What would it take to get you into a new car?

The Lotteries Commission, otherwise I'm happy with motorcycles and almost any car which mostly safe and reliable.
 

dilettante said:
True enough, but the lifetime depreciation curve is not the same for all makes and models.

By buying new you know the history of its use and abuse, with used it can be a crapshoot. You usually don't get documentation of oil changes, much less more serious investments in keeping it on the road and safe to drive.

Try to find a 2 year old car that wasn't dumped for a good reason, such as unreliability or repeated repairs.
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True about buying used cars. But what about pre-owned certified ones?
 

OneEyedDiva said:
True about buying used cars. But what about pre-owned certified ones?
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In 2020, I bought a 2 year old Toyota that had just come off lease. It had been leased from, and regularly serviced by, the dealer we purchased it from. They provided copies of the service records when I bought it.

It was pre-owned, certified and came with a warranty. It's now 5 years later and no mechanical repairs have been needed beyond regular servicing.
 
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I could have paid cash for my new car but since the interest rate was 2.9% I took a loan for half the amount because my investments make more money. This is the first time that I didn’t buy certified used from the dealer in 34 years because the price reduction wasn’t enough to make it worthwhile.
 
StarSong said:
In 2020, I bought a 2 year old Toyota that had just come off lease. It had been leased from, and regularly serviced by, the dealer we purchased it from. They provided copies of the service records when I bought it.

It was pre-owned, certified and came with a warranty. It's now 5 years later and no mechanical repairs have been needed beyond regular servicing.
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That's great Star. Right around the time my son's wife died, he had awful car issues that required thousands to fix. He couldn't sell it for that reason and due to large, unexpected debt connected to her death, couldn't afford to get another one. I decided that if the car couldn't be fixed (two mechanics had looked at it before the third, who was able to fix it), I'd look into buying him a pre-owned vehicle, which I figured would cost a lot less than a new car.
 
To get me into a new car . . . Offer a car that I'd actually want to own.

1. Safe and reliable would be a given.
2. 4-Speed manual transmission.
3, Easy to get in and out of including decent headroom.
4. None of the ever present cheap, useless, whiz-bang electronics.
5. No keyless entry/keyless ignition.
6. Decent headlights (my Rav4's LEDs are useless on winding, hilly 2-lane roads).
7. Good backup camera.
8. Light colored fabric interior and comfortable seats.
9. Interior courtesy lights under the dashboard (remember those?)
10. Space for a small trash bag and a box of tissues.

I could probably think of at least a dozen more. My current car has #1, #5, and #7. Since nothing close to this currently exists, I'll likely keep the current RAV4 for as long as I can. :rolleyes:
 
I'll buy a new one when my 16 year old Honda is ready for the scrap yard.

My philosophy is to buy new. Don't abuse it. Do regular maintenance and keep it till it's ready for the junk yard.
 
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Not. Had this one now for 7 years. For me, a car is simply a tool to get from point A to B. I don't need a status symbol, just reliable transportation that fits my lifestyle. But, that is me. INHO, the best vehicle is one that is paid for.

Yoda detailed.jpg
 
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Trade said:
I'll buy a new one when my 19 year old Honda is ready for the scrap yard.

My philosophy is to buy new. Don't abuse it. Do regular maintenance and keep it till it's ready for the junk yard.
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That's me. I paid $10,000 cash for my Neon in 1998 and It's still doing fine and even still looks clean and white. I'll drive it till my knees can't lift me out of the low seat anymore.
dilettante said:
Several things dampen my enthusiasm. One is putting up with car dealer games where every effort is made to screw you out of the last dime possible. Another is that the car I'm interested in is in its first model year since major refresh and drivetrain change. One more is that colors I am interested in are not being sold with interior colors I want (I don't care for those completely blacked-out interiors, I'm not a drug dealer).

But at the same time I'm on the clock. Right now I get offers on my current car at 40% of the price of the new car I'm considering. That trade-in value is going to decline, the 7 year mark is nearly here.
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Just on this dreary day we drove by a parking lot and I remarked to my husband how all the cars were either dark gray light gray or black. Isn't it time for a return to the pretty colors of the past?

We have a 95 year-old friend who recently bought himself a sporty new car in candy-apple red and he looks so happy in it. I said to my husband that I think older people who love cars and have worked hard and saved all their lives owe it to themselves to buy something that makes them smile. I saw his face light-up. :D
 
I bought my last new vehicle in 1987, a work van and it lasted 19 years. I’ve since bought 2 year old previously leased trade ins.
 

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