Get the most for your money: Is buying a new or used car the better bet?

When buying a car, you have a range of purchasing decisions to make. Not only do you need to pick the make and model, but you also need to decide if you want to buy a new or used car. There are pros and cons to going either route.

So, to help you make the best choice for your needs and your budget, motus.cars, a leading online automotive marketplace that’s supported by Motus Ford (previously Imperial Ford), highlights the advantages and disadvantages of both:

Buying a new car

Advantages

• Knowing that you are the first owner of a car creates instant peace of mind.
• New cars typically come with a comprehensive manufacturer warranty and full-service plan. 
• A new car will generally require less maintenance than a used car for the first few years.
• You often have the choice to customise your new car with various options and luxury features. You can also specify the exterior paint colour you’d like. 
• New cars come with the latest gadgets, engine technology, fuel efficiency rates and safety features, so you can be sure you are getting the most for your money.

Disadvantages

• The biggest disadvantage of buying a new car is that you lose money on it as soon as you drive it off the showroom floor; the value of a new car depreciates the most in the first two or three years.
• Optional features will add to the price of the car.
• New cars tend to be more expensive than used cars, so you may get less bang for your buck.
• Dealerships will only sell the latest model of a particular car, which can limit your choice of vehicle.

Buying a used car

Advantages

• The biggest advantage of buying a used car is that you’ve let someone else take the biggest depreciation hit on the vehicle.
• If you buy a used car, the reduced purchase price results in lower finance costs and lower insurance premiums.
• You could potentially still benefit from the balance of the motor plan and warranty, which will be transferred with the ownership car.
• You have a far wider choice of vehicle when buying a used car as you can consider older models.

Disadvantages

• The biggest disadvantage of buying a used car is that it may not be as reliable as a new car or you may need to do more repairs on it.
• You can’t add optional extras and safety features to the car and you may not be able to be too selective about certain features such as the colour or model year.

New or used, shop with confidence 

Buying a car should always be a practical decision, one you can comfortably afford to live with. Motus.cars offers a helpful affordability calculator to assist you to work out what you can afford.

Once you’ve determined your budget, the digital platform allows you to conveniently shop for both new and pre-owned cars from a nationwide network of 340 Motus dealers at a single online location.

Best of all, it gives you the ability to compare cars across all available brands as well as across the new, used and demo categories, so you can be sure to find the option that’ll give you the most value for your money.

Motus.cars offers more than 7,000 Motus-certified, pre-owned vehicles for sale. So, if you’ve decided to go the used car route, chances are you will find your dream ride on its website. You can shop with confidence and peace of mind as the company owns all the cars listed.

And, if you’ve decided the new car route is your best bet, motus.cars offers the latest promotional deals so you’ll find new vehicles at terrific prices.

Visit the motus.cars blog for more valuable tips and join the conversation on Facebook, and Twitter.

This article was paid for by motus.cars.