Many shoppers find themselves in a gray area.
The struggle is real when it comes to determining what’s right for your needs, wants and budget when shopping for a vehicle. If budget is the number one factor, then the choice of buying used is clear. But when your budget edges close to the cost of buying new, that’s where the mental gymnastics begin. Which is a better deal, and how can you trust what you’re getting if you buy used?
Buying used
The most obvious pro of buying used is that you’ll pay less for a pre-owned car. Also, the depreciation hit was taken by someone else, and your insurance might be less, too. If you’re looking to upgrade from your current vehicle, but don’t want to pay the big price tag on a new car, then a pre-owned vehicle is a good choice.
The cons are that you might have to compromise on items you were hoping to get, like color, trim, moon roofs, etc. And depending on how old the vehicle is, you’re looking at higher and more frequent maintenance costs.
Then there’s what you don’t know: Each preowned vehicle is going to have a different life span, depending in part on the level of care the previous owner(s) gave it in the past, and what you give it in the future. For our customers’ peace of mind, all of our used vehicles are inspected and cleaned, and we provide a CarFax report for every vehicle on our used lot.
Buying new
There’s a lot to like about buying new: You get exactly what you want, the best interest rates, the latest in safety and comfort, plus top-level reliability and warranties. On the flip side, new cars are typically more expensive to insure, in addition to the depreciation factor. But that glorious feeling of being the sole owner…we get that, too. Our new vehicles are listed at MSRP with no markups, and we offer a variety of financing options.
Having trouble deciding what’s right for you? Visit us for advice! We love to talk shop.
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Meet Laura Augustine
Laura Augustine has worked as a finance assistant at Capitol Auto Group for 7 years. She is the proud mom of three kids (four, if you count her husband Chad): Ariel, age 23; Claudia, age 22; and Bryson, age 18. As a family, they love to go fishing and boating at Detroit Lake, and they also have four Saint Bernard Dogs: Grace, Ted, Jerry and Stuart.