Buying a used car? Is it a good or bad idea? Some people will tell you that purchasing a pre-owned automobile you are purchasing some one else's problem. A lemon perhaps. On the other hand ? or other side of the highway and byway - many careful and thorough shoppers will point at that no matter what research you do ? that the minute you drive your new car , truck or S.U.V. off the auto dealers lot you are now the owner of a ?used car ? or ?pre-owned auto?. Every one it seem , that is who is a vehicle owner or enthusiast , is after all driving ?used? or ?pre-owned? automotive products.



What many if not most purchasers of new vehicles often do not take into account is that the very moment that car, is plated , insured and hits pavement outside of the seller , broker or trader's lot that new vehicle depreciates in the range of 30 %. Of its total initial value that the customer paid - whether it be cash, credit or auto financing. After all simply put someone has to pay for that beautiful showroom, dealership costs and overhead of the automobile franchise , salaries of salesperson's and staff in addition to a myriad of other costs down to clearing the snow off the lot in the cold Manitoba winter.

Another point to ponder in the purchase of a new car is the extra care and doting to perfection that new car buyers lavish on their vehicles to the point of babying their cars. New car owners are often at the mental mercy of their actual dealership ? who in many cases it seems is attempting to make up in extra service and service charges what was lost to the enterprise in ?doing the deal? and meeting the competition. On top of that, new car owners seem to abysmally sensitive and overly careful when driving their precious toys... They are always on the alert for what might well become the first little dent or scratch. Used cars and used car owners do not seem to be so obsessed with overdoing the care for their vehicle ? be it body, paint or mechanical maintenance and care. That first dent on the that fender or first couple stretches from nicks which occur generally when other car owner's recklessly open their car's doors in parking lots , are already in place. Buying a used car often means service levels as recommended in the van or truck's owner or factory service manual or handbook. On top of that servicing can usually be done at less expensive third party service centers, often at sale prices.

Lastly a word of assurance that by purchasing a used or pre-owned vehicle that you are unlikely to get a ?lemon?. Lemons are poor cars, which from the moment have left the factory are nothing but trouble. It seems that such vehicles are in the shop and garage more than on the road. If the vehicle has more than a smattering of miles ? say 20,000 to 30, 000 miles then that item is war and road proven. It's stood the test of time so far. If it drove that far on the road any test drive of the car will demonstrate the car as it is, how it drives and how it handles. You should not have any major surprises with that vehicle.