People are quick to boast about the benefits of buying particular types of cars. For instance, the engine performance in sports cars. The cabin space in SUVs. And the comfort levels in luxury cars. But have you ever noticed that those same people don’t tell you what it’s like to live with those cars? When buying used luxury cars, for example, there are plenty of things car salespeople won’t mention. In today’s article, I will share with you some of those little-known facts about luxury cars!
Used luxury cars are super cheap to buy
Most people buy used cars because they cost less to get than new models. When you look at the price tag of new luxury cars, you might assume that used ones will also be expensive to buy.
But what might surprise you, if you’ve never bought a used luxury vehicle before, is how cheap they are! All new cars lose their value over time through a process called depreciation. Let’s face it; no-one ever buys a car as an “investment.” Except if they were stupid enough to believe that!
It’s strange to think that used luxury cars could be affordable enough for the average motorist to own. Especially when the car brand new might have cost a six-figure sum! But, as weird as it sounds, it’s possible to buy plenty of used luxury vehicles for the price of a brand new run of the mill car.
To find such motoring bargains, the only caveat you need to accept is that you’ll end up with a car that’s around ten years old. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with buying such an old car. As long as the previous owners have maintained it!
One could argue that a “run of the mill car” of that age will be even cheaper to buy. But, would you rather drive around in a luxurious Mercedes-Benz or a Ford Focus? I know what I’d choose!
They are awesome
A friend of mine was finalising a deal on a brand new Nissan Juke at the Pentagon Group last week. When I saw him on the evening he drove home with his new pride and joy, he asked me a question. He asked me why I always buy “old” cars instead of something “new and modern.”
I gave him two reasons: luxury and reliability. My current weapon of choice is an 11-year-old BMW X5. My SUV is better than his for plenty of reasons! First, let’s consider the price. I paid a four-figure sum for my car. He will spend the next five years paying a five-figure sum for his.
Second, it’s never let me down. It comes with a full BMW service history. And I always get it serviced according to its maintenance schedules to maintain its reliability. Any small issues I fix before they become big, expensive ones.
Yes, his vehicle has a new car warranty. But any maintenance jobs that fall outside of warranty claims are ones he has to cover. On top of his monthly finance payments for the next five years.
Things that are cheap to fix on other cars are expensive on yours
In the interest of fairness, I feel that I should share with you the cons of owning used luxury cars. After all; I don’t want you to feel that this article is quite biased towards the pros!
One thing that no-one will EVER tell you when you buy a luxury car is how manufacturers rip you off with things that should be cheap to repair. Take the DVD drives used to power infotainment systems.
You can buy a DVD player for your home TV or computer for the same amount you’d spend on a pizza. But what if the laser lens on your car’s DVD drive has gone south? You would think that it should be cheap to source a new drive. Don’t be so silly!
The DVD drives on some cars cost around five grand to source a brand new replacement! “What the hell?” said every sane person on this planet. The good news is you can get the drives repaired by electronics firms for the same price you’d pay for your weekly grocery shopping.
And what if you need a replacement key for your car? You could get one coded by your friendly locksmith, right? Wrong! Expect to give a dealer your credit card for a new one. Especially if it has to get coded from the manufacturer!
Strangers think you are loaded
Or a drug dealer. Or that you’ve just stolen the car from somewhere! Stereotypes have always been bad things. They allow people to place you into a particular category based on mere assumption.
When you drive particular vehicles, people always assume that you are a certain type of person. For example, people assume that I don’t know how to use my car’s indicators because I drive a BMW. And folks often assume Mercedes drivers are rich business types or retired people “living the dream.”
Luxury cars always seem to cause others to vent their frustrations at not being rich. It’s a kind of mad, weird envy. Like you’re not allowed to share the same air as the “peasants” that drive Honda Civics and Fiat 500s. If only those people looked at how much you could pick up used luxury cars for…!
It doesn’t matter whether you bend over backwards to help others or not. Most folks will just hate you because of the car you drive!
Your car is better than other people’s vehicles
In some ways, this follows on from the previous paragraphs about how people hate you because of what you drive!
Like it or not, the used luxury car you drive is better than everyone else’s cars! It’s a well-known fact that luxury cars are better built. Some are even hand-finished to achieve a sense of perfection.
Robots are only as good as how we humans train them. If the wrong humans teach robots how to build cars, they will seldom be “bulletproof.”