New or Used

New or Used?

Here is an age old question which at the moment is occupying all of our brain cells as we try to work out whether we should spend big on a new car or small on a used one.

If you can afford it, why not treat yourself to a new car? It makes sense doesnt it? It is very tempting to buy something shiny and trouble free. Then again, a used car could save you a packet, but it may breakdown. So what are the pros and cons of going for that distinctive new car smell or taking that chance with something second hand which may have the aroma of recently departed dog?

Buy New because you will get exactly what you want.

Sounds obvious, but if you are fussy about colour combinations and specification then new really is the only way to go. However online search engines are so good now that you may be able to find a used car that is surprisingly close to what you want, for less.

Buy Used because you want to beat depreciation.

The simple truth is that as soon as drive out of the showroom your new car will have lost a significant chunk of its value, including the VAT and new car registration tax. By contrast a three to five year old car will have less further to depreciate and some cars may shed hardly any more value at all. However, keeping your new car longer, say a decade, certainly reduces losses. Also choosing the right specification and model can mean that your depreciation curve is less steep, because a car has a strong image and an economical engine.

Buy New because you want peace of mind.

At the very least most manufacturers will offer a three-year warranty for all parts, but you still need to check the small print carefully as the final year can be a less comprehensive dealer backed scheme. However it is possible to get warranty cover for a used car either from a dealer, or direct from an independent warranty company. Yet again you need to read the small print and some cars over a certain age and mileage cannot be covered.

Buy Used because it will be cheaper to run.

You will feel less obliged to visit a posh showroom and workshop with an older car. Rather than paying the high labour rates of main agents you can save a good percentage by using a local independent garage. Some older cars are also much simpler, so fixing them should be less complicated and cheaper, plus you might be inclined to use salvage or second hand parts. Then there is your car insurance, which only need be third party fire and theft as the car’s value is so low. However, a new car should not break down at all and any expenses should be covered by its comprehensive warranty. Before buying a new or used car it is a good idea to compare car insurance prices using a comparison website such as Gocompare.com.

Buy New because you want to be Green.

New cars have much lower pollution levels and it is now transparent just how much C02 they produce. So instantly a new car will be reducing the impact it has on the planet. Trouble is, there is a tremendous amount of natural resources and energy used to build a new car. So buying an older one is the ultimate in recycling. The longer you keep a car running, the more efficient it can becomes at using resources, provided you keep it serviced and maintained properly.

Buy Used because you will not be doing much driving.

If all you need is set of wheels to get you to the station and back, or for the weekly shop, there is no point in possibly taking out a loan to buy a new car. By contrast if you regularly cover more than 20,000 miles a year and need utter reliability and state of the art safety features, buy new.