.
Huge variety of used cars
There is also a huge variety of used cars out there. In fact, there is a much higher number of used cars compared to new ones on the market and you will be able to choose from myriads of different options.
Hence, buying a used car can also make sense in case you don’t like new car models anymore but rather want to have an older version instead.
As you can see, there are many advantages to buying used cars.
However, it is still not all upside and we also have to talk about the downsides that come along with it to give you a better idea of the benefits but also of the drawbacks of buying a used car.
Disadvantages of Getting a Used instead of a New Car
- Used cars are less reliable
- Higher maintenance costs for used cars
- Used cars often don’t look nice
- You may have to spend lots of time on repairs
- Used cars are not that popular in society
- People may make fun of you
- Used cars may smell bad
- Often no warranty for used cars
- Used cars may make strange sounds
- Older cars are often quite loud
- Used cars are often not as comfortable as new ones
- You may miss the new-car feeling
- Driving a used car may be bad for your ego
- Older technology in used cars
- Used cars may not be as safe as new cars
Used cars are less reliable
One problem with buying a used car is that used cars are often less reliable.
The older cars get, the more vulnerable they get to breakdowns and other issues that need to be fixed.
In turn, the risk that your car breaks down without prior notice will be much higher with used cars compared to new ones.
In turn, you may be late for important events and if you don’t show up for important meetings at work, you may even miss the opportunity for getting promotions.
Hence, a reliable car can be a great asset and the newer a car is, the more reliable it will be on average.
Higher maintenance costs for used cars
You should also not underestimate the maintenance costs related to used cars.
While a car is new and young, maintenance will be rather cheap and there will be not that much need to attend a car repair shop.
However, once your car gets older, the need for repairs will become more likely and this means that you will have to pay lots of money for the maintenance of used cars in the long run.
Thus, while the initial purchase price for used cars will be lower, overall costs may not be that much lower if you factor in long-term maintenance.
Used cars often don’t look nice
Another downside to buying used cars is that a used car will often just not look great. Instead, it will often have scratches and other blemishes.
Consequently, it will also be pretty hard to brag about your car in front of your friends who will often have much nicer cars and may not understand your decision of buying a used car instead of a new one.
You may have to spend lots of time on repairs
If you don’t want to bring your car to a car repair shop in case it breaks down or has other maintenance issues, you will have to spend lots of time on repairing those issues yourself.
In turn, you will have less time for your hobbies and other things you like and you should therefore make sure that it is worth it for you to get a used car or if you just want to invest a little bit more money for a new one.
Used cars are not that popular in society
In general, used cars are just not as popular as new cars.
Cars are still a status symbol and the newer and fancier your car is, the more admiration you will get.
Hence, if you buy a new car, your neighbors will be pretty impressed.
It will also be easier to pick up girls with a nice new car instead of a car that looks like garbage.
Thus, getting a new car can also make sense from a social standpoint and may make your life much easier in many different ways.
People may make fun of you
If you drive a nice new car, people will often congratulate you and will also secretly envy you.
However, if you drive an old used car, people may make fun of you.
Consequently, before getting a used car, make sure that you have a stable mindset so that those nasty comments will not bother you.
Used cars may smell bad
While new cars smell pretty nice, the opposite is often true for used cars.
In fact, many owners of used cars don’t care about their cars that much and used cars will often exhibit a pretty bad smell that is hard to get rid of.
Often no warranty for used cars
Another downside to buying a used car is that there will often be no warranty.
This is especially true if you buy used cars from private persons.
Hence, in case your car breaks down soon after the purchase, you will have to pay for repairs yourself and can’t rely on warranty as you could when buying a new car.
Used cars may make strange sounds
Quite often, the engine of used cars also makes pretty strange sounds.
In such a case, something is just not right and this may also be an indicator that your car is about to break down soon.
Older cars are often quite loud
The older the car you want to get, the higher the chance that driving this car will also be quite loud.
In fact, older cars will often not have the same noise protection as new ones and you will be barely able to have a conversation in an old car while you may have an easy time in this regard in a newer version.
Used cars are often not as comfortable as new ones
Older cars are also often not as cozy and comfortable compared to new cars.
Hence, if comfort is really important to you, you should rather go for new cars since you will have more options to improve conditions inside your car.
You may miss the new-car feeling
Many people also really love buying a new car.
They really enjoy the selection process, the waiting period and the first moment when they are finally able to get into their new car.
All this will not be present when buying a used car and the level of excitement will also be much lower.
Driving a used car may be bad for your ego
Buying a used car may also not be for you if you are a rather insecure person.
In such a case, you may rather want to get a new car to brag about in front of your peers instead of a used car that people may make fun of.
Older technology in used cars
The older cars are, the older the technology they use.
In turn, in case of necessary repairs, it may be hard to find spare parts for those old cars.
Used cars may not be as safe as new cars
Another disadvantage of used cars is that they are just not as safe as new cars.
New cars have latest technology onboard that protects car passengers in the best possible manner.
However, this is not true for older cars that don’t use this new sophisticated technology.
Top 10 Used vs. New Cars Pros & Cons – Summary List
| Used vs. New Cars Pros | Used vs. New Cars Cons |
|---|---|
| Used cars are cheaper than new cars | Higher maintenance costs of used cars |
| Used cars don’t lose much in value | Used cars are less reliable than new ones |
| Used cars don’t get stolen that often | You have to spend more time on repairs |
| You don’t have to care about minor things | Used cars often don’t look nice |
| Used cars give you a vintage feeling | People may make fun of you |
| Can be great if you know how to fix them | Used cars often smell bad |
| Used cars are great for students | Used cars are quite loud |
| Good option for pensioners | You may always have to worry |
| Huge variety of used cars | No warranty for many used cars |
| Antique cars can be a good investment | Bad for your ego |
Should You Buy A Used Or New Car?
Now that you know all the advantages and disadvantages of buying used cars instead of new ones, it is on you to decide whether you want to get one of those used cars or if you rather want to spend more money to get a new car which may be more comfortable, reliable and safer in the long run.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car
https://www.statista.com/topics/1487/automotive-industry/
About the author
My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues.
As I went to university and got my Master’s degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics.
After finishing university, I traveled around the world. From this time on, I wanted to make a contribution to ensure a livable future for the next generations in every part of our beautiful planet.
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