When I was buying my first car, the dilemma was, should I get a new car or a used car? Both options were ideal, but then, several things had to inform my purchase decision. In this article, find out the pros and cons of new vs. used cars from my shopping experience.

New Cars

Buying a new car is everyone’s dream unless it’s a classic car enthusiast. But then, I realized I had to pay up more now that they are new. Buying new cars has advantages and disadvantages, as discussed below.

The Advantages

One of the pros of buying a new car is that reliability is guaranteed. Obviously, the engine and transmission are in top-notch condition, as well as the exterior and interior. With appropriate maintenance, a new car will definitely last than a used car.

Another advantage of new cars is that they come with the latest and most advanced technologies, be it infotainment, safety or performance features. Most of the 2021 car models on my wish list had new and advanced features compared to the 2015 model of the same car.

Third, it’s easier to get financing when buying new cars than used cars because the risk is lower. Data shows that new car buyers are more likely to pay back their auto loans than used car buyers.

Shopping for new cars is also easier. A new vehicle has everything in order; I didn’t have to stress about evaluation. All the new vehicles I viewed had everything intact, but almost all used cars I considered had one or two defects.

The last and most fundamental advantage of new cars is cheaper maintenance. Both new and used vehicles require basic servicing (interim car service), but used cars will be more demanding now that they need full or major car service sooner or later.

The Disadvantages

One of the biggest cons of buying a new car is depreciation. Statistics show that a new vehicle depreciates by 20% once it leaves the showroom.

Another con of buying used cars is the high costs. New cars are more expensive than used cars. Besides, the sales tax and insurance costs are also higher.

Used Cars

The used cars market has been growing exponentially in the last decade. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, the ratio of used-to-new vehicle sales was 100 to 85 in 2019. Many believe that the growing demand for used cars maybe because of the Dealer Management Systems (DMS). Several car dealers happen to use DMS from US Dealer Track and similar firms to provide service price guides to their customers. With service price guides, car dealers can provide accurate estimates, including labor parts,
taxes and fees, thus reducing customer wait time while increasing pricing accuracy. And as it is known, a happy customer helps in generating large amount of revenue.

Anyway, it solely depends on the tastes of the individuals whether they want to purchase a used car or not. Below are the advantages and disadvantages of used cars that I noted.

The Advantages

The biggest advantage of buying a used car is that they are cheaper than new vehicles. Besides the initial costs, the insurance costs, registry renewals, and sales tax are lower.

Next, I realized that used car owners don’t take a huge depreciation hit. The value of a vehicle depreciates during its first few years, and later on, the depreciation is lesser. One of the reasons I like used cars is that I wasn’t going to take a massive depreciation hit.

Another advantage of buying used cars is that it’s easier to get that classy car I’ve always admired. With a budget of $30,000, for example, I found several luxury old vehicles like this BMW E30 for sale, but with the same budget, my options were limited when it came to buying new entry-level cars.

The Disadvantages

The biggest con of used cars is the risk of buying junk. A used car has undergone wear and tear, be it in the engine, transmission, interior, or exterior, mainly from things like hail storm damage so in that case, you would have to look up a hail dent removal cost in addition to the original cost of the car. Therefore, for me, this wasn’t a discouragement as I was able to check the car’s history and even used computerized diagnosis to ascertain the vehicle’s condition. Additionally, you should check if the SRS of the car is intact and contact a seat belt repair service to refurbish your seat belt back to its original condition if you notice the straps are fraying or sagging.

Another problem with used cars is less variety. I didn’t have many options when shopping for used vehicles compared to shopping for new cars.

Last, used cars have no warranty and are sold on an as-is basis. That means I would have to incur the costs of repair or parts replacement.

The question of buying a new car or a used car comes down to the budget. New cars are more expensive, but then they offer peace of mind. They also come with the latest features and have the best appeal. On the other hand, used cars are more affordable, but they are not as reliable as new cars. That was my experience!

Finding the right criminal defense lawyer is important when you’re facing legal issues. Whether you’re accused of a crime or seeking legal support, having a skilled lawyer can significantly impact your case’s outcome.

However, the process of hiring the right criminal defense attorney can be overwhelming, particularly when you are already under stress. In this guide, we’ll take you through the essential steps to help you find and hire the best attorney for your specific needs, using a simple story illustration.

If you have ever questioned the importance of having the best criminal defense attorney, you might consider hearing Melissa’s story.

The Scenario

Melissa does not wear shoes. Her defence lawyer says that she should get some as she will need them for court next week. Melissa swapped places with her boyfriend that fateful night after the accident and before the police arrived. Both her and her boyfriend had been drinking heavily. The alcohol had really started to kick in and take effect when they swapped, or she would never have agreed to it. At the time, she was too drunk to care. It was her boyfriend’s idea to save his own skin. It was for Melissa to regret it afterwards, when it was discovered that someone had been seriously injured as a result of her boyfriend’s decision to drive, rather than book a taxicab to take them home.

Melissa sinks her toe into the deep pile of the defence lawyer’s carpet to try and comfort herself after the realization that there is every chance she will go to prison, losing her job as a lifeguard and having her freedom taken away from her. With the police seeming to have no evidence to prove that Melissa was not driving, after she made it obvious that she was, and with her boyfriend continuing to plead his innocence after cruelly having them swap places that night, Melissa desperately seeks the help of her DUI lawyer. That is, her Driving Under the Influence lawyer, who is now the one charged with thinking of something that can help save Melissa from a fate as awful as imprisonment.

As it stands, unless any new evidence comes to his attention, all her defence lawyer seems to be able to do for her is to present her in a favourable light in front of the jury, and courtrooms are always such dingy places. He may be able to come up with some mitigating circumstances by the time of the trial, but the judge may not be sympathetic to any of them.

The Solution

The solution comes as Melissa’s defence lawyer observes the soles of her feet as she leaves. The police reported that used wet wipes were found stuffed in the side pocket of the passenger side of their vehicle and that fresh mud was found on the pedals of the driver’s side.

The sighting leads Melissa’s lawyer to say: “Miss Adams, you couldn’t have been driving because you wet wiped your feet before stepping into the vehicle, when you first entered the front passenger side. You would never have operated those pedals with your feet muddy. In contrast, your boyfriend’s shoes had remained muddy for the entire time that he drove.”

“That’s it, you’re so clever,” Melissa exclaims, before staying behind to talk more with her defence lawyer, as she would at school when she was asked to stay behind.

“It’s a pleasure”, her defence lawyer concludes, as they part company for the last time before the trial. While she was on her way back home, Melissa was grateful for her lawyer and thought that it was a good idea that she chose the lawyer from a good criminal defense law firm in Sacramento, thanks to her uncle. But she couldn’t delve on it anymore as the present predicament jolted her back into reality. Although now, she is at peace knowing that a resolution is soon at hand, wherein her innocence will be proven.

The Conclusion

Those wet wipes the police paid little attention to, confirmed that Melissa never put that mud on those pedals. Her lawyer even managed to prove that her boyfriend had coerced her into swapping places, rather than the alcohol having been to blame for potentially the worse decision she had ever made in her life. So, Melissa is successful at trial, or rather her defence lawyer is, in proving her innocence. Does this mean anything? Yes, it does. It means that when you are in such a position, you might want to contact a reputable lawyer (such as the ones at Stewart Salwin) who have professional experience dealing with DUI cases and excellent reviews in handling them. Now, her boyfriend is the one to stand trial for seriously injuring someone while drunk in charge of a vehicle. Melissa is to continue in her job as a lifeguard that she so loves, which rather than nearly take away a life, last week saved one.

If you have gotten yourself into a similar kind of a mess as Melissa, I hope that you gained something from reading her story. Thanks to her defence lawyer, there was a happy conclusion for the person who deserved it.