The Benefits of Buying a Demo Car

My husband and I buy cars new and keep them until they die. Eighteen and a half years ago, we purchased a Toyota Sienna minivan when our oldest child was four months old. That car has run great and currently has almost 240,000 miles on it. Since our oldest is now in college and needs a car, we decided to give him the minivan and buy ourselves a new car. We never thought we’d buy a test drive vehicle, but there are benefits to buying a demo car from the dealer.

Our Car Search

Our car search was frustrating, as most car buyers can attest to in this post-Covid economy. We wanted a Toyota Corolla Cross, but when we went to the dealership, there was only one on the lot—the demo car. We drove it and liked it, but the model is too new to have many used vehicles available. If we wanted to buy new, the wait would be up to six months long.

After test driving the Corolla Cross demo, we tried other makes and models but wanted the Cross. So, about two months later, we returned to the dealership prepared to order a new car and wait six months for our vehicle.

That’s when the salesman let us know that the dealership had received a new Corolla Cross 2023 demo, so the car we had test driven, the Corolla Cross 2022, was for sale.

We bought it and have owned it for a month now.

The Benefits of Buying a Demo Car

There are several benefits of buying a demo car.

We Got the Car Immediately

The most significant benefit is that we took possession of the car immediately. We didn’t have to wait six months! Our son is happy that he could inherit our older vehicle more quickly.

This may not be a perk usually, but considering the new car shortages thanks to COVID, this was a big plus.

The Car Had Upgrades We Wouldn’t Have Purchased

Generally, I buy the most economical new vehicle. I bypass the cars with upgrades. However, the demo car has a moonroof, a splurge I would never have paid for. I’ve never had a moonroof before, and I’m enjoying it.

We Saved (a Little) Money

After we bought our car, I saw the sticker price in the glove compartment. We saved $100 off the new price. However, since there were no longer any 2022 models available when we bought our car, we would have had to pay for a 2023, which would have been more expensive. So, we did save a little.

I have read that before this crazy car market, people often save $2,000 to $3,000 off the sticker price when buying the demo, but that wasn’t our experience.

Final Thoughts

Buying a demo car has many benefits, but the most significant one is that we could drive the car off the lot instead of waiting six months for a new vehicle. So far, we like our vehicle, and we’re happy that even though it was a demo, it only had 2,400 miles when we purchased it.

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Melissa Batai

Melissa is a freelance writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking.