Car buying spinoff: New or Used?

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  • New

    Votes: 10 15.2%
  • Used

    Votes: 26 39.4%
  • Depends on the situation

    Votes: 30 45.5%

  • Total voters
    66
I would prefer new or at least new-ish, my current was a 3 year lease return that had less than 12k miles

previous was new, before that was used
 
I think the right used car can be the best option money wise, but I have had multiple friends go down the used route and had bad experiences.

With many new cars today coming with standard service included for X amount of miles, along with warranty, comes peace of mind that you won’t get with a used car. CPO does give peace of mind as well but the prices imo are too high to justify that. If going the used route I’d go for something around 20k miles, service history with no issues, and private sale. That will be the best long term value imo.
 
I usually look for a low mile 4 year old vehicle when I'm in the market. The only new car my wife and I have gotten was 2 years ago when used were listed for more than new. Weird time...
 
Usually slightly used but my last truck I did buy new. With incentives, the price of new in Dec. of ‘23, was actually cheaper than used ones I could find. I don’t finance vehicles.

I bought a new 2016 F150 with the help of a THPer on a Ford A Plan, my only other new vehicle.

The bigger thing is buy what you can afford and anything you buy out of the finance office is a scam. If you want an extended warranty, shop around online at the dealers who do the, sell more for less, thing.
 
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I don’t plan on another vehicle until we relocate/retire where 4WD isn’t needed. I’m happy to rot along with my Tacoma.
 
I used to buy early in my married life, and after the first few cars realized that we wanted to sell them once they turned 5, particularly when all the warranties on the car expired. So after that, we turned to leasing. With leasing, we don't worry about the car going out of warranty; most manufacturers give you at least a few maintenance visits as part of the lease, and from a tax standpoint and purchase price - you are only paying for the value of the car for the period you use it - so if you have a 3 year lease, you pay for the delta between the sticker price and the trade-in price -- same thing when it comes to taxes, taxes only on that 3 year portion.
 
The biggest depreciation is in the first couple of years. I let someone else take that hit and buy used around 30k miles.
 
Out of all the Vehicles I and Wife have bought, 2 were new. Only because I was unable to find used even though they had been out for 2 years, they were that good.
 
Depends. I’ve done both.

Current truck that I just recently paid off was a dealer demo. Had 5,000 km on it, all driven by the sales manager. I got it for used price but came with full factory warranty and dealer maintenance for 5 years.

Wife’s car is brand new. Zero headaches for her and it’s a business expense.

Previous rig was a lease return. Great vehicle too.
 
For the Toyota example, certain models like Tacomas and 4runners, may only be about 3-5k cheaper than brand new unless you get crazy high miles. On used cars you typically have a higher interest rate, so buying new might overall be cheaper if you're financing the car. I've seen Toyota's like that be able to be certified used with 80k miles on them...that's insane.
I’ve bought nothing but Toyotas since 2008. My Tacomas have held their value very well which has made it easy to trade for something new. Like you said, you don’t save much on a used Toyota and the interest rates are much better on new.

Also, watching people drive around town makes me not want to buy used. lol
 
Have bought a couple used and a couple new and luckily never had a single problem with any of our cars. New car smell is always fun and nice to have something you know hasn’t been abused, but I’m also perfectly fine going slightly used for the $ savings.
 
Cars are always bought used. Motorcycles are always bought new.
I used try and buy low mileage cars no more than 24 months old, but the way cars are being built these days, I find myself looking at older cars just so that I can keep the fun factor.
 
I get reimbursed for mileage, so I can afford a $600 payment. I drive a lot. I prefer new vehicles. I know they depreciate quickly, but I feel like they will run better later.

I had a 2012 Chrysler 200 that I had 215,000 miles on. Ran great. Never had a problem with the engine or transmission. But I had to replace the heating core and the ZC compressor 4 times each. And the end of my time with it, the rotors were shot.

In 2018 I traded in the Chrysler for a new Mazda CX-5. It was fantastic, but the end gasket gave out in 2022. Apparently with my model run, that was a common issue.

I realize how these two stories contradict my reasoning.
 
I have always bought used, but with used pricing right now i am considering new for my next purchase. With what i have been looking for, i can get new for only like $7K more than what i can find used with ~50K miles on it going for. Didnt used to be like that.
 
I always bought new, especially when they were a business deduction. I am buying my wife a new car. But last year when my kids car needed to go, I gave him my 2016 Duramax Colorado with 80K on it and bought myself a very low miles, fully loaded 2016 Silverado LTZ.
Kids might grow up, but you are never really rid of them. Lol.
 
I voted Used, but probably should have voted for Depends.

If not already, we're going to see deep discounts and major incentives on the trucks and SUVs that are over $60K as the demand is drying up at the same time the manufacturers have a glut of inventory. In cases like that, it sometimes makes sense to buy new.
 
It depends. I've had a lot of used and a few new, I prefer new in my daily.

Fun car would be used because what I want is OLD.
 
Both of mine were used

Let someone else pay the depreciation
Especially on foreign cars that have excise taxes involved on new cars
 
I bought everything used before I got married. Since then, she insists I buy everything new. If I had room in my garage I'd buy a nice '64 Cadillac Coupe just to spite her.
 
I’m noodling the idea of buying a truck. It’s been 20 years since I last had one.

I’m seeing absolute horror stories around the new trucks, even the Toyotas, with premature engine failures. Even the bread and butter small block V8s are having issues. I think the fuel and emission regs are finally taking their toll on these vehicles as well as an apparent shift toward planned obsolescence mentality among the car makers.

I’ll either keep my 04 suburban running, or look for a truck of the same vintage.
 
Certified Pre-Owned, so I voted Used, though they are treated differently in the industry.

Save most of the early depreciation, still lower miles, still recent model year, etc. Drive them as long as possible. Currently have a 2015 and 2019 (both were CPO). Hope to get a few more years at least out of both, especially working from home since Covid, neither has hit 70,000 miles yet.
 
CPO and wont change that. I buy 1 or two year old car with low miles and save on the "off the lot" loss of value
 
I personally have always bought used, but we just bought my wife's 2025 Kia Sorento new. Mainly because there were a couple specific features we wanted that were hard to find in the used models available. But I'm not too worried, she kept her last car for 12 years so I'm planning on long hauling this one.
 
Certified Pre-Owned, so I voted Used, though they are treated differently in the industry.

Save most of the early depreciation, still lower miles, still recent model year, etc. Drive them as long as possible. Currently have a 2015 and 2019 (both were CPO). Hope to get a few more years at least out of both, especially working from home since Covid, neither has hit 70,000 miles yet.
This is what I did with my car. Agree 100% it is the best move as long as not too picky about specific features.
 
New. Last car was new. I’m in the market right now and for my needs an EV makes a lot of sense. The tech in electric cars is changing rapidly I’m probably leasing which means getting new. That way I can rethink the decision in 2-3 years and see what new technology especially in batteries and charging have to offer.
 
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