by Joshua Pantalleresco

Created on: April 20, 2009   Last Updated: April 24, 2009

I don't drive and have been very hesitant to take that step to buy a car. The biggest reason up until this point has been a lack of a need for one. Most of the places I have lived have had great alternatives to driving, and I've used them. To me, travelling all the miles I've travelled, a car just seems like a glorified waste of time. Sure it's convenient, but what are you really getting when you buy a car?

New cars especially are long term investments. For all that new car feel, look and smell, this is the automobile you will have for a LONG time before you see any return of its value. Is the investment really worth the reward? That is the question you need to ask when you look at a car, especially in these tough economic times.

So let's ask ourselves this: For the most part what do you get when you buy a car?

1) Convenience - barring an actual business use, this is the number one reason people buy a car, whether they realize it or not. An automobile's biggest advantage is its ability to get you from point a to b in a reasonably quick period of time. That's why we buy one. It gives the average person range with how far they can go. Say I wanted or needed to drive a hundred miles. I could, no questions asked. That is the automobile's only advantage.

2) Business Reasons - if you're a taxi driver, truck driver, courier etc. you need a car, and that's all there is to it. That doesn't mean you need a new top of a line car. It just means you need some kind of car for your business.

3) Perception - Let's be honest: people love being the center of attention in a new car. There's that new car smell and shine that just can't be duplicated. This is usually accompanied by a joyful glee on the driver's end. And it feels good. And why wouldn't it?

If you look carefully at this list, only one of the reasons are what I would call necessary. The rest of them are for people with money. Now if you are one of them, chances are this article is making you feel good. If you're not, you really need to consider what exactly you are buying with a car. Most people don't. They see only the convenience.

Here are a few reasons why someone should think twice about buying a car.

1) Low return on investment - cars on average drop in value for about two decades before you recieve any profit. cars become junk and like everything else in the market, it's value depreciates the moment it leaves the store or lot. Are you willing to wait two decades before you see a profit? Because on average that's how

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