What Is A Beater Car?
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What is a beater car? In short, a beater car is a term that refers to an extremely cheap, older, and usually “beat up” vehicle. It is a car that is meant to be expendable and does not require much investment upfront to buy one.
You may need to drive with the windows down to make up for not having A/C or deal with cosmetic issues like a seat cushion with loose stuffing, but a beater car will get you from Point A to Point B without breaking the bank. Keep reading to learn more about what is a beater car, when a beater car is a good idea, and what the pros and cons are of buying one.
What Is A Beater Car?
While everyone’s definition of what is a beater car may be a little different, in general, they share some common characteristics. A beater car is typically:
- At least 10-15 years old
- Easily obtained with cash
- Cheap enough that you wouldn’t be very upset if it broke down or you crashed it
- Flawed cosmetically or even mechanically
- A high mileage vehicle
Beater cars may even have a salvage title, meaning that it has been in a major accident in the past and has been deemed a loss by the insurance company. Popular beater cars include Honda, Toyota, Nissan because they are generally reliable as well as cheap and easy to own, fix, and maintain.
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Who Should Buy A Beater Car?
A beater car would be a great option for a new driver, college student, or anyone looking to secure basic transportation at the lowest possible basic and hopefully while avoiding the need to take out a loan. If your credit score is not the greatest, or you otherwise don’t think you will qualify for financing, beater cars are easily obtainable with cash. It is often a smart financial option for many people to avoid having a monthly payment for a vehicle.
Many people use beater cars for work because they are cheap, and you can use them for hauling tools and other things without worrying about messing up your seats or scratching your paint job. Some households like to keep a beater car on hand for activities they don’t want to use their daily driver for, like moving furniture, picking up that Christmas tree every year, or teaching a young teen driver the rules of the road.
The reason that beater cars make a great first car is that they will not hurt your family’s pocketbook if your teen crashes, dents, or otherwise damages it while learning how to drive. Many households also want to teach their kids the responsibility of caring for a basic car before buying a brand new expensive vehicle.
In fact, according to a 2020 survey done by The Zebra, 33% of Americans purchased a beater car as their first car, while another 31% obtained one as a “hand me down” from an older sibling or a parent.
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Pros & Cons of Beater Cars
How do you know if a beater car is right for you? Read through this list of pros and cons below to weigh the benefits for your own personal situation to find out!
PRO: Saves You Money
Beater cars are by default the cheapest cars on the market. They can be obtained for a few thousand or even a few hundred dollars if you know where to look. Beyond just the cost of the car itself, beater cars will also save you money on insurance, taxes, registration fees, and possibly even maintenance. Many older cars are very simple to maintain, and parts can be easily found at junkyards if needed.
PRO: No Need To Worry About Depreciation
With a new car, you lose value the moment you drive off the lot. (According to Edmunds, the average is 11% depreciation the moment you buy the car!) But with a beater car, you can run up the mileage, scratch up the paint, and even dent the bumper without worrying about losing any value.
If your beater car is your second car, you can use it for long road trips, hauling jobs, and other duties that you don’t want to use your brand new “daily driver” vehicle for.
CON: May Have Serious Imperfections
Beater cars are not for everyone. You may have to deal with car doors that get stuck, a radio that doesn’t work, seatbelts that don’t always function properly, and other annoyances. These flaws can be an embarrassment for some people, why others do not care and are just happy to own a car. You have to decide if you can deal with the quirks of having an older, run-down vehicle. For example, a car without A/C may not be an option if you live in the South. Shop around, and you may get lucky with a beater car that doesn’t have any of your dealbreakers.
CON: Buying A Beater Car Can Be A Gamble
Even if you have the car inspected by a third-party mechanic, as you should, you still take a gamble when you buy an older vehicle. The risk of engine problems and other serious mechanical issues can also be a real issue, and this risk only increases the more mileage your beater car has. If you don’t have the ability to fix these issues yourself or to afford major repairs, you may be better off financing a slightly newer vehicle that is more reliable.
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Final Thoughts
You don’t have to go into debt to have safe and even reliable transportation. Be on the lookout for cheap cash cars near you that would make the perfect “beater car” to run into the ground without the hassle of a car payment. You just may find that the vehicle ownership experience is much more enjoyable with a car that you can afford to own and can stand to lose.
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