{"id":4428,"date":"2020-05-28T20:35:42","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T20:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/?p=4428"},"modified":"2026-02-28T00:02:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T00:02:56","slug":"should-you-buy-a-new-or-used-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/should-you-buy-a-new-or-used-car\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Buy a New or Used Car?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span>Estimated reading time: <\/span>7<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re looking to buy a car, you have a lot of different choices to make. You need to look at what you want, how you want to pay for it, what to do with your old car if you have one, and whether to buy a new or used car too. They are all hugely important parts of the buying experience but looking at the new vs used car argument, in particular, there’s even more under the surface. That\u2019s what we\u2019re here for after all. Now, they both without a doubt have their benefits. They have their unique selling points that can make them a great choice for different people, but, to get the perfect one, you need to make the right choice. Let\u2019s run through them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Benefits of New Cars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start off with brand new, never before driven cars.\nThese are pristine, high value and entirely yours and yours alone. All of these\nare massive selling points, but they all go much deeper than we first make out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luxury (custom too)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Initially, we have the luxury that comes along with a brand-new\ncar. There\u2019s nothing quite like driving around with that new number plate after\nall, as well as having a completely gleaming car that you know has never known\nany other owner than you. That\u2019s something special no matter how you look at\ndriving, and it\u2019s a hard feeling to find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other side of the coin here too though, you also have\nto remember the options that come with a new car. You can have whatever you want\nto be done to it before you even see it in person. The customisation options\nare endless and you can get the perfect set up for your vehicle without making\ncompromises. It\u2019s all up to you and your budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New tech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On top of all of that, we also have the technological side\nof things with new cars. They are always going to have the best of the best in\nterms of the kit that comes with them, even at their most basic standards. With\ntechnology changing so much every single year, having a car that can keep up\nand make the most of it all is a great way to futureproof your driving and make\nsure you\u2019re not missing out on features you never knew existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That technology really goes a long way in transforming your driving experience more than you may even realise. You have things like mobile device connectivity all the way through to state of the art dashboards, screens, and even heating and air conditioning too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design and Engineering<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The technology inside the car is only the half of what a new\ncar has to offer you over a used car. We also need to remember that the\nengineering and mechanics of the car have a massive impact on your whole driving\nexperience as well, and these are the largest contributors to what makes the\nperfect car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of the time, that comes from efficiency. New cars have the best technology in fuel usage and fuel economy<\/a>, emissions, turbo, aerodynamics, and even designs. It all helps to make the car the best that it can be, and it can really give the whole experience of owning a car a massive benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we need to look at the safety benefits that brand\nnew cars can offer too. They mean that you have the best and most up to date\nsafety and security systems to help you protect both you and your car as well.\nYou\u2019ll meet all of the latest legislation for new cars, have the latest\nadvancements in safety technology like airbags and crash safety, and everything\nelse that you can think of as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The safety also comes in the form of legal issue protection too. The fact that your car is brand new means that you don\u2019t have to deal with a lot of the dramas that come from used cars and the history that can come with them. You have no financial history, criminal history, service history or anything else to worry about. You know what you are getting, the warranty behind it and you don\u2019t even need an MOT for three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Used Car Benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With all of that said, we’re not just here to sing the\npraises of new cars. Used cars still have some tricks up their sleeve that\nmeans they car bought by 1 in 6 of us every single year, and they can be real\nsteals if you get the right fit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheaper to Buy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By far and away, the biggest benefit that goes with used car\nbuying is that they are cheaper to buy. New cars lose a huge chunk of their value\nthe second that they leave the showroom with an owner because they have lost\nsuch a huge novelty, and it\u2019s not something that you can get back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, when you buy a used car, even if it is almost brand new, it will still be massively cheaper than a new card would be. It can be an incredible way to make your money go further for the exact same car and isn’t something that you should forget about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Better spec car for less<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Because of how much cheaper used cars are than new cars,\nthey also tend to be much better in terms of the specification that a lot of\nnew cars could be for the same price or even less. You can easily get yourself\na vehicle that has more mileage than a new vehicle making it much cheaper, even\nif it is a better spec model for the same price. It sounds counter-intuitive,\nbut it\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even getting a car just a year or two old can make a world\nof difference to the car that you can afford and really take the value for\nmoney to a whole new level. You can get all of the points mentioned above to an\nextremely high standard, all for a lower price, just in exchange for not being\nthe only owner in the logbook. It\u2019s a real judgement call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid depreciation value<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a side note to all of the money talk, we also need to look at what is going to happen to the value of your car whilst you\u2019re the owner. Whether you are the owner of a Ferrari or a Fiat, your car\u2019s value is going to go down the longer that you own it. Age, mileage and the wear and tear<\/a> of your vehicle all contribute to lowering the value over time. It can’t be helped, and it happens with any vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s unique here, however, is that with used cars the rate\nthat this happens is massively lower. New cars lose their value extremely\nquickly, especially in the first year or two. When you have a car that says 3\nyears old, the price between that and the same car at 6 years old is going to\nbe much less of a difference, and you’ll lose less money when it comes time to\nsell it. Keep that in mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lower insurance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, we have the insurance costs of used cars, which is\nmuch less than with more expensive or brand new cars. That\u2019s because if the\nworst were to happen to your new vehicle, the price to put it right or even to\nreplace it is going to be considerably less if the value is less. A cheaper car\ncan really work in your favour here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are on a tight budget or you are a relatively new\ndriver with a high insurance premium, this one can be a huge thing to remember\nif you want to get a great deal. Even if it means you getting a new car in a\nfew years instead of now, your insurance can really skyrocket if you have an\nexpensive vehicle (although it can make it lower due to being safer. Remember\nthat).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, whether you\u2019re buying a new or a used car, you need to make sure you know what you\u2019re buying and think of every aspect that goes into one. Always make sure you know where your money is going and what is going to happen to it in the future but aside from that, this is really all down to you. Decide which of these are the most important to you and what you can get with the budget you have in mind and see where your fancy takes you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you need any advice on any vehicle, don\u2019t forget the value of vehicle inspections<\/a>. We\u2019re always here to help if you need any more info.<\/p>\n\n\n\n