Cars are a symbol of power. Private lots and huge car collections are the fantasy of many celebrity watchers. A better option could be cheap cars for some. It's doesn't have to be a clunker just because it doesn't cost a lot. Less expensive can still be functional, and even fun.

A used car purchase can save a lot of money. Even luxury models are much less expensive when purchased second handSecond hand luxury models are cheaper than new. A new term has emerged over the last decade, pre-owned – to denote used cars that are of high quality. These pre-owned vehicles have even managed to pull some long time new car buyers into the used car market. Consider this with luxury cars. Some cars like the Mercedes are so well built they are still new feeling after a decade. In fact, many people have generations of car buyers in their family who always purchase higher end models that are used.Driving Miss Daisy immortalized this concept as Hoak, the driver, kept buying Miss Daisy's used cars.

Some new cars are pretty inexpensive. The Hyundai Elantra is a quality car under $12,000. A well engineered car like the Honda Civic is only around $15K. That's a good car that gets great mileage and lasts forever. Cheaper cars are also generally less costly to maintain, and they don't require premium gasoline.

Try the cheaper, not really cheap, luxury cars. Audi makes luxury cars that compete with Mercedes and Lexus, but generally at the lower end of the price spread for like models. Nobody beats Audi as far as engineering. The Audi TT can be just as much fun as a Porsche, but much less expensive.

Some people aren't happy unless they scrape the bottom of the barrel cheap. When they shop for autos they look for the car their grandparents drove. Teens often buy this style of car. This type of car is good practice for a life of car care, and it gets the job done. Be careful because cheap cars can be busts. A car that constantly breaks down is no bargain at any price.