People need cars for all kinds of purposes. However, you might put off getting one. Let’s go over some of the more pressing reasons why you might decide the time has come to get yourself a new vehicle, either for yourself or your family.
You Hit a Pedestrian or Another Vehicle with Your Car
A car accident is definitely one of the most pressing reasons why you would need to get a new vehicle. For instance, maybe you were on a busy street, and you hit a pedestrian who darted out in front of you. The DOT estimates that vehicles going above 30 mph kill 40% of pedestrians that they hit, so the person you strike with your car will be lucky to walk away from the incident.
If you damaged your car quite a bit during this accident, you might be able to take it to a well-regarded mechanic who can repair it. Maybe your vehicle was already pretty old, though, or perhaps you totaled it. If you total a car, that means it would cost more to replace the vehicle than what it’s worth.
You might either head over to a dealership and get a brand-new vehicle if you feel like that is the most prudent move, or else you can purchase a used or certified pre-owned one. If you buy certified pre-owned, the car you get will not be very old, and it should be in good shape. You can probably still get a pretty decent warranty on it as well.
You Have a Teen Who is Getting Their Driver’s License
Maybe you have a teenager in your family who is about to take their driving test. Perhaps they passed already, and they’re eager to get out on the road. They may want a car to drive to and from school, or maybe they have a part-time job for which they need transportation.
Some families won’t be able to afford to get their new teen driver a vehicle. Perhaps you can let them borrow the family car sometimes, but that’s about the most you can do.
Still, maybe you have an older vehicle, and you feel like you can hand it down to your teen driver and get a new car for yourself. That way, they have a starter car they can use to get some real-world driving experience, and they won’t hassle you constantly to borrow the one vehicle you have available.
Your Car Has Many Miles on It
It could be that your vehicle is too old to stay on the road for much longer. There are certain cars and companies where you can push a vehicle to considerably more than 100,000 miles. You see cars on the road sometimes with close to double that.
Sooner or later, though, your car’s age and the number of miles on it will catch up to it. You will start having mechanical issues that could quickly get expensive.
A vehicle might have sentimental value, but at some point, you need to look at the situation logically. When the repairs cost more than you know the car is worth, that is when you need to get a newer model. You should attempt to look on the bright side, though: at least you’ll get a car with updated safety features.
You’re Sick of Public Transportation
There are certainly lots of good reasons to take public transportation when you can. For instance, it helps the environment when you don’t drive a gas-guzzling vehicle. This is an option if you live in a city where there are plenty of buses and trains.
However, you might not like taking the bus or train to and from work every day. Sometimes they don’t run on schedule. You probably don’t like standing out in the rain and cold waiting for a train that’s stuck on the tracks because of a mechanical issue or a belligerent passenger.
If you have the money for your own vehicle, that means no more waiting for public transportation. You can hop in the car and leave your house whenever you feel like it, and you can listen to your music or a podcast along the way. The downside is that you’ll have car payments from now on if you leased the vehicle, and you must also pay for the insurance.
If you’re in any of these situations, a new vehicle is probably the best move.