What are Nearly New Cars?

Nearly New cars are, as their name suggests, not quite brand new cars, but they’re really not that far off.

Nearly New cars generally fall into one of two categories: pre-registered (often advertised as only having “delivery miles”) and ex-demo, the latter meaning a car formerly used by a dealer to show prospective customers a new model.

The most well-used Nearly New cars (if that’s not a contradiction in terms) that are six months to a year old may have as many as 15,000km on the clock, though it’s usually much, much less.

Pre-registered cars, for instance, are ones that have been registered prior to sale by a manufacturer or dealer generally to meet sales targets and they’ll seldom have more than a few dozen kilometres on the odometer.

Ex-demonstrator cars are likely to have been driven quite a bit more, though sky-high mileages are very rare and they won’t usually have covered more than 5,000-10,000km.

What are the disadvantages of buying a Nearly New car?

For many, the appeal of a new car is knowing that they’re the very first owner, the first to really experience that new car interior smell. Pre-reg cars, given that they’ve covered so little distance, are usually, to all intents and purposes, experientially the same as brand new cars, though that can’t always be said about ex-demo examples.

Those who buy a Nearly New car won’t be able to officially claim that theirs is a one-owner-from-new car when they sell it on, because the Vehicle Registration Certificate will show that not to be the case, which may affect the resale value somewhat and thus the cost of financing another car later on.

One of the big advantages of buying a brand new car is that buyers get to order it in their exact preferred specification; that’s not the case with a Nearly New car as it will have been ordered and specified by a dealer to increase general showroom appeal rather than to an individual’s preference.

If the model a buyer is looking for has undergone a recent facelift or suite of upgrades, a Nearly New car may not feature the latest styling tweaks or equipment updates, which could affect its desirability and, further down the line, its resale value.

What are the benefits of buying a Nearly New car?

The biggest advantage to buying a Nearly New car is value compared to something brand new. Buyers can potentially save hundreds or even thousands of euro by buying Nearly New instead of brand new and they may end up getting more car for their cash too. This can usefully reduce both the up-front purchase price and long-term finance payments.

Because demonstrator cars are usually loaded with optional extras such as reversing cameras and heated seats in order to increase showroom appeal, buying an ex-demo car could mean that a buyer ends up getting a high-spec model for much less than the cost of a lower-spec, brand-new or even pre-registered car.

Again, an ex-demo model or a pre-registered car may not be available in a buyer’s preferred spec, but given that the colours and options on Nearly New cars are designed to have mass appeal, the buyer is almost never likely to end up with a totally spartan car in a seriously off-putting colour.

Despite having a higher mileage than a brand-new or pre-registered car, an ex-demonstrator will have been well maintained by a dealer’s mechanics to keep it in the best shape to show to customers.

An ex-demo model will also be thoroughly prepared and detailed inside and out prior to sale, so it’s unlikely to look or feel tired or grubby as some used cars can, and, given how new it is, it’s also likely to be sold with most of its warranty intact, providing added reassurance. A dealer or manufacturer may even reset the warranty to give a buyer the full duration of cover.

Should I buy a Nearly New car?

If you’re in the market for a new car, you’re not too fussed about spec, you don’t much care about being the first owner on the logbook and you’re searching for a good deal, then yes. Nearly New cars offer a great value proposition compared to ordering a brand new model with few objective downsides.

Some of the usual caveats when it comes to buying a used car apply though; always thoroughly check the condition of the bodywork and interior for dents, marks and scratches — no, you’re not likely to unearth as many horror stories as you might be with a used car, but any dings could be used to further strengthen your negotiating position when buying the car and may get you either money off or a nice surprise like a full tank of fuel thrown in.