New or used car, or from dealer stock?

For most people, a different car is one of the biggest financial decisions you make. That’s why you don’t want to go ice cream overnight. One of the first questions is whether you should get a new or used car, or rather one from the dealer’s stock. What are the pros and cons of these options?

Buying a new car

If you go for a new car, you actually order it all the way from the factory. The anticipation actually starts at home: via the online configurator you can in many cases already compose your car completely according to your own wishes and immediately see the prices. With one click you can then arrange a test drive and request more information or a quote.

In addition, you can count on the original manufacturer’s warranty and updates that come with the car. You can go to the dealer for this, just like for maintenance. You can even ‘include’ the maintenance in a package when purchasing, so that you have already included those costs. The car has the most modern technology, which is certainly an advantage now that developments in that area are moving very quickly. For example, you can expect the car to be more economical than older models. You also benefit from advances in the field of electronics and safety features. That can save a lot of unexpected worries and ensures that you keep up with the times in the first years. A bit in line with this: the maintenance history is now completely known because you are the first owner. So you don’t suffer from unexpected problems with that car that you didn’t know about when you bought it.

The main disadvantage of a new car is that you have the largest depreciation after a few years. After all, the car loses the most value in the first few years.

Buy used car

If you mainly want transport and you do not want to pay the main price for it, a second-hand vehicle is a good option. These are sold in large numbers every year and the longer-term manufacturer’s warranties help with this: even with a used car you can still count on good support.

If you also want certainty here, it is best to buy a second-hand car from a dealer who often has a selection of young, used cars. They meet extra criteria, which in turn offers additional security. Those are relatively more expensive cars. In addition, there are companies that specialize in used cars, sometimes even of a certain brand or a specific type of car. Various lease companies also offer the cars that have come out of the lease at competitive prices. And finally, you can also buy a car from private individuals. The price is competitive, but you will not receive any guarantee or certainty.

In all these cases you have a low depreciation because ‘the head is off’.

The biggest risk is that the history of the car can always contain gaps and you can be faced with surprises. Even if the car has good maintenance records. That is why it is in any case recommended to do a license plate check to find out more about the background of the car.

From dealer stock

An interim solution is a new car from the stock of the dealer. That could be demo cars from the company. And especially at the start of the new year, there are new cars that dealers have bought to meet sales targets. Those cars have few or hardly any kilometers on the clock and you have all the advantages of a new car. This way you also have a factory warranty. You only have to choose from the cars as they are: you have no or limited choice in colours, versions and specific extras. The price is often competitive.

A disadvantage is that the license plate has previously been screwed onto the car and sometimes it is worth checking whether the car is of the latest model year. Otherwise you have a fairly new car, but which just does not meet the latest specifications. On the other hand: you have a practically new car with a nice price on the ticket.

Import from abroad

You can also import a young car from abroad. You can basically do that yourself. We have information about that on special pages about importing cars from different countries. For new or recently used cars, import from Germany is obvious, also for an electric car. However, you have to know what you are doing because there is quite a lot involved. You can also use a company that specializes in importing cars. You can often also opt for versions or combinations of options that are not available in the Netherlands. They often have a network of dealers and take the paperwork and various risks off your hands. Then driving an imported car can be as easy as ordering it from a dealer.

Determine your budget and compare

How do you handle it? Because in all cases you can find other cars. Our advice is: determine your budget (possibly also of the costs you want to have later, for example fuel, insurance, expected maintenance) and stick to it. Go online and in the world and compare cars you would like to drive. It may be a bit more work, but then you will find a car that you want to enjoy for years to come!