Buying a thermal car in 2023, a good or bad idea?

• While the prices of electric vehicles have risen, buying a thermal model in 2023 may be attractive
• However, some conditions must be met.
• This will probably be the last time

2023, a crucial year for the automotive industry? Today more than ever the question of buying a new electric or thermal car arises. At least for consumers with enough financial resources to buy new ones, but not enough so that budget doesn’t become a secondary criterion.

In 2023, an electric car costs an average of 10,000 euros more compared to its thermal equivalent. On the other hand, petrol and diesel are becoming more and more expensive, much more than electricity, and this despite the increases in recent months.

The question also arises of the value of the vehicle in a few years. How much will a thermal car be worth in 5, 7, 10, 15 years? Similarly, what subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles will be available next year, in two years, in 10 years?

Faced with so many questions, it is legitimate to do so wondering if buying an internal combustion vehicle is still a good idea in 2023. We have studied the matter.

Buy no

No need to prolong the suspense, the thermal car is still a good idea on one condition: don’t buy it. The difference in purchase price between an electric and a thermal one is still too great to make the purchase profitable. Unless you are a big traveler and plan to keep your vehicle for more than 7 years.

In fact, electric car prices have risen a lot with inflation (with the exception of some good deals like the Tesla Model 3 during the summer of 2023). And if fuel prices have also exploded at the same time, it will be necessary to travel more than 100,000 kilometers in electric mode to compensate for the difference in price with a thermal model. At the rate of 10,000 km per year, it will therefore take ten years to recover the initial investment. Large rollers, on the other hand, amortize the difference more quickly (about 5 years at the rate of 20,000 km per year).

But beware of resale! Very intelligent who predicts the trends of the automotive market between 5 and 10 years. The internal combustion engine you buy today may not be worth much in 10 years. And buyers will likely be rarer.

Rent yes

For this reason, we advise you instead to contact the rental if, for reasons that belong to you, you want to ride in thermals. Indeed, when a leasing contract (LOA or LLD) is signed, the residual value is known from the outset.

Leasing is also aimed at motorists who change vehicles regularly, generally every 3 or 4 years. Thereby, in LOA or LLD you can still afford a thermal vehicle at a more competitive price an electric or hybrid knowing the discount of your vehicle at the end of the contract.

The only additional cost will be that of fuel but, as we explained above, the price difference with an electric model is recovered only after several years, much more than the 3 or 4 years of the leasing contract.

If you still haven’t found the electric vehicle that’s right for you, or if you’re still reluctant, you can still turn to a thermal model, provided you opt for a leasing offer. But this will probably be the last time you opt for such an engine.