What criteria do you use for getting a "new" car?

[Moemg]

I buy a new car when either my car has become a pain with numerous repairs or I find a new model that I'm crazy about .

 

[RunningBum]

I was thinking my next car would be new, but thinking back, 2 of the 3 slightly used cars I've bought since I was out of college have been very, very good, probably better than any new car I've bought over the years. One was totaled when I got hit, I'm still driving the other one.

But I have seen where some popular recent used cars aren't sold at much of a discount, and I often find a feature or fix to a common problem that makes me want to get a new one over an early model used one.

I only buy a car if my old one is giving me too many problems, or my needs have changed. Right now I've got a 12 year old Miata and a 5 year old Pilot with no plans to change either in the foreseeable future, much as I'd like one of those new hardtop convertible Miatas.

 

[73ss454]

Are you betraying professional secrets? Is this the automotive equivalent of revealing how magicians saw that gal in half?

It's all smoke and mirrors. Notice I didn't say a new car, just a set of wheels.

 

[Nords]

I am not doing the clunker program, but I am starting to think about my next car. I was wondering what the folks here did when the time comes to get a different vehicle. Meaning, do you buy new or used? Pay cash or finance? Lease or own?
I'm under the impression that a used car with low miles is my best bet. I'm also thinking I should get a car that retains it's value so it is still worth something when it comes time to get rid of it. I'm looking at cars like a 2006 Acura TL, Mercedes C class or BMW 3 series.

When you're never sure where your transportation is going to leave you, or when the repair bill is 50% of the Blue Book value, then it's time to get rid of it.

We buy Craigslist, 2-5 years old, cash.

Finally, I feel the need to acknowledge that my 2001 Jetta only has 57k miles on it, and runs fine. I put maybe 8k a year on my cars. This trade up is much more want than "need".
Any words of wisdom?

Is it frugality or deprivation? How long will this "want" delay your ER?

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

But it seems that this trick is so popular these days that the demand for "nearly new" is growing, and now it's often not THAT much cheaper than new. And if it's not that much cheaper, I'd sooner have the full warranty and not have to wonder where the car has been or why it's for sale so quickly.

With the recent major slump in car sales, I'm guessing that recently new market is going to be very, very tight in another 2-3 years. Well, time to buy new then.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

I buy a new car when either my car has become a pain with numerous repairs or I find a new model that I'm crazy about .

Exactly. When I test drove my first Miata in 1995, I was driving a 1982 Datsun (that's Nissan to you kids) with what the last owner said was only 68,000 miles on the odo. Mind you this car had only a 5-digit mechanical odo, so it could easily have had 168,000 miles on it. The point is that I test drove all the sensible cars on the Mazda lot from the 626 to the Protege to the 323 (?), but all of them were, eh, nicer than my 1982 Datsun but no smiles. Then as the day was getting close to dusk, the sales guy caught me eyeing the Miata. The moment we pulled out of the parking lot with the top down and headed down a steep hill with the wind rushing by and the setting sun turning the sky into a gorgeous hue of orange and deep violet, I was sold. This was my first "convertible experience", but all the writings about convertible experiences fail to tell you is that not only can you feel the rush of the wind, but you can smell the rush of the wind and hear the wonderful burble of the exhaust. The salesman just had to look at my ear-to-ear grin and ask on which day do I want to take delivery. That was a slam dunk because the new ride was quantum leaps better than the old. I am not seeing that same slam dunk deal just yet with my current car.

 

[bbbamI]

In my younger daze, I bought as much car as I could afford. I'd replace cars when they started falling apart. Since I didn't have much money, I made payments on them. When I was a little older and had more money, I'd buy a new car, make a down payment and financed the rest. The last car I bought (last year) was the type of car I wanted, a 2006 model that just had 23k miles on it and I paid cash. Got it about $10k under the price of a new one (with the help of one of my forum friends ).

I only put about a hundred miles a month on it, so I imagine it will still be going strong when I start to draw social security in 11 years.

 

[Rambler]

We usually buy when the car dies or has come to the point it would be rational to fear its impending death. We have 4 cars. Two in Japan and two in the US. One in Japan is new every three years, compliments of megacorp. The other one was bought at 2 years old, 8 years ago. It still has less than 30k miles on it and gets driven maybe 100-150 miles a month. DW does not drive much here, and with our nest emptying out here soon it won't be needed except for the occasional Costco run. So when megacorp changes my car next year, we will sell this one and maybe get the new Toyota wagon/minivan that came out a few months ago.

We have a 2005 Odyssey Touring in the states that has about 35k miles on it, bought new, with cash, when the 98 Ford minivan died and left us stranded in the middle of nowhere. The other is a 2007 Toyota Tundra, also bought new, with cash. This was not a replacement but an addition, which was not immediately needed. True an addition was wanted and certainly helps when we are trying to get everything done that needs to be done during limited time home leaves, but it could have waited if we had let it wait.

We don't lease personal cars, always buy cash, and mostly buy new. Expect it will stay that way.

R

 

[Ronstar]

Just bought a new Ford F150 pickup last week. Kept my 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 150k miles for my vacation home vehicle where I only drive 2k miles a year. This should allow the Jeep to last another 10 years. Normally I wait until they drop dead or repair costs get excessive before getting a new one.

 

[FinallyRetired]

I've never been a car guy. To me they are just a means of getting from A to B. I buy "certified" used cars 2-3 years old so I don't suffer the upfront depreciation, then drive them into the ground, 150k miles or so, sometimes 200k.

Last car purchase was a 3 yo 2006 Hyundai Elantra with 12k miles, now has 55k. Before that it was a 3 yo 94 Jeep Cherokee with 15k miles now has 99k. Before that a Volvo wagon with 20k miles, drove it to 200k before it caught fire. You get the picture.

 

[calmloki]

You don't all get bored? I buy very used and add maybe 60,000 miles before getting something different. Five years feels like a long time to own a car. When younger my exchange period was much shorter and the cars were substantially less reliable and prone to being bent shortly before exchange. Reliability is one of the least important criteria for me, being easily overcome by smiles per gallon. or cheap. or oddity. If I had more work done in a shop maybe reliability would be first -

Might add that new doesn't add much value for me - new cars break as well as used, every car on the road is a used car, and it would just tick me off dumping a bunch of cash in a car and then having to futz around with taking it to the car spa and picking it up after it's mechanic massage.

 

[ls99]

You don't all get bored? I buy very used and add maybe 60,000 miles before getting something different.

Not me, it takes that kind of mileage to get used to the idiosyncrasies of the thing. Thereafter I depend on them.

 

[Texas Proud]

You don't all get bored? I buy very used and add maybe 60,000 miles before getting something different. Five years feels like a long time to own a car. When younger my exchange period was much shorter and the cars were substantially less reliable and prone to being bent shortly before exchange. Reliability is one of the least important criteria for me, being easily overcome by smiles per gallon. or cheap. or oddity. If I had more work done in a shop maybe reliability would be first -

Might add that new doesn't add much value for me - new cars break as well as used, every car on the road is a used car, and it would just tick me off dumping a bunch of cash in a car and then having to futz around with taking it to the car spa and picking it up after it's mechanic massage.

You sound like a boyfriend of one of my sisters many years ago....

He ran his car into the telephone pole next to our house... just got out and got in a friends car and drove away.... left it there... which pissed my dad off a lot... come to find out this guy was buying cars at an auction for between $20 and $100... (this was back in the 60s...)... he would drive them until they broke down and just left them where there were... bought another and continued... so my dad had to pay to get the car hauled off since most of it was on our property...

I had not remembered this until I read your post.... brings back a interesting memory...

 

[nnkrealtor]

Just bought a new Ford F150 pickup last week. Kept my 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 150k miles for my vacation home vehicle where I only drive 2k miles a year. This should allow the Jeep to last another 10 years. Normally I wait until they drop dead or repair costs get excessive before getting a new one.

If you don't mind me asking... And you can pm me if you'd prefer... what kind of f150 was it and what kind of deal did you get?... Iam in the beginning stages of looking for my next vehicle and f150 is very high on the list.

Thanks

 

[calmloki]

You sound like a boyfriend of one of my sisters many years ago....

He ran his car into the telephone pole next to our house... just got out and got in a friends car and drove away.... left it there... which pissed my dad off a lot... come to find out this guy was buying cars at an auction for between $20 and $100... (this was back in the 60s...)... he would drive them until they broke down and just left them where there were... bought another and continued... so my dad had to pay to get the car hauled off since most of it was on our property...

I had not remembered this until I read your post.... brings back a interesting memory...

Nah - I'm too thrifty to walk away from something of some value. But it sure sounds like someone I know - that guy used to buy cars that had time left on the plates. Wouldn't transfer title or insure them. If they kept rolling past the time the tags expired he would go out and steal the endorsement tags from the front of two different cars - his nod to karma, not setting someone up for a ticket for not having current tags. If the car died he would walk away from it - heard of him walking away from a car that died on the Burnside bridge in Portland. He also, to this day, has phone service in strange names that aren't his - something to do with unpaid phone bills. Again, not my style, but it's interesting the path people get set upon and the way it gets harder and harder for them to leave that path.

 

[Ronstar]

If you don't mind me asking... And you can pm me if you'd prefer... what kind of f150 was it and what kind of deal did you get?... Iam in the beginning stages of looking for my next vehicle and f150 is very high on the list.

Thanks

I got a base F150 XLT 4x4 with towing package - stickered at 37880 - they quoted me 30044 over the phone. Then I brought in my 2004 Jeep Wrangler for a trade that should have been worth over 10k, but they only gave me $9350. The F150 is great - I'm still getting used to it since I've only had it for 2 weeks

 

[RDamien]

Is it frugality or deprivation? How long will this "want" delay your ER?

Good question. I would say a negligible delay on ER. I'm saving 20-25% of income now and that would dip down to 15% for roughly 1 year to save for this car. At least, that's the current plan. Plus take out maybe 5k from savings which is nothing really. Good way to look at it thanks.

 

[Meadbh]

What criteria do I use for getting a new car?

Hmmmm. I have only owned three cars in my life, so there is insufficient data to provide a valid answer!

 

[Khan]

When I can't get parts, or I think it won't make it to Cincinnati and back.

 

[WanderALot]

Well, seeing as I just spent $300 on new tires for the 9.5 yr-old car with 105k miles on it, I'm gonna have to wait 3 more years!