Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
Aug 8th 2016, 5:07 pm
#31
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
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Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
I don't know how many of them that dealer had taken, but 12 months after the 2016s were launched, the dealer must have taken a boatload of them.
Aug 9th 2016, 5:41 am
#32
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Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
Can anyone hazard a guess as to why a new car would be cheaper to insure? Insurance companies are highly logical/analytical, so they must have a good statistical basis for their decision. I can imagine that new cars have better safety features, but that doesn't explain why they'd charge more for the same car 2 years later. I suppose with a new car they can 'guarantee' everything is well-maintained, etc.
Aug 9th 2016, 5:58 am
#33
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Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
perhaps it was more, probably around 200k.
It was the general condition of the cars that bothered me. dents, chipped paint, scratches, interiors that looked like a teenagers bedroom 'floordrobe'.
and of course when there is a serious issue but still expect a lot of money.
when the car looks like that externally you tend to become sceptical that the owner diligently cared and serviced the engine. unless of course they have the service papers!
It was the general condition of the cars that bothered me. dents, chipped paint, scratches, interiors that looked like a teenagers bedroom 'floordrobe'.
and of course when there is a serious issue but still expect a lot of money.
when the car looks like that externally you tend to become sceptical that the owner diligently cared and serviced the engine. unless of course they have the service papers!
Aug 9th 2016, 6:09 am
#34
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Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
I've paid cash for cars, both used and new, for the past 20 years at least; but that shouldn't be a factor ... obviously, it's not logical to compare the 'costs' if the coverages are not comparable.
Can anyone hazard a guess as to why a new car would be cheaper to insure? Insurance companies are highly logical/analytical, so they must have a good statistical basis for their decision. I can imagine that new cars have better safety features, but that doesn't explain why they'd charge more for the same car 2 years later. I suppose with a new car they can 'guarantee' everything is well-maintained, etc.
Can anyone hazard a guess as to why a new car would be cheaper to insure? Insurance companies are highly logical/analytical, so they must have a good statistical basis for their decision. I can imagine that new cars have better safety features, but that doesn't explain why they'd charge more for the same car 2 years later. I suppose with a new car they can 'guarantee' everything is well-maintained, etc.
Plus it's not probably not worth getting comprehensive coverage for an older car. So you can save money there.
Aug 9th 2016, 6:36 am
#35
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Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
I know that used car prices in the US are crazy compared to the UK but would like a bit of advice. At present while I get settled I bought a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe, it needed a little bit of work but as I'm able to do it all myself it wasn't a big deal, I plan to keep it a few years as my beater car.
Anyway, once we get jobs and settled, I want to get my wife a new or nearly new car. In the UK you can usually get a year or two old car with under 20,000 miles for a considerable discount compared to new. From my initial research here that doesn't seem to be the case. I am looking at a Ford Fusion or Escape and anything 2014/15 or even 16 has at best more than 25,000 miles on the clock for not much less than new models! I know that average mileage here is more than the UK but a lot of the cars must be ex lease or company cars because most are in the 30-40,000 mile range (for 2015 models). For example in the city I'm in a 2014 Escape is for sale for nearly $21k, and a dealership in the next town is selling 2017 Escapes for $26k new. To my mind, for a $5k difference I'd rather buy new, especially as I plan on keeping the car for 10 years.
So, have most of you bought used (2 yrs old max) or new?
Anyway, once we get jobs and settled, I want to get my wife a new or nearly new car. In the UK you can usually get a year or two old car with under 20,000 miles for a considerable discount compared to new. From my initial research here that doesn't seem to be the case. I am looking at a Ford Fusion or Escape and anything 2014/15 or even 16 has at best more than 25,000 miles on the clock for not much less than new models! I know that average mileage here is more than the UK but a lot of the cars must be ex lease or company cars because most are in the 30-40,000 mile range (for 2015 models). For example in the city I'm in a 2014 Escape is for sale for nearly $21k, and a dealership in the next town is selling 2017 Escapes for $26k new. To my mind, for a $5k difference I'd rather buy new, especially as I plan on keeping the car for 10 years.
So, have most of you bought used (2 yrs old max) or new?
My neighbour recently bought a 2011 supercharged Jag XF for $20,000
Last edited by johnwoo; Aug 9th 2016 at 6:41 am.
Aug 9th 2016, 7:15 am
#36
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Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
I've paid cash for cars, both used and new, for the past 20 years at least; but that shouldn't be a factor ... obviously, it's not logical to compare the 'costs' if the coverages are not comparable.
Can anyone hazard a guess as to why a new car would be cheaper to insure? Insurance companies are highly logical/analytical, so they must have a good statistical basis for their decision. I can imagine that new cars have better safety features, but that doesn't explain why they'd charge more for the same car 2 years later. I suppose with a new car they can 'guarantee' everything is well-maintained, etc.
Can anyone hazard a guess as to why a new car would be cheaper to insure? Insurance companies are highly logical/analytical, so they must have a good statistical basis for their decision. I can imagine that new cars have better safety features, but that doesn't explain why they'd charge more for the same car 2 years later. I suppose with a new car they can 'guarantee' everything is well-maintained, etc.
Aug 9th 2016, 9:06 pm
#37
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Location: MA, USA
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Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
Car can be perfectly sound around here and look like hell because of the dings. No car is in mint shape after parking a couple days in Boston, they all have scuffed bumpers or fenders and the salt plays havoc with the paint in the winter.
Getting a car that's not from New England and has any flood damage is a good start though
Aug 9th 2016, 9:22 pm
#38
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Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
Newer cars tend to be safer and maybe payouts for injuries are less.
Aug 9th 2016, 9:25 pm
#39
Deep in the woods of CT
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,002
Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
Not always. When I took my Frontier to the dealership to pick up the new truck I was trading it in on, one of the salespeople went nuts on how gorgeous it was and if only it had been there the day before she'd had a customer who wanted one just like it. Indeed, it did look lovely. But what she didn't know was that the underside was like Swiss cheese and ready to dump the driver onto the highway . . .
Aug 9th 2016, 9:36 pm
#40
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,448
Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
I think people look after new cars better, and are more cautious. When driving my truck, if I need to pull out into heavy traffic, or merge when the road is losing a lane, if I can't find a large gap fairly quickly, I preferentially look for a BMW or Mercedes to muscle my way in front of. 
Bear in mind that modern cars are "safer" because of the crumple zones, so they are much easier to "total" than cars used to be.
Bear in mind that modern cars are "safer" because of the crumple zones, so they are much easier to "total" than cars used to be.
Last edited by Pulaski; Aug 9th 2016 at 11:10 pm.
Aug 9th 2016, 10:04 pm
#41
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Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
In California if you cant keep a car garaged when not in use don't bother buying a new one. The sun. heat and dust will eventually destroy the clear coat even if you wash and wax it. Worse still near the coast the sea air will sooner or later cause rust spots to appear.
Last edited by dc koop; Aug 9th 2016 at 10:12 pm.
Aug 9th 2016, 10:31 pm
#42
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Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
These help with avoiding the collision in the first place.
I agree older cars are totalled before major repairs have to be paid for and people do tend to give way more.
Aug 10th 2016, 12:49 am
#43
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Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
The biggest discounts seem to come from cars who sell for $50K+ mark when new and they get much better discount at the 3 year mark, but locally I think the reason might be partially due to lemon laws and dealers, where you have different levels of responsibility at the 3/5/7 year mark as well as mileage.
Aug 10th 2016, 6:19 pm
#44
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Posts: 87
Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
When I bought my new one last year (2016 Explorer Sport, was the first one on the dealer's lot. I would have waited, but didn't want to kill myself in my old car with the breaks all out 
), the sales guy also showed me a 2014 Explorer Limited, 40k miles, but with all bells and whistles, it was priced only $5k under the new Sport (x-plan pricing).
My hubby and I decided, since I liked the look of the 2016 better and it was 12 miles, compared to 40k, with full factory warranty, plus lifelong powertrain from the dealer, and only $5k more, to go with the 2016.
And yes, trade in is just a rip off, if you know how expensive used cars in the US are. I asked them for a trade in value for my 2005 Mercury Mariner with 180k miles (mind you, it had one 6 inch diameter dent and one scratch on the front bumper and they didn't know about the break issue): $1000. Thanks, but no thanks, I sold it privately for $3800 even with the break issue (my conscious didn't allow me to not mention that!).
), the sales guy also showed me a 2014 Explorer Limited, 40k miles, but with all bells and whistles, it was priced only $5k under the new Sport (x-plan pricing). My hubby and I decided, since I liked the look of the 2016 better and it was 12 miles, compared to 40k, with full factory warranty, plus lifelong powertrain from the dealer, and only $5k more, to go with the 2016.
And yes, trade in is just a rip off, if you know how expensive used cars in the US are. I asked them for a trade in value for my 2005 Mercury Mariner with 180k miles (mind you, it had one 6 inch diameter dent and one scratch on the front bumper and they didn't know about the break issue): $1000. Thanks, but no thanks, I sold it privately for $3800 even with the break issue (my conscious didn't allow me to not mention that!).
Aug 10th 2016, 6:24 pm
#45
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,448
Re: Buying a used car, might as well buy new?
.... And yes, trade in is just a rip off, if you know how expensive used cars in the US are. I asked them for a trade in value for my 2005 Mercury Mariner with 180k miles (mind you, it had one 6 inch diameter dent and one scratch on the front bumper and they didn't know about the break issue): $1000. Thanks, but no thanks, I sold it privately for $3800 even with the break issue (my conscious didn't allow me to not mention that!).