Buying a new car is one of the serious decisions that the purchaser has to make. Regardless of whether the future owner chooses a brand new car or a used one, they must approach the topic seriously – they need to carefully analyse all pros and cons of buying a new car. Are new cars always a better choice than buying a used car? We present some suggestions below.
Pros of buying a new car
When choosing a new car, drivers are sure of their reliability, although they can never be 100% sure that there won’t be any problems The pros of buying a new car which are valued by drivers, are first of all the modern technologies which not only ensure comfortable but also safe driving. Unfortunately – a range of new technologies translates into the cars being expensive, so buying them is not an easy decision.
Custom configuration option
When deciding to buy a new car, the purchaser can precisely choose not only the rand and the model of the car, but also its colour and, most importantly, its equipment. Depending on the preferences, they buyer can choose the options and functions which will make the driving comfortable and safe. In addition, this option allows the future owner to suit the value of the car to their abilities.
Car warranty
New cars purchased in a car dealership are under the manufacturer’s warranty. Most often, it’s granted for 3 years or for around 100.000 km driven, although some manufacturers extend its validity for subassemblies. It’s popular to grant a 10-year warranty for the drive system up to the mileage of 100.000 km. Thanks to this option, the driver can feel safe for a longer time. The values of mileages differ and they depend on a given manufacturer – sometimes they might be 50.000 km, 70.000 km, or even over 100.000 km.
Clean vehicle history
When you decide to buy a new car, you’re sure that it come straight from the factory. Thanks to all this you don’t have to worry about the vehicle history of the car – if could’ve been used only by the people who conducted test drives. If you decide to order a car with your own configuration, you can be 100% sure that it was tested only by the car dealer’s employees. Most often, such cars don’t have zero mileage – however, make sure that it does not exceed a 3-digit value, i.e. 100 km, as it might indicate that it could’ve been a test car or an exchange. At autoDNA, you can always check the vehicle history, even of a new car. However, this option is especially important in the case of purchasing a used car. When deciding to buy a report, you can check vehicle history of a car, which might help you make the decision whether selecting a car from the secondary market is a good choice. A future owner can compare the sale offer with the report, and see if e.g. the used car has ever taken part in any serious accidents, and consequently if its technical condition is correct and there are no hidden defects. It’s a beneficial option, as it allows buying a car on the secondary market in a good condition, without the worrying that the previous owner is trying to conceal something.
Range of cars
New cars, as opposed to the second-hand ones, are available in many variants. Manufacturers prepare a wide range of cars to offer, thanks to which every driver who decides to buy a new car can purchase their dream car pretty easily. For many, it’s one of the biggest advantages of new cars, although when buying a car you need to keep in mind to take into consideration not only its visual aspect, but also the technical one.
Easy to buy
Buying a new car is very easy – you don’t have to check and verify the many things, as opposed to the case of buying a used one. What’s more, you have the opportunity to test every car – both when it comes to the brand and the model, so you can choose the one which will satisfy your expectations. In addition, at any stage of testing the models of new cars, you’re not obliged to anything.
New technologies
New cars available offered many car dealers are equipped with a range of modern technologies. It makes a big difference that vehicles manufactured after 2010 can drive for more than 20.000 km between subsequent oil changes –of course, provided that they’re used appropriately. Importantly – in terms of the new technologies which the new cars are equipped with, it’s not only the audio equipment or the cruise control, but also the self-parking function, the collision avoidance system, the lane departure warning system and many more.
New emission standards
If you care about the environment, then while deciding to buy a new car, you choose from models which meet the highest standards in terms of the fuel efficiency. Not only do they consume less fuel, but they also emit fewer substances harmful to the environment.
Special and financial offers
Many drivers dream about buying a new car, but their prices are a massive deterrent. A new car which is available in a dealer’s offer, can be purchased under extremely favourable conditions – dealers often prepare special offers which allow substantially lowering the car purchase cost. An additional option is the possibility to use certain ways of financing – you can buy a car not only for cash.
Safety
A higher level of safety is an important aspect of buying a new car. In effect, for the first few ears of the use, there are less technical problems occurring – on condition that the car is serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s schedule. It ensures that elements such as brakes, tires and the engine work correctly, ensuring a high level of safety.
Cons of buying a new car
Buying a new car is for many a “cool thing”, but many people pay attention to the fact that it’s a way more expensive investment compared to purchasing a used car. When choosing a used car which is one or two years old, you can also dispose of new technologies and safety functions, as well as enjoy comfortable driving while incurring lower costs.
Insurance costs
Deciding to buy a new car, you have to reckon with the higher insurance costs. Both the dealer and the bank institutions which finance the car purchase require full insurance until the moment of paying off the entire loan. The final cost depends on the model of the car, and on the driver’s driving history. Experts estimate that the minimal insurance costs for a new car amount to around 1000 Euro per year.
No return on investment
Buying a new car is not a profitable investment – when making such decision, don’t hope for a return. Such profits can be gained only in the case of buying collector’s cars, which are special models, rarely used on the everyday basis. New cars depreciate very fast. In addition, if you decide to make the purchase with the use of a loan, you have to reckon with even higher costs. What’s more, you can’t include these costs in the price of the car in case of selling it.
Unless you pay off the loan – the car is not yours
Are you buying a car with the use of leasing or a bank loan? Such solutions allows you to purchase a car, however, you need to remember that until you pay it off entirely, the car is not your property – you can use it on the basis of a license. If for any reason, at some stage of paying off the loan, you encounter problems to pay the installments, it might turn out that the car is overtaken by the lender, due to which it will not be your property. In addition, in your loan history there will be a negative entry, which will make it more difficult for you to receive future loans.
Car depreciation
As we’ve mentioned before, a new car depreciates easily. It’s estimated that already after leaving the car dealership, a car loses 10% of its value. It’s a big amount, as in the case of bigger cars it could amount even to 6000 Euro. Therefore, many drivers use the so-called gap insurance Thanks to this solution, throughout the 5-year period of paying off the loan, the car’s value i f 40% of its primary value, 20% of which loses already in the first year. Of course, this data is estimated provided that the owner appropriately maintains the car.
Is it worth buying a new car?
Making the decision whether to buy a new car or a used one is difficult. If you want to get the answer for the question whether you should choose a new or a used car, you should not only analyse your needs and expectations, but also your financial abilities and, of course, the availability of cars, including the used ones. If you have any difficulties making the decision, you can always consult a financial advisor who can help you in the financial aspect of the decision. Cooperation with an expert in this case is essential, as it allows estimating whether the creditworthiness of a potential purchases is enough to safely buy a car.
The decision to buy a new car itself is an individual matter. Every driver has their own needs, so for each one of them one option can be a pro or a con. Before making your final decision, it’s good to visit a few car dealerships in order to check all the available options and compare the prices and possible purchase costs. Thanks to a meticulous analysis of the available options, it’s much easier to make the right decision.