Why Buy Used Cars?
With so many new cars on the market, and their fancy, new gadgets, the innovative "hybrids," vehicles with everything but the kitchen sink, you might wonder, why buy used? People are always worried about buying used cars, wondering who owned them, why they traded them in, were they in a wreck, or, the latest concern, "did this car or truck come from New Orleans (flooded). While some people do get burned by purchasing a used car, I'm here to tell you, you can get blistered buying new! If you'll take the time to read this article, I'll explain why I know it's better to take the risk on used then buying new.
Buying used is only a risk if you're not prepared. The smartest thing to do when deciding why to buy used is to start researching. Research a new vehicle online, in magazines, or at a dealership. Now, research the same vehicle a year older with, let's say, 18,000 miles on the clock, with the very same features, you'll be amazed at the price difference. For example, just yeterday at work, Jane (fake name) came to our dealership with a brand new Honda CRV she just bought 4 weeks ago. She payed $28,000 for it. She didn't like it anymore. It didn't fit her needs, she wanted a truck now. This is a true story, we traded that SUV in for $19500. She lost $8500 to depreciation in 3 weeks. So she had to of course take that $8,500 of negative equality and all that to the price of a used truck, that's about $170 more on payment just because she bought new!
Some people are going to say "well she at least knew where it came from and it hadn't been wrecked." Listen people, listen good, every car dealership now has access to car-faxes. Ask for one on any used vehicle you're thinking about purchasing. If you don't know what a car-fax is, it's a total vehicle history report about that vehicle. You'll know where it was orginally purchased, if it was wrecked, if it was a lemon, if it had odometer roll-back, etc. You have nothing to worry about, 98% of the time if something went wrong it's on the car-fax. They even have a buy-back guarantee. My favorite is "A New Car has a full factory warranty, bumper to bumper". A full coverage, bumper to bumper after market service contact, covering you 7 years or 100,000 miles doesn't cost you more than $2,000, which will still save you from the huge loss you'll take on a new car or truck.
Used vehicles are cheaper, and in the time of high gas prices, high insurance, and highly priced cars, it's the smartest choice. There's a better variety to choose from, and you don't have to settle for the cheaper, used cars. You can buy the exact body style of the car you want new, that's priced at $30,000 two years older for $19,000.
The biggest drawback for buying used is the fact there is no window sticker. You don't know what they are worth. That is why you must use the internet to RESEARCH. Go to all these car shopping sites: autotrader, car.com, ebay motors etc. and compare prices. Don't be the dummy that walks on the lot clueless and drices home in a used car. You will crushed, I promise. The car business isn't stupid; if you come unprepared, they are trained to take every dime from you they possibly can. So, don't be hasty, take your time, research your vehicle, pick out the one you like and drive it home at a fair price. Be proud to pull up beside a new car buyer with the same exact car and ask then what they paid.