Why should you buy a Second Hand car as your First Car
August 7th, 2023
Had a thought of buying a new car? I believe that’s the reason why you are here. The Indian Automobile Industry is booming hard! It's climbing up the mountain and not looking down even once. Every year about 39 lakh new cars are sold in India. And it would not be a surprise, as the economy is growing and people are being left over with a comparatively more disposable amount. And the most important reason for the Industry’s boost should be the Covid Pandemic. People learnt how important it is to keep their safety standards high. And due to this, earlier where people used to prefer commercial transport services, now most of them have shifted themselves to private one’s. This made the sales chart break all the records. And at last, the convenience, safety and pleasure that a new car gives to the owner is unmatchable. But what if, I tell you that don’t buy a new car instead go for a ‘Used One’. And I'm completely with what I have just said! Let’s talk about this.
And to compare the used car market to the new car market furthermore, then have a look at this ratio between new-to-used car sales, it is 1 : 2.2, which means after the sale of every 10 new cars, almost 22 used cars are down for ready-to-be-purchased stage. And it is an absolute positive figure, as it has increased from 1 : 1.2 within a matter of years. Now, after these two business oriented reasons for - Why should you buy a second hand car as your first car? Let me explain you a bit more practically and convincingly!
These 4 reasons would honestly be enough for me to explain this whole concept to you, why a second hand car would work better in place of a new car?
You save MONEY
Look, everything has been affected by inflation, and commodities are available at a higher price then what they should be at. So is the case with automotive! New cars have gone high in terms of their prices and in a market where people die for value-giving-products, high prices would really not please the buyers. Therefore, a used car makes more sense.
You sure do save money when you buy a used car. Eg : You want to buy a hatchback and your budget is about ₹ 10 lakhs. In some way, all the hatchbacks within the segment didn't really convince you because of any reason. But on the other hand, in the used car market, you are literally being served with mid-sized sedans at half of the budget which you had for a new hatchback. Isn’t this valuable? It sure is! You could get the same car from the same brand at a lower price, just a bit old though, but still you are saving your money.
You could use that saved money for your other expenses or investments, as you prefer.
It's EMOTIONALLY safe
Imagine, you bought a brand new first hand car. You are not that of an experienced driver and you are still learning and unfortunately, you bashed your car into something. How bad it would hurt you emotionally. After all, it is a psychological fact that a human cares more and is connected deeply to the materialistic possessions he has. And now to tell you one fact, you replace the ‘new first hand car’ to ‘an used second car’, I can bet you - it won't hurt that much, as it would if it were a new car.
Second Hand cars not actually being yours in the first place really helps you to be emotionally strong with its possession. Minor scratches, small dents or maybe major one’s, these would not break you as much as a loss to your new car would.
Adding more to it, you could even have the freedom of using it in any way you want. Because the engine has already been through various kinds of usages. Hence, it gives you a matured engine which has been experienced thoroughly.
Helps SMOOTHEN rough edges
Everyone makes mistakes, no doubt about it! After all you learn by making mistakes. And if you are a new driver, you surely will make mistakes. And as the above mentioned point explains the consequences of making mistakes on a new car, it is better to make them on an old one.
A used car could be the best one to learn on. It gives the peace of mind that - whatever would happen it would not bother you much. So, getting the rough edges smoothened on an old car is very logical.
Get what you want & not what your budget wants to give you
This one is my favourite! As it gives a choice for us to have what we always wanted in a convenient and an affordable way. In today’s world as said inflation is running high, it's hard for few to actually accomplish what they want. And in terms of vehicles, where taxes are tearing up people’s eyes, the Second hand car market acts like a handkerchief for them. It gives you a chance of getting something which is currently out of your reach, in a pretty convincing way.
Eg: Let's say your favourite car is Honda City. The 2023 version of it costs almost ₹ 17 lakhs. Unfortunately your pockets are not that big to afford it yet. But, to tell you a second-hand Honda City starts from ₹ 3.5 lakhs in the used car market, It would not be much old and even if it is - let’s say 10 years old - It will definitely work impressively. Because Honda’s engines are somehow just amazing. And this is not an assumption talking, this is an experience talking - I recently drove a Honda City 2010 model and its mechanical condition is immaculate.
This example is just about the Honda’s, out there are plenty of Maruti’s, Toyota’s, etc. you could get any car you want.
Conclusion
Concluding with, the used car market might grow as big as today is the new car market. Competition is increasing, due to which, you are looking at professionalism entering the market. New big certified used car firms are gaining pace. And being a car enthusiast, I would definitely not waste my money on buying a new car as my first car, I would rather buy an used one and use the leftover for the betterment of my experience.