4 Reasons Buying Pre-Owned is a Game-Changer

Buying a pre-owned vehicle is a viable option when looking for the car of your dreams! Our team at Siemans Mazda in Bridgman wants our customers to know all their options when they come to buy a Mazda. 

If you haven’t investigated all the reasons buying pre-owned isn’t what it used to be, you could be missing out on a real opportunity. 

Buying pre-owned saves money. 

We’ve all heard that old saying, “A new car loses half its value the minute you drive it off the lot.” Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but depreciation is real. Some estimates are that within just a few years of purchase, a new car can lose 30% or more of its original value. If you’re budget-savvy, you know 30% is a lot of money to consider. 

You don’t have to worry about depreciation with a pre-owned car, and for some, this savings alone is enough reason to consider pre-owned. 

Pre-owned vehicles can save you money in other ways, too. Often, registration fees are lower for pre-owned vehicles. Also, insurance rates are usually substantially lower for a pre-owned vehicle. It’s worth a call to your insurance agent to see what your savings could be if you bought pre-owned!

Buying a pre-owned car isn’t what it used to be. 

It used to be that buying a pre-owned vehicle carried with it a negative connotation – a feeling that all used cars were lemons just waiting to die the minute you drove them off the lot. 

There are plenty of movie and television scenes that depict a sleazy car salesman lurking around the dealership lot. He’s usually wearing a too-tight polyester suit with his shirt unbuttoned too much. His hair is slicked back, and typically there is a piece of man-jewelry involved. He uses tired phrases like, “Lemme see if I can make you deal.” 

Thankfully, this character’s days are over and with him go any lemons lurking in used car lots! 

Today, with the advent of the internet, all you have to do to get a car history is use the VIN to obtain a vehicle history report. That report can give you lots of important information like repair notifications, accident reports, the number of previous owners, and can even tell you if the car was used as an Uber/Lyft.  

While the history report doesn’t replace an independent inspection, it does give you some peace of mind. 

Variety is the spice of life. 

We all have different wants and needs. Luckily, it’s very likely there is a pre-owned vehicle out there that will tick all the boxes on your list. Every year, car manufacturers tweak makes and models for all sorts of reasons. They also discontinue and phase out vehicles each year. That’s good news for the consumer – especially the consumer looking for a deal! 

Make a good list of what you want and what you need. Be sure to add any features that you may be dreaming of – like a hatchback or a small-sized truck. Chances are, with a bit of patience and a helpful sales team, you’ll be able to find everything you’re looking for and more in the pre-owned lot! 

Certified Pre-Owned Programs provide peace of mind. 

If you think of car-buying in a pricing tier, Certified Pre-Owned Program (CPO) vehicles are right in the middle. They are a little more expensive than a pre-owned car, but not as expensive as a new car. There is a good reason for that. 

Certified Pre-Owned vehicles must pass a standard corporate checklist before being granted the CPO status. This checklist, which differs for every manufacturer, ensures a CPO vehicle has met or exceeded particular standards under the hood, on the exterior, and in the interior. Mazda CPO vehicles undergo a 160-point checklist inspection. Now that’s confidence-building!

CPOs often come with warranties, and car dealerships have been known to allow consumers to purchase additional warranties when they buy a CPO, too. 

This peace of mind has revolutionized the pre-owned car market. Now, patient consumers can likely find the trim model of their dreams for a substantially lower price than they would have paid for a new vehicle. The only difference is the odometer reading. And, for many, that’s not a difference worth thinking about. 

About Us

At Siemans Mazda, we want our friends and neighbors in Bridgman to know all their options. Vehicle history reports have done away with the notion of lemons on the lot, and CPO vehicles provide peace of mind like never before. 

Budget-savvy shoppers already know that pre-owned vehicles are an excellent place to start your car-buying journey. At Siemans Mazda, we want that journey to begin with us. Visit us on Red Arrow Highway to get started. You’ll be so glad you did!