When buying, a used car is unquestionably the cheapest, and that’s even its main asset. The new car discounts as soon as it leaves the dealership and sometimes at breakneck speed. In the first year, a new vehicle can lose up to 25% of its value. After 4 years, half of the investment has gone. Therefore, if your purchase criterion is the initial price, you should favor the purchase of a used car.
To be honest, the car budget is not calculated on the purchase price alone. By integrating the fuel consumption, the cost of maintenance and that of the insurance, we are closer to the real cost of a vehicle. In terms of maintenance, the new car is obviously doing well.
For a normal rider (15,000 km in petrol and 25,000 km in diesel), the first 3 or 4 years cost almost nothing. It is not for nothing that the technical control is imposed only from the 4th year. On the fuel side, there is no difference between new and used, except that a poorly maintained used car can consume more than a new car. For insurance, you can play on “all risks” – “third party”, when it comes to a used vehicle.
The advantages of the new car
Driving a new car has many advantages, starting with the choice of model. Buying a new car is an opportunity to take advantage of the latest innovations (discover the future Renaults on Planète Renault ).
In the new model, no tobacco or dog smells, no pencil marks on the seats, no crumbs in all the interstices, your new car is clean and smells good. If you are careful, this is an advantage that you will most certainly appreciate.
By buying a new vehicle, you have the advantage of not discovering hidden defects. If this were the case, the repairs would be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, which can last up to 7 years at certain dealers.
The price remains. However, you should know that some agents offer new vehicles at very advantageous prices, sometimes 30% cheaper. The staff of the various brands also offer very recent vehicles (6 months, most often) for resale at very attractive prices, which take into account the discount for the first year.
And electric?
Again, the choice between new and used takes into account the same criteria. A used electric vehicle is significantly cheaper. On the other hand, you will not be able to benefit from the ecological bonus, which only applies to new energy-efficient vehicles (less than 20g of CO2 per kilometre).
It is important to know that dealers cannot keep used vehicles parked for too long. They also make interesting offers for the trade-in of a used electric vehicle, especially if it comes from a company fleet.
We still have little perspective on the duration of the batteries, which we know that their cost is very high (5,000 euros excluding tax). Also, if you cannot buy a new electric car, choose a recent used electric car with few kilometers. If the rental of the battery is often disputed, it should not be forgotten that its owner is not only responsible for its good condition (charging time in particular) but also for its recycling.