Should You Buy A New Or A Pre-Owned Car? We'll Help You Decide

Here we will talk about the pros and cons of buying both new and used cars. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you may have gotten some insights on which to choose.

Pricing The most common and apparent reason people choose to buy a second-hand car is due to financial factors. However, just because it’s cheaper doesn’t mean it has good value for money. If you don’t take a detailed look at the state of the car when purchasing, you may be getting much less than what you paid for, so you have to be very careful when buying a used car.

Meanwhile, a new car is pricier, but the quality is almost guaranteed. However, the value of the car drops as soon as you drive away in it. So, if you are the type to use a vehicle forever until it stops functioning, a new car may be better for you. On the other hand, if you are the kind of person who likes to switch cars every few years, buying used is the way to go.

Warranty New cars come with a warranty, the duration of which would depend on the manufacturer. If any defect covered by the warranty surfaces within its validity period, the manufacturer will replace the faulty parts at no cost, saving you money.

Yet, this isn’t to say that pre-owned cars are left in the ravine. Vehicles that come from approved pre-owned dealerships generally come with some form of a warranty. And even if you have bought a privately-sold car, there are companies in Malaysia that you can purchase a warranty from.

Condition News cars come near-perfect out of the box and still have the new-car smell when you open its doors. It’s clean and shiny, outside as well as the inside. And from now till the next five years, through laughter, tears and an empty wallet, you’ll learn the ins and outs of your car.

Used cars, on the other hand, may look like it came from the showroom but could hide a bent chassis. An honest owner will tell you the true history of the car, a scrupulous dealership would have checked the vehicle before selling it to you — so choose wisely who you purchase your vehicle from.

Technology Newer cars are equipped with the latest technology that’ll give you all the bells and whistles to make you feel special. The more modern engines are made to be more efficient, newer safety features are meant to keep the occupants safe in an accident, and new media systems will make your ride more pleasurable.

Used cars don’t have the cool tech new cars have. However, with the ‘simple tech’ will give mechanics an easier time to fix. And more often than not, the older tech can be more reliable than most cars produced today.

Ownership Cost While used imported cars are cheaper to purchase than a local car, it would cost more in the long term in terms of maintenance. You have to think about running costs and maintenance costs. For example, the price of a new Myvi may be comparable to a used BMW. Still, maintenance-wise, the upkeep of a used BMW would also be way more than that of a new Myvi, if not in price, in time. The road tax would be vastly different, too, depending on the engine’s capacity. And the cost of the road tax will be stable as thatdoesn’t go down regardless of the age of the car.

Another thing to consider is the availability of spare parts. The older the car, the harder it is to find the right parts. Even if you do manage to source for the correct part, it may take months to reach you, not to mention the time it takes to install the parts.