The pre-owned car market in India has been slowly and steadily growing in India over the last few years. In recent times, due to the semiconductor shortage, the used car market saw a lot of customers. However, the majority of the used car business in India is handled by third-party dealers. While premium brands like BMW have been running a pre-owned car business for a while, this hasn’t expanded into the more affordable segments.
Recently, Kia India entered this market with Kia Certified Pre-owned Cars. This will be helpful for many people buying pre-owned cars in India since brands run a thorough check of these cars. However, Kia is only one such brand. Therefore, the question of brands VS local dealers for pre-owned cars still remains. Let’s answer this today!
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Why are more people buying pre-owned cars?
In the last two years, the world has faced a lot of problems and delays, and so has the automobile industry. With the shortage of chips and parts, manufacturers weren’t able to cope with the demand, and waiting periods for cars rose up. So much so that even a regular car like a Hyundai Creta had a waiting period of more than 8 months. This is still prevalent in cases of models like the XUV700, Thar, etc. While there are people who can wait for a new car, there are some people who have an immediate need. Pre-owned cars come in as a good option here. They’re readily available, they’re much cheaper than new cars, and a buyer can choose exactly what fits his/her budget.
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Buying pre-owned cars from local dealers
This is the most common place where people go to buy pre-owned cars. Local dealers have an expensive lineup of various cars that a buyer can choose from. Moreover, this has been the system for buying pre-owned cars for a long time. However, the trust factor here is a bit dodgy. There are some dealers who are honest with the buyers, and there are some who hamper a car just to make a sale. Therefore, it becomes the customer’s responsibility to make sure that the product they’re spending lakhs on, is in the right condition. This really brings down the overall experience and hence people hesitate before going to dealers.
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Buying pre-owned cars from brands
The game of buying pre-owned cars changes a bit in this case because the manufacturer is directly involved. Yes, dealerships running this business on the ground are also local dealers, buy their functioning, and SOPs are directed by the brand. Here, the chances of you getting a faulty car go down significantly because the brand will evaluate the cars themselves and put them through various checks. The process of walking into a showroom remains the same and the overall experience is much better here. However, the experience, the checks, and the peace of mind here come at a cost. A local dealer might give you a much better deal as compared to a brand.
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Conclusion
Well, the conclusion for this is not black and white. There are many variables in the picture and both cases may defeat each other in different scenarios of buying pre-owned cars. So, if you personally know a local dealer, and the trust factor is strong, then buying pre-owned cars from there makes more sense as you will get a better deal. However, if you’re unaware of the trustworthy dealers in your area and don’t really know anyone who can help, going to a brand directly will be less risky.
Which option is better for buying pre-owned cars in India? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
