Justin Baltes and Sofia Cretu – Mustangs Ahead

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL)- Purchasing a first car can be a stressful and confusing experience. It’s an expensive and sometimes risky decision.

Some teens are handed down a car from an older sibling or parent, some buy their own and some are even gifts.  Pre-owned cars are the most affordable choice, but not always the most convenient. Pre-owned cars require more maintenance per mile and may have unresolved issues.

The older a car and its parts are, the more inconvenient, and sometimes pricey, fixing it will be. If a car is foreign, replacing its parts can be significantly more expensive than replacing the parts of a domestic car.

Some people prefer shopping in person while others prefer to shop online for cars.

Shopping with online websites can be very helpful with buying cars. These websites can show the previous history with the cars showing previous accidents and maintenance previously done.  

These websites also show pictures of the interior and exterior so you can see the current state of the car. This makes shopping for a car easier with having to ask the dealership less questions about the car because the information provided answers common questions.

Some of these questions include what’s the gas mileage of the car, how much the car will cost, how many miles are on the car, and lastly what safety features are on the car.

While shopping for cars online is becoming a more common way of buying cars, the disadvantage of shopping online is that you can’t feel how the car drives the noises it makes while you drive it and if the windows may not work.

It’s difficult to find a low milage, pre-owned car on the more affordable end. Some people also prefer the looks of an older car.

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LRHS senior Ryan Hanson said, “I like the look of the older cars even if the maintenance is more expensive.”

Insurance for older cars is less, but if a minor is in possession of the car, then their insurance will be signifyingly greater. Newer cars tend to also have more expensive insurance rates compared to an older car.

 If these problems wanted to be avoided, people may lean towards purchasing a new car.

A 2023 Honda Civic Sedan goes for $25,050. Although it may be out-of-budget for some, the features it offers make it worthwhile.

Sophomore Dominick Kerman said, “I prefer to drive newer cars because they tend to have less issues and tend to drive better.”