The Downsides Of Buying Used Cars Nobody Ever Talks About!
Tell your friends or family you’re thinking about buying a brand-new car and they’ll call you a fool. “Why are you buying new?!” they’ll ask, “everyone knows you can get a much better deal for a used car”. There’s a great deal of truth to this – used cars tend to be cheaper than new ones, but everyone forgets why. New cars are more expensive for good reasons, and we’ll talk about some of these throughout this article.
Our main focus is on the downsides of buying used cars. Certain things are likely to be concerning when you buy a used car, yet nobody ever talks about them. We’re not saying you have to buy a new car, but discussing the disadvantages of used cars helps you weigh up this decision and make the right choice. Without wasting more of your time, let’s jump into the cons of buying used vehicles!
Less Longevity
When it comes to vehicle longevity, a brand-new car will last longer than a used one. Do we really need to explain why? New cars haven’t been driven, there’s no mileage on the clock, and the suspension hasn’t been constantly battered by bumps in the roads. You’ve got something completely fresh, often made from newer and better materials too.
There’s no way of knowing how long a used car will last. You hope it’ll still last a long time but you’ve no idea how the previous owner treated the car – and we’ll talk more about this in a later point.
Often Far Less Convenient
The process of buying used cars is far less convenient than buying new ones. You have to find a seller, contact them, and then deal with all the annoying car-buying negotiations. Haggling is involved, as are countless other things – and there’s a chance the seller pulls out at any moment or picks a different buyer. Even if you’re lucky enough to buy the car, you have to deal with another conundrum; how are you going to get it sent to your home!?
With new cars, the buying process is short and sweet. Pick a car, select your ideal specifications, and then place the order. Waiting times will likely be the only annoyance; some new cars are available immediately while others can take a few months as they’re literally being made. You don’t have to haggle or negotiate when buying new cars and they come with financing options to make the costs easier to manage.
To drive home the convenience of buying a new car even more, the companies selling them will normally provide delivery services. These can be free of charge or cost a small fee. Alternatively, you can arrange collection or delivery on your own using a long distance towing service. Used car sellers aren’t always as accommodating as this and may demand you come and pick the car up in person.
Oh! That reminds us of one other thing. New cars are easier for you to test drive. Dealerships have some ready for you to drive around in whenever you like. If you’re buying a used car online from someone hundreds of miles away, you already need to drive to their location to test-drive the car – and that’s if they even let you. No matter how you look at it, buying a used car is far less convenient than bagging a new one.
May Inherit Long-Term Issues
What are some of the most common car problems? Your check engine light is always on, the steering wheel might start shaling, you can hear a rattling from the exhaust, and so on. You know none of these issues will be present in a new car as they come with time. The more someone drives a car, the more likely it will develop a host of long-term issues.
A problem with buying used cars is you don’t always see the full picture. Your understanding of the car’s life depends on what the seller tells you – and what’s present in any documents for the car. You could get a service record, but what if it’s not a full one? You may not know what shape the car was in before the seller got it; they could’ve bought a written-off vehicle and tried to fix it themselves.
Buying used cars means you have to deal with the heightened risk that something could be wrong. Everything seems fine now, but a few months down the line you could spot an issue that stays with your car for years.
In conclusion, don’t jump on the used car bandwagon just yet! Be aware of the downsides of buying a used car online and consider if opting for a new one is better. If you can afford the financing agreements, buying new is almost always a smarter choice.
