I cannot begin to tell you how much I love used cars! Actually, yes I can begin to tell you - that is what I am doing right here. Call me a nostalgia nut, call me old-fashioned, but they just do not make cars as they used to. That is why for me buying used is the only way to go. With every new purchase of something old, I dip into the past (like a time traveler) and pluck out what I love the most in an automobile. Here are 3 things I love the most about buying used.

Learning

Seriously, what is there to learn about new cars? Depending on the make, they usually go for a long time without a problem. Sure, no problem is a good thing for most consumers, but not for me. I am a problem-solver; I am a Mr. Fixit. Let me get into something that does not work and over a short period of time, I am an expert. My first used car was the best experience to date. It was so rundown that aside from learning how the basics of car maintenance and restoration, I became a pro at transmission repair. Now all of my friends and family come to me instead of the local mechanic. Not only am I cheaper, but I am more passionate considering my love to learn is the reason I work on cars in the first place.

Loving

How can you love something new? That love can develop over time, but by the time you are in love, that thing is technically used. It sounds silly (potentially sentimental) but I believe used cars have been loved for so long that your bond with it can be instantaneous! Metaphysics aside, I believe that love for used cars can be a bond as strong as that between people.

Price

Cheap, cheaper and cheapest. When you buy used, you are in the market to spend as less money than you would for something new. For the average consumer, this relates to the high cost of maintenance and repair, often times becoming more of a financial burden than buying new from the start. Again, these people do not see it from my perspective. Cars, bikes, or any method of mechanical transportation requires more than just the financial commitment. If you are going to buy a car, it is going to be yours. Since you are the owner, you owe it to your car and to yourself to be the master of that car. If a tire goes flat, find out how to repair it yourself. Once the checklist is complete, which takes only having your first real clunker, you will be such a pro that the price of used cars no longer comes with the additional worries of future failure. Then, and only then, is the cost of buying used truly appreciated.