What is a 'run out' car and why is it a good idea to buy one?

The automotive world is changing faster and faster, and novelties cease to be so in too short a time. In fact, the commercial life of a passenger car is approximately ten years, with various aesthetic updates or restyling that allow cars to maintain a fresh, young, and modern image.The process of replacing models with newer and more modern generations has accelerated in recent years due to the arrival of electrification and digitalization of automobiles, causing models with combustion or semi-hybrid engines to be somewhat sidelined in dealerships in the face of the arrival of more modern, digital, and plug-in models. On the contrary, there are models with years of production that have become practically perfect machines, as they have become cars tested and perfected practically to the extreme, in which the possible incidents and teething problems that a car can have in the initial phase of its production have been improved.It is worth mentioning that modern cars pass all relevant certifications and approvals, but with the passage of years and kilometers, some potential endemic problems or weak points may arise: from a faulty cooling system to electronic folding mirror systems that do not work. Manufacturers, the first to be interested in maintaining the delicate balance between brand reputation and the cost of warranty replacements and repairs, introduce improvements in their cars' production processes to make them increasingly perfected and reliable machines.A more competitive price for a product with guarantees

Let's take the case of the Seat Ibiza or the Seat Arona. Both are cars with more than six years on the market, and while it is true that aesthetically they do not represent any striking novelty, the various aesthetic updates they have received and the deep knowledge of the models in their production process have made them almost perfect machines, without any hidden vice, manufacturing defect or problem to discover. The brand – in this case, Seat – knows that it must adjust the price of the product to the maximum to make it competitive in a market full of novelties, something that, thanks to fully amortized design and pre-production costs, it can afford with relative ease.If we go a little further, it is possible to find cars in an even more attractive situation for the buyer, thanks to run out cars or those in the process of being replaced by a new generation of the model or a completely new model. All manufacturers know that the value of their cars depreciates rapidly when they officially present their successor, as buyers quickly lose interest in the discontinued model in favor of the new model. It is precisely at this point, prior to the presentation of the new generation or model of a particular vehicle, that manufacturers offer end-of-production versions packed with equipment, well tested and proven by thousands of cars in circulation, at a very attractive price. Without going any further, this would be the case of the current Alfa Romeo Giulia and Alfa Romeo Stelvio, two aspirational cars at the end of their commercial life that offer prices significantly below their BMW or Porsche rivals with equivalent power, but with equal or even superior equipment.Evidently, this type of vehicle, at the end of its commercial life, also presents some drawbacks. The first is that these outgoing or end-of-production models do not have the latest generation gadgets and applications, and this can be a problem for the more technological buyer profiles. The other major drawback that these cars at the end of their commercial life suffer from is their design, with an image that is no longer innovative or groundbreaking, which can also be a drawback for buyers who are more sensitive to this aspect.However, cars at the end of their commercial life or run out are a good option for buyers looking for a well-equipped vehicle, at a competitive price, and with the certainty of being a consolidated and proven model, and who want to avoid the possible teething problems that the first units manufactured by any major automotive company have.