When purchasing a new ride, you may be tempted to buy a brand-new, fresh-off-the-lot vehicle. However, that might not be the best choice. While it may be hard to believe, purchasing a pre-owned car is often a better option. Keep reading to see the advantages that come from buying a pre-owned vehicle.
What advantages come from purchasing a pre-owned car rather than a brand-new one?

Brandon Frady

Licensed Insurance Agent at .

Significant Savings

When you purchase a pre-owned car, the most significant advantage is the savings you can experience.

First, you’ll save on the purchase price of the vehicle. New cars depreciate rapidly; a new vehicle could lose between 10 and 20% of its value in the first year.

If you can buy a car that’s a year or two old, it will likely still give you many years of reliable service, but you will only have to pay 80% or less of its new value.

Along with that benefit, buying used allows the previous owner to absorb the most significant and rapid depreciation. While the car will still depreciate after you buy it, the value decreases more slowly the older a car is.

Second, you’ll save on insurance. The more a car is worth, the more premiums the insurance provider will charge. As a vehicle loses value, it tends to cost less to insure. Even though used car values increased by almost 25% immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic, those prices have not stayed that inflated.

Third, you’ll have a better chance of paying cash for a used vehicle and avoiding high-interest rates.

Fewer Fees And A Smaller Loan

Pre-owned cars have their advantages. The first is that there is no need to pay for additional fees like registration, road clearance certificates, and other required documents. It saves a lot of money on the production of these documents.

The second major advantage is that you can take out a smaller loan to purchase the car. The rising car loans and car prices have already marked a hole in the pocket. Pre-owned cars help us live out our dreams at a lesser price.

What advantages come from purchasing a pre-owned car rather than a brand-new one?

Leona Bass

Marketing Director at .
What advantages come from purchasing a pre-owned car rather than a brand-new one?

Kyle MacDonald

Director of Operations at .

Get A Modern And Reliable Car For Less

Pre-owned cars are probably the single best deal in consumer automobiles. Everyone knows cars start depreciating the second you drive them off the lot.

This [depreciation] happens so precipitously that there’s a special kind of insurance (gap insurance) to protect drivers during the period when the value of their car is less than the amount they owe on their car loans. This means pre-owned cars that are roughly one to five years old have the best combination of price and remaining quality miles.

Cars in this age range have the most modern features, haven’t started to suffer major wear and tear on core systems like the drivetrain, and often still have manufacturer or dealer-backed warranties remaining for thousands of miles to come yet.

Throw in the fact that any lemons have been filtered out already since they won’t hold their value nearly as well, and you have a recipe for an ideal car purchase- cheap, modern, and reliable.

Save Money

There are several advantages to purchasing a pre-owned car rather than a brand-new one. One of the most obvious benefits is the lower price. Pre-owned cars are generally less expensive than new cars, and buyers can often get more value for their money by purchasing a car that is a few years old.

Another advantage is that pre-owned cars have already gone through the initial depreciation period. New cars lose a significant amount of value as soon as they are driven off the lot, but pre-owned cars have already gone through this phase, meaning their value will hold up better over time.

Purchasing a pre-owned car also gives buyers the opportunity to research and compare different makes and models based on their performance and reliability over time. With a new car, there is little to no history to go off of, and reliability can be uncertain.

Finally, pre-owned cars often come with added benefits such as certified pre-owned programs, extended warranties, and lower insurance rates. Overall, purchasing a pre-owned car can be a great way to save money while still getting a high-quality vehicle that meets your needs.

What advantages come from purchasing a pre-owned car rather than a brand-new one?

Zach Larsen

Finance and Investment Expert and Co-Founder of .
What advantages come from purchasing a pre-owned car rather than a brand-new one?

Fred Hoffman

Founder & Chief Editor at .

Lower Cost And More Options

1. Lower Cost: Pre-owned cars are typically available at a much lower cost compared to brand-new cars, which can save you money in the short term as well as the long term.

2. Depreciation Costs: Generally, pre-owned vehicles have already gone through the steepest drop in value (depreciation), so you won’t have to worry about it as much.

3. Better Financing Options: Banks typically offer more competitive financing rates for pre-owned car purchases than new cars since the risk of default is lower with a used vehicle.

4. Easier to Sell: Pre-owned cars are generally easier to sell if you decide in the future that you want something else.

5. More Variety: With pre-owned cars, you have more variety in make, model, year, and color. You are able to search for the exact vehicle that fits your needs and budget with a lot more flexibility than when buying a new car.

6. Warranty Options: Many used car dealerships offer different warranty options for the vehicles they sell, giving you peace of mind when it comes to potential repair costs down the road.

7. Fewer Taxes: In many cases, pre-owned cars come with fewer taxes and registration fees than new cars since they are not subject to the same level of government regulations.

8. Fewer Add-Ons: Since pre-owned cars have already been sold once, they don’t come with the same add-ons and extras that new cars do, allowing you to save money by avoiding potential extra costs.

Flexibility And Proven Track Record

One of the biggest advantages of buying a pre-owned car is the significant cost savings. The price of a new car drops significantly as soon as it is driven off the lot, but a pre-owned car can offer a great deal of value at a much lower cost.

Additionally, pre-owned cars often come with lower insurance rates, as the value of the car is lower than a new one.

Purchasing a pre-owned car can also provide more options and flexibility. With a pre-owned car, buyers can shop for a specific year, make, and model without waiting for the latest model to be released.

Additionally, pre-owned cars often provide a wider range of features and options than brand-new ones, as many of these features are optional and can be added on.

Lastly, pre-owned cars have a proven track record. Potential buyers can research the car’s service and maintenance history, along with reading reviews and comparison reports to help make a well-informed decision. This makes it easier to identify any potential issues or recalls with the car, which can be addressed before making a purchase.

What advantages come from purchasing a pre-owned car rather than a brand-new one?

Marcus Fernandez

Attorney at .

This is a crowdsourced article. Contributors’ statements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this website, other people, businesses, or other contributors.