Buying a new car can be a big moment in a driver's life. It might be the biggest purchase you ever make other than a home so it pays to do some research into which car, truck, van, or SUV is right for you.

The current automotive market offers a very wide variety of vehicles for just about any taste, any necessity, and any budget. Whether you're looking for a small, frugal commuter, a reliable family hauler, a hard-working truck, an exciting performance car, a fancy luxury car, or anything in-between, you're sure to find something that's just right for you on the new car market and Autotrader is the perfect place to find it.

Pros and Cons:

Pros: Perhaps the most obvious pro of buying a new car is that you are the first owner. Buying new ensures you'll get the most possible life out of the car since it has almost no miles on it when you start driving it. Even the cleanest used cars can't be in as good of condition as a new car. If you're planning on keeping the car long-term, you can get a lot of years and a lot of miles out of your new car.
New cars have excellent warranties that can give you peace of mind. Having your maintenance covered for a certain period ensures that you won't have to worry about maintenance for a while and by the time your warranty expires, you might want to trade-in for another car anyway.

There's a big safety benefit to buying the newest car you can afford. When you buy a new car, you're ensuring you're getting a car that's up to the most recent safety standards in both crash testing and in safety technology. A new car compared to a used car from even five years ago can have big safety advantages with things like more airbags, a more rigid construction, and more advanced technology like a backup camera which is now mandatory on every new car sold in the U.S.

Safety aside, it's nice to have the newest technology in your car. For example, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have become common features in cars in the last few years, but are hard to find on the used market. Modern connectivity features like these can make buying new very appealing.

Cons: While buying new might be the most satisfying way to buy a car, it's also the most expensive. Some cars depreciate faster than others, but no matter what you're buying, your new car is going to experience depreciation the minute you drive it off the lot. That's not to say buying a new car isn't a good value, but it's a financial hit you should keep in mind if you're shopping for a new car. Consider doing a little homework on the depreciation rate of the car you have your eye on before pulling the trigger.