Benefits of buying a second hand car

When it comes to purchasing a car, especially if you’ve never had one before, it can be tempting to see if your budget will stretch to a brand new vehicle.

But more and more people are opting for a second hand model (and we are busier than ever selling some lovely cars to our happy customers!) and when you look at the benefits, it’s easy to see why.

We’ve put together just some of the reasons why ‘new to you’ rather than ‘brand spanking new’ might be the better option for you, and our staff are always happy to chat through the pros and cons if you’re having difficulty making up your mind!

The cost: Most people these days don’t have tens of thousands of pounds in the bank ready to buy a new car, so if you’ve got a set budget then it makes sense to consider a second hand car.

It doesn’t have to be a three wheeler from decades ago with dodgy gears and a worn out engine so don’t worry that used means useless!

Take this example: a brand new Ford Fiesta (the most popular car on the UK’s roads) is going to cost you at least £13,000, and that’s without opting for any extras or an upgraded model. Buying one from 2016 will set you back in the region of £9,000 – giving you an extra £4,000 in your pocket!

Depreciation: It’s a badly kept secret that as soon as a new car is driven off the forecourt, its value depreciates dramatically.
Becoming the second owner of a vehicle means therefore that the person you buy it from has taken that financial hit, and the difference between the price they purchase the car for and the price they sold it to you for will be much bigger than the loss you make when selling it on to its next owner.

More research time: Rushing out to buy the latest model on the market can mean you haven’t really had time to understand the car’s long-term performance.
Picking a model that’s been around for a couple of years gives you ample opportunity to do all that research, see what existing owners are saying and pick a car that’s perfect for you.

New drivers: If you’ve just passed your test, or you’ve not yet built up your confidence on the roads, the last thing you want to be doing is jumping into a brand new car worth tens of thousands of pounds. Not only is a second hand car potentially going to make you feel braver about venturing out without your driving instructor, it’ll also prove much more cost-effective for insurance too!

Why new?: One of the questions to ask yourself is why you’re planning on spending lots of money buying a new car rather than less money buying a second hand option. If it’s simply for the sake of appearances then it may be worth reminding yourself there are thousands of used cars out there on the market which still look in pristine condition and drive as if there are zero miles on the clock.

You may want to stay one step ahead but does that outweigh the considerable saving from buying a car which was built even one or two years ago?

Please do pop by and speak to us before you decide on a new car, you can also take a look round our second hand cars we have on the forecourt (which change very frequently).

You can also find out what’s currently on sale and the model and spec which matches your budget by visiting our car sales page.