Nearly New Versus Used Cars. Which Is Better On A Budget Buy?

By Author: Linda Fitch
Total Articles: 10
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With the New Year upon us it is time to start thinking about resolutions and fresh starts. Your eye may be drawn to the driveway and you start thinking that it is time for an upgrade, or even just a change.
So you whack on the kettle and settle in front of your PC, or laptop or iPad and you start looking around.

The UK is spoilt for choice when it comes to cars, from the selection of available makes and models to the amount of car dealerships who stock them. Most people have a set budget in mind before a choice of vehicle is made however there are variables which can either increase or decrease that budget limit, and it all comes down to value.

Consideration is given to fuel economy, whether to go green, family features, torque, safety and many other needs or wants that the type of car has to meet. Hours of research is undertaken by prospective car buyers in finding out which makes and models fit these specific needs, not mentioning the weeks spent looking around for dealers who stock that specific car.

Think about how the search journey will start. Approximately 60% of searches done in the UK today ...
... are done on Google. The start of most of these car buying journeys is just a "window shopper" adventure. There is no specific make or model in mind because all are being considered. Most people start off searching for "Car Reviews" or checking out Car Supermarket Websites such as Loughborough's Motorline Direct. You can view their stock list here. Once you start getting an idea of the car you want you can then start to drill down to the next stage.

For the purposes of this article we are looking to buy a top marque brand car, Mercedes Benz. Something sporty because the kids are driving their own little bangers, and we would like to spoil ourselves a little.

The SLK model looks sleek and sporty, and all the reviews currently available around this car rave about how classy, speedy and modern it is.
Our make and model are decided. But wait, there's more. We have derivatives to choose from too. What about engine size, gears or automatic, colour, body style… the list is endless.

After a good couple of hours trawling through review and magazine style sites for more information on the Mercedes SLK a decision is finally made.
Because we know the specification of the car we want right down to the colour we can go straight to Google. By performing these specific "long tail" searches which includes our location we will be given the most relevant results which will take us to dealers in our area who have that car for sale right now.
Notice that the manufacturer's year has been left out? The reason for this is because the year is a very big factor in deciding which car fits the budget. The older the car the cheaper it should be however this also means there could be a high mileage or hidden mechanical faults. An older car may fit the current budget however it may prove costly down the line.

New cars out of the box are too expensive for many a budget so the next best alternative is to look at nearly new cars. Nearly new cars are not as pricey as new cars and although there are some miles on the clock they are in good condition mechanically.

In my opinion, quality is everything nowadays and there are no guarantees that an older car would not break down 5 miles from the dealership. What you save in price may cost you later in fixing faults. The only safe, reliable way to buy an older car with confidence would be to undertake all the necessary checks, ensure there is a full MOT, checking the log book and all other specific checks relevant before purchasing the car.

In the long run it would make sense to overspend a little more on budget at the buying stage and get a nearly new car which would ideally be between 3 and 2 years old with a low mileage. If we average mileage at 10k per year then the mileage should be around 30k. The log book will have service information which keeps a record of the mileage so look this over.

A good saving is the MOT. Any car under 3 years of age in the UK doesn't need to have an MOT done so the newer the car the better.

Road tax is another hidden saving you may not have considered. Tax on older cars is higher compared to newer cars because of their CO2 emissions, so a newer car would be in a cheaper tax band.

The speed at which technology is increasing in the world today encourages us to have cars that match our needs and lifestyles. Why go further back in time than is necessary? The last 2 to 3 years has seen a burst of great styles and models of new cars being manufactured and for those of us not lucky enough to afford them straight out of their box, we can at least be placated with a nearly new one.

Most people start off their car buying journey by researching for "Car Reviews" or checking out Car Supermarket Websites such as Loughborough's Motorline Direct. You can view their website here. visit http://www.motorlinedirect.co.uk