Premium Used Car vs Standard Brand New Car

There comes a point in everyone’s life wherein they aspire for a vehicle. The fact is in our society a car is a symbol of success and prosperity, just like a home it signifies “I’ve made it” to the world. 
 

While that seems like an achievement at face value (and it is), buying a vehicle is one of the biggest investments any individual will ever make. Thus, undertaking the purchase of a car should not be done lightly. 
 

The first question on everyone’s mind would be “Do I buy brand new? Or do I buy second hand?” This is a fair question because both have their pros and cons, it would be nice to get a brand spanking new vehicle, but you’d be surprised how much sense it makes to purchase a used vehicle. 
 

For the purpose of this article let’s highlight two vehicle models, a brand new Toyota Vios and a second hand Toyota Corolla Altis. 
 

Value for Money
 

The Toyota Vios was 2022’s best selling brand new car, which makes sense because of the overall value for money package it offers. Besides being a Toyota, the Vios has grown up over the years and now comes with a host of new features when it comes to technology and safety. 
 

One step higher than the Vios is the Corolla Altis, which has more space, and more features. The Corolla Altis is also one of the most sought after second hand vehicles on the market, and generally speaking, the Corolla Altis holds its value well over time (just like the Vios). 
 

So why would you get a second hand Altis over a Vios? First things first are the fact that a brand-new Vios will set you back a minimum of PHP 800,000++ for the base model, with the top-of-the-line GR-Sport eeking towards PHP 1.2 Million. 
 

On the flip side, browsing through the classifieds and second hand car sites like Automart will show that a 4-5 year old Corolla Altis goes for around 400k-600k. Mind you there are a lot of very good examples and not overused and abused examples that go for these prices. 
 

Not much difference
 

As mentioned above, the Corolla Altis in general has more features, engine power, and space compared to the Vios. While the Vios may be brand-new, it’s still an economy car by heart, meaning Toyota opts to keep the value down by putting “just enough” features.
 

The Corolla Altis meanwhile is a historic Toyota nameplate, meaning Toyota tends to put a lot of standard features to keep Corolla Altis fans and buyers happy. The only telltale difference between both would be that the Vios has a touchscreen infotainment system. Other than that they’re both basically the same on paper.

Cost Savings

Apart from the obvious difference in price, there are also benefits to getting a secondhand Corolla Altis. 
 

Let’s start first with the maintenance of the vehicle itself, both use naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engines. Let’s say you’re thinking of getting the 1.5-liter Vios, there are a bunch of 1.6-liter Corolla Altis in great condition on the second hand car market. 
 

Just to compare, the Vios and the Corolla Altis need the same amount of spark plugs (4), and the same amount of oil (4 liters) for the basic change oil PMS service. 
 

Moving on to fuel consumption, the Vios 1.5-liter hits 9-10 km/l in the city and can get up to 15-16 km/l on the highway, the Corolla Altis is trumped by a mere 1-2 km/l on both city and highway driving conditions. Yet, the Altis makes more power and torque on tap. 
 

With fuel prices nowadays, wouldn’t it be great to put all the money you saved on getting a decent second hand Corolla Altis towards fuel? Without necessarily sacrificing (much) fuel consumption in the first place?
 

Of course, there are many examples we can give (model vs. model) but in reality, the decision comes down to any individual's current buying power. What we’re merely stating is that buying a well-maintained second hand vehicle is not a downgrade. In fact, it might be a better overall investment decision because whether new or old all cars depreciate over time. So with this in mind why not start saving as much money from the get go? Instead of losing more at the beginning of your car ownership experience. 
 

Should you be interested in looking at secondhand car options do check out the Automart.PH website which has a whole host of vehicle models to choose from.

If you would like to go premium and get the best used car out there, Automart Certified Vehicles are also an option. These vehicles have undergone a rigorous 176-point checklist to ensure that they are in like-new condition. They also come with a 1 year, or 10,000 Km warranty, and a 5-day, money-back guantee.