anyone on here only buy used cars?

[VISITOR]

what are your thoughts on buying a used car as opposed to buying a new one?

what do you look for when buying one?

any specific criteria you look for?

[CarolinasFinestDetailing]

Why not let the original owner take the depreciation hit?

Big thing for me is service records and is it certified pre-owned?

[af90]

Depends on the price.

There is an intangible about getting a new car, but I've owned used and new. No real difference unless you want something special out of it such as European Delivery or factory deliver and the like.

[EVOlved]

I only bought used cars up until this last one, reason why I switched I wanted a car that was not abused which with EVO's and other like cars is extremely rare so I made the dive.

I look for maintenance records, any signs of abuse (modifications, crumple zones that are damaged, repainted areas, and the list goes on..), and obviously can't have any clear failure. Obviously a test drive is always in order for a used ride as well to make sure the steering, braking, transmission, etc. all go smooth.

[longdx]

I have only purchased one brand new car. The rest of my car purchases have been cars usually 1-2 years old.

[dsg03gt]

I lease my wife's cars but I buy mine used.

I look for a clean car with maintenance records and low miles. My car I have now was three years old when I bought it and under 30K miles. Dealer serviced leases vehicle. I look over the whole car top to bottom. I look for VIN tags on all body panels, and check for resprays. and just make sure everything looks right. Then I do an extensive test drive with as many different conditions as I can. It takes me awhile to find cars. This one took me a month but when I bought my old Mustang it took me six months to find the right one.

[David Hayward]

I prefer a good used car pending the interest rates aren't through the roof. Dont lose as much as it rolls off the lot compared to a brand new car.

[KneeDragr]

Depending on the brand, it often makes more sense to buy new. I usually buy Honda's and Toyota models with low options, and they usually only cost a few k more than a 2-3 year old used one. For instance my CR-V, I got the leather package and no options for 23k ( about 10% off ). I saw plenty of used ones for 20-25k with 10-30k miles with more options, cars that originally cost 30k new, but I didn't see the value in them. Honda's and Toyotas hold their value so well. For instance I bought a 2004 Tacoma for 21.5k and sold it 3 years later for 18k.
Now for cars that depreciate a lot, it definitely makes more sense to buy used. I know a friend who bought a Jaguar for 48k and sold it 2 years later for 24k, ouch.

[Desertnate]

I used to buy only used cars. However, after a couple of bad experiences despite my best efforts to ensure I had a solid vehicle, I've gone new for my last couple of cars.

I typically keep cars for a long time. I like knowing the truth about the maintenance history for the entire lifespan, not to mention the safety blanket of a warranty.

If I go used again, it will be a CPO or one new enough to still have the benefit of the remaining factory warranty.

[HUMP DIESEL]

We buy used, but we buy used luxury cars. I am mostly into Lexus vehicles right now. Our last purchase was a 2009 RX350, not ultra luxury, but for us it is the nicest car we have had so far. We bought from a one owner and I actually detailed it prior to him selling. There were some cosmetic items, but nothing major and the price was right. He still had the original window sticker showing new that the vehicle was over $40,000. We got it for 16,500, and we will drive it for a long time. I have an IS300 that I bought used, and it has over 215,000 miles on it. The initial loan has been paid off for some time now and I have had no trouble out of it as long as I maintain it.
I feel like if you target the right vehicle and look for those that have been taken care of, then you can really do much better than buying new.

HUMP

[CDot]

what are your thoughts on buying a used car as opposed to buying a new one?

what do you look for when buying one?

any specific criteria you look for?

For me, used is always better than new. New cars depreciate hard the first year, and that alone is tough. You have to also take into consideration the market that you live in. According to TrueCar, the average new-car price for the current body-style Accords in my area is above MSRP because they were in such high demand.

With a used car, there is no worry about depreciation and you don't have to worry about inflated new pricing. The other positive is that--depending on the model--the market will drive down the price of the cars if they are popular fleet/lease/rentals. In the midsize sedan market, Altimas/Sonata's tend to be much lower than other models because there are a ton in the rental market. Camry's tend to be a little higher in price, but Accords are at the top end. You can use the market to your advantage.

Also keep in mind the Lease vs. Fleet vs. Rental history. IMHO, Lease>Fleet>Rental.



Lease: People who lease have to pay extra for refurb/repair/wear & tear when they turn the cars in are much more careful with them. They also tend to have free maintenance for the term of the lease, so any issues (if there are any) can be attributed to the dealer. The Carfax/AutoCheck history also tends to be very complete b/c service at the dealer is reported.
Fleet cars can be excellent, but depend on what company was using it. If it's a fleet car for a corporate business, then they will be well taken care of.
Rentals are great buys if you can find one in decent shape with less than 30k miles. Some places (like Hertz) let you Rent2Buy so you can get it inspected before buying.

Personally-owned vehicles are amazing or terrible...just depends on the owner; hopefully they have maintenance records.

I'm also a big fan of CarMax; they are more transparent than the dealerships. They don't sell salvaged or flood-damaged cars, they auction them. I was also told that they put in an average of $1,200 into each car they sell at their locations.

[FUNX650]

Here's a few things that may have a bearing
on my decision whether to buy new/used:

•What is my "credit score"...
•Am I paying cash on the barrelhead...

-A good credit score can usually net better borrowing rates
(in some cases: even 0% for XX months) for new vehicle purchases.
-Borrowing % rates for used vehicles are usually treated differently...plus an upfront down payment/trade-in is more than likely required.
-More and more, it appears:
Vehicular insurance premiums are also a reflection of a person's credit score---paying cash for a vehicle, new or used, doesn't seem to help in this matter.


Bob

[trekkeruss]

I got a Honda Element last year. As it was the vehicle I really wanted, I had no choice but to buy used because Honda stopped production in 2011.

[Coopers ST]

We have always bought new. Really because depreciation only matters when you go to sell. Our newest car is my Focus ST bought it in 2013, the car it replaced was a 1999 Elantra my wife bought new before I knew her, we sold it with 62,000 miles on it. Our other car is a 2005 Santa Fe. It will become one of the kids cars when they start to drive. When you keep cars for 10-14 years you don't lose anymore money buying new or used. My other issues is I am not going to buy a 3 year old car that has half the miles I put on in 10 years

[MPBGT]

I've never had a new car and really don't plan on buying one. I usually buy car outright from family and friends at trade in value. Detail and fix any minor issue and after a couple years sell them for what I paid for them. I do all my own mechanical and body work so it's really no issue to drive well maintained older cars.
I've actually been thinking of going the extreme opposite and picking up a Late 60s early 70s Chevelle to drive everyday. The car won't lose much if any value of maintained, parts are plentiful and cheap. Probably the best thing is I won't blend in with all the other little sedans on the road.