I don’t know if i’d ever buy a brand new car. For example, a new car might be $16k, but one that is 2 years old with 30-40k miles can be had for 9k if you shop around. I don’t know why anyone would buy a brand new car when they can get one that is 2 years old for almost 1/2 the price (assuming they shop around).
Anyone else feel this way, or does the knowledge that nobody has ever used your car before but you have alot of emotional signifigance that overrides the cost difference?
You might want to visit this thread.
I agree with your thinking. My MO is to shop for a 3-4 year old and buy it with a warranty.
Where do you get your warranties? i’ve thought of going here
This thread is better suited for IMHO. I’ll move it for you.
Cajun Man ~ SDMB Moderator
Right now I’m a college student and part time worker. My wants far exceed my salary. Back in March I had to replace my first car (which was totaled after catching fire). I wanted to get a 4 door model with AWD, leather seats, and all the other luxuries. I had about 18k to spend (Finanace 8k plus the 10k from the insurance check). I had two options, get a small economy car that is new or get a used luxury car with 30k miles that originally costed $35k only two years ago.
I ended up getting a used 2000 Oldsmobile Bravada with 32k miles, with a 30k mile warranty. It originally stickered for $33,000. Got it for just under $18,000 including the warranty.
If I had a larger budget I’d get a new car but if I can’t afford nothing but the most basic of new cars then I’d go used everytime.
no
I’d buy a new car, if I could afford it. But that’s my general philosophy, I rarely buy used things and I almost never sell stuff.
I have only had one new car; the 1999 Jeep Cherokee I have today.
My first car was my mon’s 1966 MGB roadster. It didn’t run when I got it, and needed an overhaul to get it on the road. A front axle broke once. It seemed to have a propensity to develop oil leaks. The springs were worn, and it tended to drag the exhaust pipe over speed bumps. The (new) hood did not fit well, so I’d get wet occasionally; especially if someone hit a puddle beside me. The windscreen leaked and I’d have to wear a garbage bag over my left leg to keep it dry during the monsoon months. My next two cars, owned concurrently with the '66, were 1977 MGBs. They liked having electrical problems. For example, one had a fan that would turn itself on for no apparent reason (even when the engine was cold) and run down the battery. The hoods fit better and I could stay dry, but their rear windows (as happens with convertible hoods) were yellow and cloudy. (Fortunately, they zipped down so I could see in the good weather that prevailed in my area. Usually two of the three cars were running at any given time.
I replaced the MGBs with a 1977-1/2 Porsche 924. An excellent little car unfairly stigmatized because of its mixed heritage. Still, it had problems. There was a strong smell of fuel when the tank was filled. Mechanics never could find a leak. The windscreen wipers would turn on in hot weather for no apparent reason. I had to pull the fuse, and then replace it when it rained. The transmission needed to be rebuilt soon after I got it. I replaced the engine at 140,000 miles.
My next car was a 1988 Chevy Sprint Metro that I got with 12,000 miles on the clock. No problems with that one until I crashed it. The next car was a 1985 Sprint (not Metro). It also worked well, but having more miles on it it did not last long. I decided I had to get rid of it when there was a small engine fire.
Next came a 1979 Porsche 911SC. This car was the most fun one I’ve had. Its aging suspension needed to be replaced (I had a race shop put in some nice Bilstein sport shocks). The steering failed one day. I made a right turn and it froze. I was able to get it working through brute force, but the steering mechanism needed to be replaced. I had to replace the timing chains and tensioners. Every time I took it to the shop it cost about $400.
I had a 1979 Honda CX500 motorcycle (after having had two new Yamahas). It had a problem with the thermostat and would overheat. I lost first gear fairly early on. (But it worked okay starting from second.) Hey, I bought it for a dollar. But I got my next bike new.
The Cherokee (which replaced the 911) has been relatively trouble-free. I lost one computer module, but it was covered under the warranty. The “neutral sensor” failed, and that too was repaired under the warranty. The vent switch failed twice, and was repaired under the warranty.
I’ve always had problems with used cars. The problems I’ve had with the Cherokee and the Yamaha were taken care of by the warranties. Given that, I’d tend to buy a new car instead of a used one. This goes for my primary vehicle. I’d have no problem buying used for a second car, but I like having a car whose entire history I have experienced.
On the other hand, some cars hold up better than others. MGBs are notorious for their maintenance requirements. Sprints are so cheap as to be virtually disposable. Porsches are great cars, but repairs are expensive and older ones usually need work. If I needed a boring commuter car that is reliable, I’d have no problem getting a used Honda with 30,000 - 40,000 miles on it.
The cars I buy do not depreciate nearly as quickly as others, so there is less incentive to buy used. I hope to buy another new car in a year or so (2004 Cobra).
Una
People who love cars (like my husband) tend to buy new cars. I’m more practical. I just need to get from point A to point B without breaking down. We bought a 4-year old pick-up with 19,000 miles on it for $8K. We’ve had no trouble with it and it now has 120,000 on it. I just can’t see the sense in spending top dollar on a vehicle, but then I don’t get a kick out of cars. My husband would like to BE a car so he could MARRY one.
I just bought my first new car after a long history of used cars. The used cars cost me so much in repairs, plus they were usually eyesores.
I love the fact that no one else has driven my car.
I don’t know which to buy. My car is a second hand (3rd hand actually) and has never given me a moment’s trouble.
My previous car was new and I had an entire year of trouble with it untill it settled down and only gave occasional trouble. I kept it for 9 years.
Right now I’m thinking of changing my car and will probably buy something older and more fun that will undoubtedly give some trouble but I like messing with cars and can do simple DIY mechanic stuff. My wife has a new car - that is because, we wanted a car that wouldn’t give trouble and that would be covered by the manufacturer also it had a high spec ABS, aircon (only coming into Ireland), TCS, aloads of airbags etc and in the 4 years that she has owned it all the trouble was a light bulb and a safety recall. She didn’t want a car that migh not start or could breakdown.
I know that there are ways around these problems - Auto association, dealers warranties and so on but buying a new car cuts out a lot of those problems (I never trust dealers completely, especially having worked for one).
I think it’s a matter of what suits you but It really annoys me to see a car that costs €25k lose €5-6k the minute it hits the road. and there is a lot to be said for buying an ext fleet car - it might have been drived by a maniac but it will have been serviced at the regular intervals by a qualified mechanic with original parts, which is more than any of my cars has ever got.
I used to be opposed to buying used cars, but with the increase in leasing and the long-term warranties most dealers give these days, I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.
My wife, however, refuses to buy anything used, much less something as expensive as an automobile. In her book, you may as well be eating uncooked meat if you want to do something foolhardy as buying a used car.
What about a house?
If she had had her way, we would have bought the lot, tore down the house, then had a new one built. Took me the longest time to convince her that in the United States, buying “old” homes was the normal way of doing things.
(Our current home is only 30 years old, but she still gets mildly irked at its “age” :rolleyes: )
I don’t know. It seems like a big waste of money, but on the other hand, I don’t know very much about cars and I’d be worried that a used car would have problems that I wouldn’t be able to detect until it was too late.
Doubt the issue will come up, as I’m giving serious thought to going car-free after my current one dies. (Current car used to be my mom’s, seven years old when I acquired it, now twelve with no problems. If only it could always be that simple.)
Not on a bet! Everyone I know who has done so has gotten totally screwed. Not to mention what’s the depreciation right off of the lot? 20%?
Forget it, let someone else take the loss and buy one a few years old.
Fretful, you don’t have to be a mechanic yourself. Used car dealers will generally let your mechanic check out your potential ride. And you can easily check the car’s VIN history through Autocheck or Carfax for accidents, water damage, emissions tests, mileage anomalies, fleet use, lease history, police use, liens, rental use or taxicab use. And used car dealers know that you can do that, so they shy away from the dogs.
In general, you’ll pay less to a dealer for the same car than you will to a private seller (OK, you could stumble upon a distress sale). And buying from a used dealer these days will likely afford you the opportunity to get a warranty, if the car’s not still in factory warranty. Or, an extended warranty if it is.
BTW, since you asked, The Calculus of Logic, my warranty is through National Administrative Solutions Corp., and I have had some warranty work done through them and am quite satisfied thus far (coolant leak in the alternator - replaced).
Cars these days are built much better, and it makes much more sense to me to pick’em up at 3-4 years of age, when they’re still pretty new and current, but the depreciation curve has mellowed out quite a bit. I recognize that we all think our own solutions are the best.
Hmm…, anybody know of a graph of automobile depreciation over time? I suppose, if we were to be complete in our ruminations, we’d have also to consider a graph of maintenance, insurance and operating costs over time.
I, like spooje, take comfort in the fact that I know EVERYTHING that has ever happened to my car. I know the service history, how it was driven, how every single mile was put on that car. Since I have already had it for 5 years, and intend to keep it for a number more, I think that I will get my value out of it.
I guess I’ve just given up on finding the right virgin, Cheesesteak.