Dollars and Sense
Here are 10 reasons to buy used—five financial reasons, four related to information assurance, and one more bonus reason—the cherry on top of this savvy savings sundae.
Show Me the Money
1. Beat the Depreciation Curve – Would you open a bag of cash into the wind and watch the bills fly away? Of course not! Then don’t buy a new vehicle, either. When you drive a new car off the lot, you’re doing the same thing—letting go of a lot of cash you could have kept in your pockets. Depreciation is the reason. New cars lose value quickly—as much as 50% of their value in the first three years. Buy pre-owned and take advantage of the previous buyer’s loss.
2. Lower insurance costs – Because a used car has less value than a new car, it costs less to insure. Plus, depending on the age of the car and your financing, some elements of insurance can be dropped, should you choose. Eliminating collision insurance and theft coverage can lower your monthly insurance costs even more.
3. Less sales tax – A lower price means lower sales tax to be paid when purchasing a vehicle. A pre-owned vehicle may be near-new, but you’ll pay a lot less tax on it than you will for a brand new car.
4. Lower registration costs – Like sales tax, registration fees are usually based on the price of the car. Lower price, lower registration costs.
5. More for your money – Maybe you’ll decide to spend just as much for your used car as you would have for a new one. If you do, you’re sure to get more car for your money. In the new car market, maybe your budget would have only afforded you the base trim. When buying pre-owned, you can now afford all the bells and whistles.
If You Know, You Know
6. Know how much it should cost – Most people find the process of negotiating the price of a new car very stressful. When buying pre-owned, you can take advantage of all the data available about used car prices, so you know exactly how much you should pay.
7. Know the reliability of the year, make, and model – A new car is a gamble as far as long-term reliability. Conversely, used cars have a track record, and you can use resources like Consumer Reports to compare the reliability of different years, makes, and models in your price range. Knowing what to expect provides a lot of peace of mind.
8. Know the history of the vehicle – Whereas once upon a time buying a used car may have felt risky, today you can buy pre-owned with full transparency into the history of a vehicle. A report from CarFax or Autocheck will answer important questions for you.
9. Access to knowledge base and community – When you own a used car, you can always find the information you need about parts, features, repairs, and more. There is a body of knowledge and a community available for your car of choice. With a new car, the information isn’t always out there, and neither is the community.
Variety is the Spice of Life
10. If you buy a new car, you will be limited to the models produced in the current year. But if you expand your view to pre-owned vehicles, you’ll have far more options. Maybe the vehicle or color you want isn’t produced any more. No problem, find it used! Express your individuality and particular taste by finding just the right pre-owned car for you.
Why Buy Pre-owned from TJ Chapman Auto?
You know what’s better than buying pre-owned? Buying pre-owned from TJ Chapman Auto. Whether you choose one of our rebuilt title cars or a clean title, you can be sure your car has been carefully vetted and is ready for you to enjoy for years to come. If we can’t be sure it will provide a good value to you, it doesn’t have a place on our lot. Our promise is “Top Quality. Rock Bottom Prices,” and we always deliver on that promise.
Ready to find your dream car? Check out our entire inventory of quality pre-owned vehicles. We even have great deals under $10,000.