Automobiles are an essential part of the modern world of travelling and rapid busy life. And, like every other mechanical device, from time to time they need changing. The question of changing a car is always very important for the car owner, as the car market provides a wide choice of different products. This choice depends on the manufacturer, price, model, equipment, etc. However, it is worth highlighting one more factor that influences the choice of the car: its previous usage. According to the Q3 Used Vehicle Market Report, the amount of sold used cars increases by 2-3% with every next year (“Q3 Used Vehicle Market Report” 2). Used cars are more affordable and seem to be more qualified as have already had operational kilometers. But what is really better: to buy the used car or to wait and to save enough money for buying the new one? The aim of this paper is to prove that the brand-new car is always better.
Buying a new car is always an advantage. First, it provides an opportunity of choosing the design of the car, its options, and color according to your desires. Second, a new car has a warranty. Indeed, consumers of used cars can also buy the warranty, but the one that goes with a new car is always the best and does not require extra payments. Next, a new car is always equipped with the last technological achievements. It is especially challenging for the owners of the latest gadgets. The one could say that it would be strange to be fond of the new technologies and to be an owner of the used car, as the new models of automobiles provide additional functions for using the latest gadgets such as Bluetooth, telematics systems, etc. One more advantage of a new car is financing. Banks give lower financing rates on new automobiles, as they cost more and have never undergone depreciation. Indeed, payments for the new car could still be higher than for the used one, but this does not guarantee that the long-term deal regarding buying a used car would be better. Next, manufacturers often add into the price of a new car free maintenance. Considering the fact that a used car has more chances to be broken and its repair requires much more money, the difference between long-range investments to new and used cars may be not that large. The advantages of legwork, the environment protection, and safety will be considered below.
It is important to understand that buying a used car is much more difficult than buying the new one as it requires more preparations. These preparations cannot be ignored because keep you safe from any unexpected circumstances related to your “new” car. According to a Consumer Guide from the Federal Trade Commission, “spending time now may save you serious money later” (“Buying a Used Car”). Buying a new car usually becomes easier after choosing the brand, as the remaining part of the work could be put on the salesperson. Buying a used car, in contrast, refers to the issues of search, payment, investigation the market, dealer sales, warranty, service contracts, cheat, the need to examine the car and to talk with its previous owner, etc. Just imagine how rude the sellers or the previous owners are, how grieving they are with your desire to examine the car, as the only thing they want is a fast sale and more money. Furthermore, they are always ready to cheat on you and to get more money for worse quality. As Busse et al. write, “For car dealers, used cars are convertible into cash” (Busse et al. 7). All of us know how such sales usually work and can imagine what problems their results could bring. Additional costs could be several times higher than the price of the used automobile. And what about the spoiled mood? Are these issues really worth your time and nerves?
Talking about the environmental protection, it is important to mention lower emissions and higher fuel efficiency of new cars. Technological progress allows manufacturers to improve their products not only on the issues of safety, speed, and design but also to make them more fuel efficient and safer for the environment. The modern gasoline is much cleaner than it has ever been. The internal construction of a new car including engine and exhaust system has also become more advanced and efficient. Moreover, it is worth noting eco-friendly hybrid and electric automobiles that gain more and more popularity with every passing day. According to studies, the major eco-benefits of hybrid and electric cars include “the noise reduction and a lessening of the air pollution by reducing the carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions” (Racz et al. 442). The issue of used cars is completely opposite. While the modern world tries to solve the problem of the air pollution, every used car sheds additional emissions and makes the air more and more unhealthier. Thus, every new owner of the “new” used car contributes to the environmental contamination and makes the air his or her family breath a bit polluter. For example, just imagine how your kids inhale car exhaust emissions and absorb repugnant substances. How ethical is it? What kind of parent are you?
Now let’s move to the most crucial advantage of the new car: its safety. Generally, the external form of the automobile has not changed for the last eighty years. As Kosher et al. state, it includes “a single gasoline-powered internal combustion engine; four wheels; and the familiar user interface of steering wheel, throttle, gearshift, and brake” (Kosher et al. 1). However, for the last couple dozens of years, the control and security systems of the automobiles have been changed significantly. What does it actually mean? It means that the used cars that were manufactured many years ago have much less advantageous security systems and safety technologies or do not have them at all. Safety has always been the most important engineering concern. In order to help buyers to choose the used car, the Australian government annually publishes “Buyer’s Guide to Used Car Safety Ratings.” The guide shows safety ratings of the most popular used cars of 1982-2013 production years, and only about 15-20% of them provide their drivers with excellent protection (The Department of Transport and Main Roads). At the same time, ANCAP (The Australasian New Car Assessment Program) conducts the same research related to the new cars. The results of the research show that more than 90% of the modern cars have 5 stars ratings, and almost none of them have rating lower than 4 stars (“ANCAP Safety Ratings”). It is also important to remember that most parts of the modern technologies and car equipment aim to improve safety, and, hence, each new car model is safer than the previous one, and it affects the safety of the driver. Safety should be the most important characteristics either for the fast drivers of for the families. According to statistics, about four thousand people die in car accidents every day (ASIRT). The thought “nothing will happen” could be easily replaced with death, injuries, or regrets.
Indeed, buying a used car is often more attractive than buying the new one. Used cars are more affordable and, thus, could be changed more often than the new ones. Furthermore, repairing of used cars can be a hobby for those people who interest in mechanics and like to work with automobiles. However, if you are not such kind of person, the one could strongly advise you to save money or use financing and to buy a new automobile. It is important to remember that incorrect and thoughtless choice of a used car can result in significant losses of time and money. A new automobile is cleaner, safer, faster, and more powerful, especially if you are a race lover. A new automobile would save your time, additional costs, and nerves as it has a warranty and free maintenance. Furthermore, a new automobile is more modern and privileged. Just imagine how cool it is to have a car full of modern technological advances, a car with the exterior design and passenger compartment made according to your personal taste and desires. New cars have much more advantages than used ones, and it definitely speaks for itself.
Works Cited
“ANCAP Safety Ratings.” ANCAP. ANCAP, n. d. Web. Accessed 27 Apr 2016.
Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT). “Road Crush Statistics.” ASIRT. ASIRT, n. d. Web. Accessed 27 Apr 2016.
Australia. The Department of Transport and Main Roads. Monash University's Accident Research Centre. Buyer’s Guide to Used Car Safety Ratings 2015-16. Melbourne: GPO, 2016. PDF.
Busse, Meghan R., Knittel, Christopher R., and Florian Zettelmeyer. “Pump at the Pump: How Gasoline Prices Affect Automobile Purchasing in New and Used Markets*.” NBER Working Paper No. 15590. Febriary 2009: 1-55. PDF.
Kosher, K., et al. “Experimental Security Analysis of a Modern Automobile.” 2010 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy. The Claremont Resort, Oakland, California, USA. 16-19 May 2010.
Racz, Andrea Aurora, Muntean, Ionit, and Sergiu-Dan Stan. “A Look into Electric/Hybrid Cars from an Ecological Perspective.” Procedia Technology 19 (2015): 438-443. PDF.
The United States of America. Federal Trade Commission. Bureau of Consumer Protection. Buying a Used Car. Washington: GPO, 2008. Print.
“Q3 2015 Used Vehicle Market Report.” Edmunds.com. Edmunds, n. d. PDF. Accessed 27 Apr 2016.
