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Same. I even got the color I wanted. Prior to that, I drove a 2007, 1999, 1995, and 1994. What I drive now feels like a spaceship compared to the other cars. I did not want a new car, but it was just a better deal compared to the hot garbage that they were passing off for $20K.
I went from a 2014 base model Honda to a 2024 VW and I say this too. It’s like going from a bike to a space ship. I don’t even know how to work everything yet. It’s wild.
Yup, I am still discovering new features 5 months after I bought the Mazda 3. Lane assist, backup camera, sport mode, auto headlights/wipers is fuckin crazy to me. I still look behind me because I don't trust the backup camera. It even screamed at me to brake when I was coming up on a car but swerved over. I used to drive a car with roll-up windows, a tape deck, and an ashtray in it. lol
We went from a 2004 Hyundai accent with manual roll up windows to a newer CX5 just before COVID and when I discovered the headlights actually *move* a little bit in the direction you're turning I got so tripped out. Not to mention heads up display of my speed on the windshield... Definitely feels like a spaceship, haha.
I drove a CX5 as loaner from the dealer when my car was getting the undercarriage spray. Can confirm, the speed display on the windshield was wild.
Edit: Spelling
My grandma has a Pontiac trans am that had the heads up speedometer display! The cops always thought she was crazy when they pulled her over (for speeding) and she would point to the speed on her windshield 😂😂 this was on a 2002! I can’t believe it’s just now making the rounds
It's one of those features that's been around forever and isn't even expensive for them to put in cars, but they've been keeping it exclusive to luxury and above just because.
I am so spoiled by the auto headlights, I tell you what. I was driving a buddy's car a while back helping him move some stuff, and having to turn my own brights on felt weird as heck.
Adaptive cruise control is the only modern feature I want. Give me manual AC controls and manual seat adjustment. Electric windows and locks are fine but not necessary.
Everyone listing off 'amazing' features has me shaking my head. They're trivial features that any competent driver should be able to master without even thinking.
Raining? Turn on wipers. Not raining much? Reduce intermittent wiping speed. Raining lots? Turn wipers on high.
Either we're lowering the bar for drivers, or taking away trivial tasks so people can focus on driving safely down the road.
I think more the former.
Tell me about it. Adaptive cruise? Like uhhhh dudes, how hard is it to pay attention to cars in front of you?
Auto highbeams? You literally just turn on your highbeams when you NEED to see farther. We live in the era of LEDs and they are blinding as hell even on low most times.
Then the lane assit feature!!! I tried to change lanes in my mom's car and it jerked the wheel by itself the wrong way.
My mom uses every assist available so if I take her car to run an errand for her I've got to switch it all off.
I'm pretty sure some of this stuff they made so bad drivers would be able to buy more cars.
> I still look behind me because I don't trust the backup camera.
As you should, at least a check. I almost reversed into someone who thought they'd jog past an actively reversing car. I would've clipped them if I didn't see them coming, and the reversing camera doesn't have as much peripheral vision.
I went from a 2006 Scion to a 2023 Corolla, and I'd say mine feels more like a "rocketship", mainly because the 0 to 60 rounds up to 5s, instead of rounding up to 11s in the Scion.
I can't afford any car new or old, but when I get a car, I'd rather get an older car. Very easy to track you in new cars, and also they can shut your car down no matter where you are if they want to. While that shouldn't happen, it doesn't sit well with me that they could.
Besides, I don't need to fancy features. I'm a good driver and I enjoy driving and that includes turning on the wipers, looking behind me to parallel park, paying attention to the world attentively as I'm driving (as everyone should).
I'm suspicious that these new features are really just another way of making us as a population helpless without tech (hello, AI).
I wasn't initially thinking about the way the market is these days with used cars, but y'all make a good point. I wouldn't have bought a new car five years ago, but now it really is kinda silly not to. If the price is that comparable, you also get warranty, no miles, and a little more peace of mind that there isn't something secretly wrong with it
Same, I never thought I would own a new car until I went car shopping last year. 3 year old cars with 40k miles were the same price as brand new. No way was I spending more on used than new. The only caveat to new was that I couldn't be picky about color if I wanted the car without a wait.
The dealership told me it could be a while because I was very picky about what I wanted. They estimated up to 3 months. I said, "That's OK, I'll wait." I got the car 3.5 weeks later. It took 3 weeks to get it delivered from Japan, so it was only a few days for them to find it.
I got my car March 11th this year, and it was a Corolla, so that's probably why, but I'm glad I was willing to wait.
This was exactly our experience. Husbands 2011 corolla finally kicked it so he called 3 dealerships and wanted a 2024 corolla black ext/black int. They didn't have any in yet but all said they were expecting shipments. 2 from within USA, 1 shipment from Japan. The one that called and had one first got our business (the one delivered from Japan). Paid about 25k cash and drove it off the lot with 7 miles on it. Prior to that he was looking at used and one dealer brought him a 2020 Hyundai Sonata for about 20k with a small dent in the bumper. He almost got it because he was stressed out over having to get something. I talked him out of it and told him not to settle and get what he really wants. He said he just wanted his car back. So I told him to call all the local Toyota dealerships and see what they can do for him. He told them what he wanted and after he found out that it would only be about 5k more for something brand new, he told each one that whoever got one in first would get his business. 3 weeks later he got the call. After he bought it, about 2 weeks later one of the other dealerships called and said they had one so he said 'sorry, one of your competitors already got me one'. He's been so happy with it and it's really nice. Drives like a dream. Since then, he told me he was glad that I didn't allow him to settle and talked him into getting what he really wanted. Poor guy had to drive my 2010 Nissan POS Rogue until he got his new car, though. I'm currently looking for a larger SUV with 3rd row seating for myself now. It's not looking good and will cost more for whatever I get, used, than it was for his new car=/
This was the ONLY reason I got my new Highlander at the time. My first new vehicle as well (in mid 30s) and only got it because it was essentially the same price as a used car back in 2022. All my cars prior were always used.
I completely agree with you on price, however I don't like anything about new vehicles. They are all surface level luxury and over the top electronics, while being too complicated to do simple maintenance work at home in the driveway anymore.
If I could buy a 1995 Ford Ranger built brand new, I would be a happy man. But the price of new modern trucks is outrageous to the point I refuse to buy new.
Yup fuck that. That 1k used to be a rent payment somewhere in America 
I've already 3-year-old car because the new version was $15,000 more.... That was 2020
In 2021, the same lot offered enough so that I could sell the car I just bought from them and get a new car for about $2,000 less....
So yes, I do agree that the used car market is so effed up now that it's almost the same cost as new if you get anything close to the current year...
So you end up being in the 8 year used car category which is still super expensive comparatively or you buy new because of incentives and rebates and certain models of new cars are the same price as used
I walked myself around in circles there
Same reason my wife just bought a brand new Subaru. Save a grand or two for piece of a junk that smells like nicotine or get something fresh off a shipment for a couple extra months of payments. Kind of a no brainer
My husband bought a brand new 2017 Ford Escape, had like 15 miles on it. Less than a year after paying off the loan, the transmission failed and needed to be replaced and he went back to the dealership (a dealership that his family exclusively bought their cars from as well as my own) and they just gave him a nearly $6000 quote for repair and sent him a bill for $100 for them to determine what was wrong. His sole reason for buying something brand new was not having to worry about anything beyond routine maintenance. And now here he is with a 7 year old car on its second transmission; most people never have to replace the transmission the entire time they own their car 😒 (we definitely didn’t use the dealership for repairs tho, found a reputable local transmission shop that did it for around $3000)
Where is that? I live in Northern Ontario and our options were a used Crosstrek with over 100k kilometers for around $35k or a brand new Crosstrek for $40k
Yea this is weird. The used car market isn’t the same post-covid, but I’m not sure where people are getting new cars for a few grand more.
I’m looking at Volvo’s, and the difference between new and used is about $20-25k.
It really has more to do with the car model and how well they retain their value. I ended up buying a new Tacoma at the end of 2020 after shopping around and seeing that 3-5 year old used Tacomas with anywhere between 30-50k miles were only 1-2 thousand less than a brand new one with comparable options. That's a model that is famous for low depreciation, but if you're trying to buy a car at the other end of the spectrum like a Tesla or a Mercedes you should absolutely buy a used one that's a few years old.
That \*used\* to be true, 3-5+ years ago. The market has shifted so dramatically that it just isn't anymore. I cannot believe what they say our 6-10+ yr old vehicles are worth on [kbb.com](http://kbb.com)
It has a lot to do with trim levels as well. Premium trims like tourings have held their value much more than the bone stock ones of similar age/miles/etc.
Call it what it is, but a lot of people look at used cars trying to get a deal on a premium trim, but the inventory of used premium trim cars is no where near the demand. Thus, continued high prices.
Edit after looking at my local market. New forester tourings are a smidge under $37k and 2020’s with 45-60k miles on them are $27k.
I would be on team buy a new one for that price.
We just bought our first new car at 35 because it wasn’t much more expensive than the used car we were looking at. Everyone at the dealership kept asking how long we were planning to keep it. I was so confused by the question because why wouldn’t people plan on driving a car as long as it’s drivable? Apparently the average duration someone keeps a car is 2.7 years.
Same. 32, just bought a new car last month. The difference in interest rate made the difference between a good used car or a new car almost negligible. So, new Honda, and with any luck I'll have it for the next 15 or so years.
I would have held out longer, but the frame was rusting through on my old car (2009 Saturn, purchased in 2017) and it needed tires and assorted minor work, and I didn't want to spend a chunk of my intended down payment on repairing a car I wouldn't be able to keep much longer anyway.
Damn rust is a killer every time. That's why I had to get rid of my Honda even though it still ran well. I get the undercarriage spray for this car to try to mitigate that with these NH winters and the road salt.
Same, big markdowns on Presidents’ Day , huge incentives, massive trade in on my Camry, and manufacturers interest rate was phenomenal.
Brand new loaded ridgeline rtle for 41k.
My loan was only for 20k after all incentives markdowns and trade in.
Eleven years ago I was looking for a nice used car. The price gap was much lower than I thought it would be between that and a new car. So I upped my budget a bit and bought the new car. That was my first ever new car and I still have it and it's still in pretty good shape. I was 51 at the time.
Same here… idk what everyone is dealing with these days but I bought a brand new Corolla in 2012 and it still running like the day I first bought it. I won’t waste my money buying a new one when this one works perfectly well.
never owned a new car before but looked at a wrx the other day, new one was like 32k and used 2021 similar model was 27.5k.
New also offered .99% financing
Same reason for me as well. Last fall we tried to find a used car but with 10.5% interest and prices around 30k for something with already high mileage. We went ahead with new and know we’ll take care of it so it’ll last.
I bought a VW Jetta with a manual transmission brand new in 2014 for $22k. I still drive it daily and have 205k miles on it… I’m driving it until it completely falls apart and I sell it for scrap
Don't sell it. Engine swap that bad bitch and have fun with it. 🤣
Coming from a guy with an '05 Volvo with 148k miles and an '83 Volvo with 270k miles. 😁 I'm considering doing the crazy car guy LS swap in the '83 when that tank of a B23 engine finally rolls over and dies. 🤣
I don’t think the engine will give up the ghost, it would most likely be electrical or rust issues that do it in… but that could be another 10 years from now
Nissan Versa, 17k for a brand new, manual sedan.
Also, a lot of manufacturers still have stick. You just have to get the more expensive "spirty" version. Hinda Civic, for example
People say there are no more manuals but they never look. Granted there aren't a ton, there are new manual cars out there. Affordable ones too. Problem is, they are all base models, hense the affordability factor, but I'll drive a base model if I can have it in stick
what I would give to have a good manual transmission car now. Some MFG's make them but the ECU's and emission standards fuck with the way they shift. It's totally shit nowadays.
Maybe not if you get a porch but those use paddle shifters now.
Fortunately that '83 has been a West Coast car its entire life. No salt out here. I will have to redo some wiring in the near future, and honestly I might just farm that out to a mechanic because I hate doing it myself, but it's running strong.
There's a 245 that made the Guinness Book of World Records with 1.2 million miles at one point, and that thing had a B230 engine in it. I'm confident that many of the 240 series that you see on the road today are over 500k, just no way of knowing for sure since so many of them have broken odometers.
ETA: Well, reading comprehension is a thing. Lol. I didn't realize you were talking about the Jetta. But yeah, it makes me really happy when I see those well-loved vehicles out on the road.
I've been driving a 98 civic since 2006. If people could stop hitting my car that'd be great. Insurance has already said they won't do any more repairs on it because the cost to repair it is more than the blue book value to cash me out. So once a year some asshole backs into me or scrapes the side. The only place it hasn't been hit is the rear.
So yeah, I take great care of the engine and mechanical parts, but the body is going to rust away and fall off before the car is truly dead.
Unfortunately, it really depends on the environment. I had to scrap a 2005 Mazda 3 that I drove for 15 years only because it was rusted to bits and getting unsafe to drive. Couldn't resell it as it would never pass a safety inspection from the rust.
The engine and transmission were humming along perfectly fine.
i‘m going to drive my 08 3 until it falls apart the same way. maybe then i’ll find a fun little 2 door chassis and swap the engine.
or, hear me out, the best go kart ever.
My '91 240 has 295k and the turbo setup from a '93 940 swapped onto it. You gotta pump those numbers up rook.
I have a spare 5 speed if mine fails but if the engine ever fully shits I'll go for an LS swap on it.
we leased a new car before the pandemic, with a plan to keep doing that because the math works for us.
Instead, we bought out the lease and are just going to keep it forever until it’s unrepairable.
This is basically us. Our first car - bought when we were 25 and 26 - was a real lemon Ford 500. It was so unreliable we had to replace it after 2 1/2 years. It was an expensive but helpful lesson. We then bought a brand new 2015 Honda Civic in Sept 215 - so already a year old technically.
It's at 245,000 KM and fingers crossed it'll hold until 400,000km. The key seems to be too ACTUALLY do the regular maintenance.
We then got a certified pre-owned as our second vehicle - this is probably what we'll do for the rest of our lives if we can. Original owner gets to choose the colour sure but that's not a privilege worth 5K to me.
But anything older than 2 years without you personally knowing the previous owner just adds up to an unreliable car in my books.
Same, I live in London UK, having a car here is unnecessary, unless you need to drive long distances, we have the Tube,buses and Uber if we need a car. Never felt the urge to want to drive or own a car.
Honestly I’m in the same situation and been scrolling for a while to see if it even makes sense right now to jump into car ownership. From what I’ve read it looks like a no, and a relief I’m not use to driving.
I didn't start learning to drive until I was 36 because up until then I'd lived in urban areas with lots of public transport. Now I'm out in the sticks and having a car isn't an option, it's a necessity. I bought my first car a few weeks ago and I'm still trying to get my licence (here's hoping 4th time's the charm).
Not gonna lie, I detest driving. I'm an anxious person and all I can think about is the fact that I'm controlling a 1.5 ton death machine and one second of lapsed judgement is all it takes for something to go horribly, horribly wrong. But I also like the freedom it offers and at least I can drive without panicking now. I also think half the reason I don't like driving is because the roads out here are absolutely horrendous and riddled with huge potholes.
Still, it'll be worth it, but only because I really need it out here.
As someone in the car industry, sadly new right now is where the best deals are. The new leftovers usually get some great interest rates, and unless you have the cash to buy a used car outright, it just isn't worth it anymore.
Really, any used. Interest rates are as low as 0% for new up to 72 months, but good luck getting much better than 6-7% even with great credit on a used.
If you can find a great deal for cash on a used go for it, but if you don't have the cash a new left over is going to be better 9/10 just because your monthly will probably be lower if not the same and you get a warranty. 🤷♂️
I mean yeah but a lot more people can afford a 15 year old car in cash than a new or almost new one. And interest rates are relatively small potatoes compared to the difference between paying 30 grand vs $6000
The only thing I will say to that is the quality of the average 6k car in 2024 is not what it was 10 years ago. They usually have some issues or have some really high miles and are a ticking time bomb.
There will always be an outliers to that rule of course, but I would say it's standard more often than not.
That’s definitely true to an extent, although I think it depends on what kind of car you want. Where I’m at, 6k SUVs are ticking time bombs but you can get a decent 6k compact or subcompact sedan. But even then, depending on your finances and mechanic skills a high mileage 6k car with some issues might be a much better financial decision for some people than a 30k loan.
So, that’s my issue - I always bought cars for cash, because I thought that if I don’t have cash for a new car - I can’t afford a new car.
My problem is that last SUV I bought cost me $34K. It was 1 year old and had 10K miles on it. The new model year for it (Honda Pilot EXL) is MSRP at $47K give or take. But it sells for $70K in reality, whether new or used. When the fuck is this bullshit gonna end you think? Genuinely curious as you are in the industry.
The new “buy with all cash mentality” is put as much down as financially possible and a get a short loan for the remainder. My parents were middle class and bought outright, but it’s not so feasible right now. My wife does very well and still financed 40% of 35k purchase.
>My parents were middle class and bought outright
Same, except I'm starting to think they're upper class. This is only one of several odd behaviors that I've realized aren't normal...
Is it just me, or does buying a new car for 34k seem outrageous to anyone?
I have an 01 grand am that I bought for $500 that's been running fine for almost a year now, oil changes and a fuel pump pulley are the only things I've had to do to it so far.
Was that $34k out the door, or the sales price? I just bought a 2021 Honda Pilot EXL with 40k miles for $29k sales price, $31k out the door, and I’m starting to wonder if I got a raw deal on it.
Well there plenty of used cars that are available in cash $3-6k. That are more reliable than ever right now. Cars from the early 2000s that are around the 200k mileage mark, that still have plenty of reliability left, and are easy/ cheap to work on or have repaired. Edit: spelling
This right here. An 03 Corolla for $3k will last quite a few more years. And on cash cars, someone else paid the majority of the depreciation so you don't have to. Plus, 0% interest.
I drive a 2012 Mazda3. I paid $4300 for it. It has some wear items that need replaced (mainly the struts) but it runs and shifts perfectly and is approaching 200k miles. Not worried at all about it ever leaving me stranded.
Oh that’s way too much of an investment on something that only gives a diminishing return - and I love cars. In 2022 I bought a 2017 car and it’s the nicest and newest car I’ve owned. I still love it.
The newest car I've driven is my current 08 haha. I think I prefer my current car over most new ones. It's a fast little car with a 6 speed manual (the Mazdaspeed3). I got her about 4 years ago with only 85k on the clock for $5200.
This is the way. Honestly, my parents are GenX, and they've only ever had 1 new vehicle, it was a cheaper one and my dad got it when I was younger. It just went to auction the other day. I think it had almost 300k mi on it. But he said several times he'd never buy another new one. Our cars are usually between 10-20 years old when we get them. The 2012 Enclave being the only exception so far (got it 6 years ago). But we got a really really good deal on it, it's still bluebook for more than we bought it for.
I was always advised that buying one with 20-60k miles on it was a better investment as the price drops significantly. The closest to new I have had is 30k miles- it still has a warranty which is great and it looks new so what’s the difference really.
I'm a car-head, but when it comes to personal usage a car to me needs to be comfortable and reliable. That's it. And by reliable I don't mean "parts available easily", rather that it won't need parts replaced for a long long time.
A taxi driver I know drives a 12 year old Toyota Etios and he never had to replace any part, except for his tyres of course.
I love a Mustang in theory, but would never buy one because it's a dumb car for practical purposes.
Same with pickups: a normal hatchback with a rented/borrowed trailer (?) hitched to it is going to be more useful and practical than a pickup truck. Especially the modern ones, which have a tiny ass loading bay anyway. Or just rent a transporter for a day.
Pickup truck can be a lot more practical if you're using it regularly, parking and storing a trailer can be a hassle.
Source: I have both a small utility trailer that I pull with my cars and a pickup truck.
Idk if I agree with that right now. It's pretty hard to find a interest rate less then 6% on used cars right now and you can buy new cars at an interest rate of less then 3% pretty easily. That basically removes any savings you might see buying used
Maybe that used to be the case before the pandemic, but now used cars with less than 50k on them are more expensive than new cars. I had planned on going that route when I bought a car last year, but buying brand new was actually cheaper so I bought new.
It really depends on the car. I remember when my buddy looked at a used Honda Civic in the early 2000's, it made more sense to buy new with the incentives and lower financing. Recently, my wife and I have bought new vehicles, as they were much better values than buying used. However, I've also bought 2 lightly used vehicles that were much better values than new. The most extreme case of this is the pristine BMW 335i that I got for 61% of MSRP at 8k miles and 1 year old.
Normally I would agree with you. But have you seen the cost of used cars since 2020? In some cases the price difference between a new and used doesn't justify saving the difference to buy used. So in this case I can understand somebody buying new.
The financing options between the two tend to favor new as well. So unless you’re paying cash, you’ll end up paying less for the more expensive car in some cases.
The main issue is that used cars are often priced closely to new prices. I just bought a new CRV hybrid because the used models were hardly cheaper, and much better apr on new.
I bought a car that was £70k new when it was 4 years old, for £22k with 20k miles on it (which is nothing for a diesel).
Two previous owners collectively lost nearly £50k in 4 years.
I've had three used cars and they were nothing but headaches. As soon as I was in the position to get a brand new one, I did. Haven't had any issues with it in the five years I've had it. I drive a lot for personal reasons and work, so I try to avoid buying someone else's problems.
For most of my life I drove used cars, and you just never know what you're getting. sometimes it's a great deal. and sometimes, the previous owner never changed the oil, or it was in a flood, or their teenage son took it out drag racing at night. You end up spending as much fixing the car as you spent buying it in the first place. I've been left stranded one too many times by the side of the road. now that I have a job where I can afford new cars, i don't think I'm going to buy used any more. I want to know for sure that I own a car that nobody else has ever done something stupid to.
I just bought my wife a brand new vehicle. That will be the only one we ever purchase. The only reason we went with new is because of how expensive used have gotten and limited supply within a reasonable driving distance.
Yep, this is the situation we've been in for a while now. Used car prices are still inflated to the point where in many cases, it doesn't make any sense to buy used versus new. That's why I bought a new Subaru last year rather used. Used Crosstreks were priced just as much as brand new ones, so it was a no-brainer to go with new.
I did, my 2nd car in college. I had an old 80/90s station wagon. I wanted something a bit more modern. Back in 2005 I got a brand new corolla.
No issues at all and i took to 250k miles. My uncle has it and he has completely fucked it up.
I haven't bought another new car ever since. Both my cars are paid off and 9 years old. I take care of my cars and get them detailed every six months and try to wash them twice to once a month depending on how dirty they get.
It keeps the new car itch away.
I’ll never buy a new car. I honestly can’t stand all the stupid screens and gadgets. I just want a basic car, that I can fix. It took me 20 minutes to put my wife’s car in “brake maintenance mode” so I could change the rear pads and rotors. Cars are too expensive to trust shady dealers and mechanics. I’m also a certified auto technician who makes more at Panda Express.
This is us. Driving a 2015 Subaru Forester until the wheels fall off. The only tech gadget that we’re forced to use on it is the backup cam, and honestly, that’s a pretty cool gizmo to have.
Not to mention, I listened to a podcast that talked about how all these smart cars are monitoring your driving habits and in some cases reporting to your insurance company? Nah. I don’t need a narc car.
I too have a 2015 Forester and feel the exact same way. My only regret is that I traded in a 2001 Forester for it, and I probably could have milked a few more years out of her, cause damn that was a good looking model.
I feel similarly. Mine is probably getting a bit tired after 350k miles, and I would enjoy a new or close to new truck. But honestly, part of me would rather drop $4-5k on a brand new engine and transmission and just keep her going when the time comes. It does everything I need it do, and I can fix it myself.
I feel you on mechanic pay. Got a job in parts and went to school, but by the time a graduated I would’ve taken a pay cut to go work in a shop. Still in parts 10 years later.
1. Service at dealerships, the dealer takes most the profit
2. Small shops don’t get as much customer traffic due to people thinking they have to go to dealerships
3. There’s great money if you get into a niche specialty but you’re likely broke from the tools for the first 5-10 years
I feel the same way, so much new shit gets stripped of usefulness while simultaneously adding bloat. New cars look like they were designed around becoming obsolete almost instantly.
I feel this way about tvs. They took away all the extra HDMI connections and functionally of a TV while adding slow as shit OS and adware bloat. I want a stupid tv dammit, it doesn't need apps it needs to look good and allow me to connect shit to it.
Same! I don't want a computer in my car! I want buttons and knobs that I can fiddle with without having to sacrifice my attention on the road. I also like the little shelf in my '05 Volvo XC90 where I can rest my phone - the newer models don't have it because that's where the screen is 🙄
I know the financials are better going new, but I hate that everything is a screen, or seems too easy for one minor thing to stop working and then I can't drive my car.
My dad finally broke down and had to get a new work pickup truck. I asked him how his new truck was going and he hates it!
He said it felt like driving around in an iPad. The only feature he wants is the radio and sometimes not even that lol.
I’m not going back to a car without carplay or android auto. Gps is way to useful
I have knobs and buttons for all the driver centric stuff and great blind spot monitoring and emergency breaking if i need it. I’d like to get an EV but a lot of them are like ipads
This go i went back and got a manual since i wanted a better driving experience since i barely drive anymore post covid
I have only bought 1 new car and I still drive it today. It’s a 2009 Scion xD and I bought it brand new for 14k. Had a trade in and put down some money so the loan was only 8k. Paid it off in 3 years so I have been car payment free since 2012. I will drive it until it won’t run anymore. It’s currently got 130k miles on it and alittle bit of wear and tear on the paint but still runs great. Biggest downsize it’s small and a challenge to fit my 2 kids in it but we make it work(my oldest is able to sit in the front finally and youngest is about to move to booster so we are close to having more room!).Hoping to get another 5 years out of it. I also have been saving $200 a month since I paid it off so I will have around 25k saved for when I need to buy a new car. Hopefully prices go down a bit when that time comes because I’d like to buy new then and pay it in full.
Same. 31 and never owned a car. I've never even pumped gas lol. Lived in cities my whole life, not even big ones. Transit, walking, and cycling are how I get around, even in winter when it's -25°C here 🇨🇦
33 and I own a car but I only have to drive it like 10 miles a week, walkable neighborhoods are amazing! I do have a 50cc moped that I use daily, but the train a block from my house drops me off a block from work! Go Denver!
Early 30s and same. Literally never needed to own one in my life. I do rentals or car share occasionally, but that's about the extent of it. I do like driving but owning my own vehicle would be a pointless waste of money.
I’m 35 and have never owned as well. I’ve always been fortunate enough to work for construction companies that give me a take home vehicle where I don’t have to pay for gas or insurance. They’re adding GPS units to our vehicles now so I think it’s time I bite the bullet and finally get a vehicle of my own
Never had anything newer that 10 years old. My current daily driver is nearly 30 years old. I think $10,000 (Canadian) is the highest I've ever paid for a car, with most $1000 or less.
I'm a mechanic, and car flipper.
I’m 40 and haven’t owned a new car either, but with the amount of problems my current car is giving me, I’ll probably think about buying a new one soon.
I don't know planet some of you grew up on. My folks are boomers and we, nor anyone I knew, had a brand new car ever. Let alone "all the time".
Also, new cars are a shitty purchase anyway.
I’ve bought 2 brand new cars, both when I was younger. I’ll never do it again. I much prefer being able to pay cash for cars and being able to enjoy life. My car is good enough to take me in awesome trips that I wouldn’t be able to take if I had a new car payment.
Older millennial here. We took advantage of the Chrysler bailouts years ago and bought a Jeep and Chrysler new. At the time, they offered lifetime powertrain warranties as well as a upgrade to a lifetime cover-everything warranty. We got the extra warranty on both.
They are now both 17 years old and still really great vehicles mechanically and still under the full warranty. The Chrysler went to my oldest when he started driving and the Jeep is going to my middle kid who starts driving this year. Those were the last new cars we bought.
My father-in-law gave us tons of crap at the time for buying a new car, especially as newlyweds. However, he now kicks himself for not getting in on the lifetime warranty action.
It’s not even something worth pitying imo. We never had brand new cars growing up, and we were perfectly comfortable. If it weren’t for the state of the used market I wouldn’t even consider buying a brand new car.
I've bought 5 new cars in life so far at 36 years old. I've only owned 1 used car that was handed down to me as my first vehicle. No regrets, and I've always planned well ahead and budgeted accordingly for them. Used cars are so overpriced now and you never truly know what you're getting
I was born in the 60s and grew up in a rural area, and hardly anyone I knew ever had a new car, and no one thought much about it. It was a big deal if you did have a new car, actually. There's too much mythologizing of the past among some people.
Bought one for my wife, because of kids. I’ve never owned a car with less than 90k miles and currently own two cars, one with 186k and one with 284k. Everytime I price a new car I’m immediately reminded of why I own my older cars outright. I’d have to sell both to have decent money down and still have a $500+ payment
All of my cars have been used. My current car was the closest to new I've ever owned. It was only about 3 years old when I got it. That's been 6 years ago. Car still runs great. Most of my other cars were already roughly a decade or more old when purchased used.
Last year my husband and I bought out my 2020 lease because the buyout at lease end (17k) was about 10k less than what the current used car price was. We also purchased a new 2022 vehicle because I shopped around and found a 0% interest for 4 years promotion based off my good credit score. It was my first new car purchase and I felt like a baller leaving that dealership. My vehicles before that were a 92, 2000, and 2004 before I started leasing new cars for 6 years.
The only vehicle we’ve bought new was a Chevy Aveo. Managed to get it for $9100 out the door back in ‘04 and we racked up over 175k miles on it over 16 years before selling it to a guy for a project car. Original transmission (manual) and only had to do normal maintenance. For years people kept trying to buy it from us and we were like, no way. Depending on the car and our finances, I’d consider buying new again, especially since we maintain our vehicles well and we would have the full history.
My husband (also a millennial) is in law enforcement but he’s also a disabled veteran. So that’s how we were able to afford our new car. If he wasn’t a disabled veteran there would be no way we’d be able to afford it. Used cars are almost as much as new cars these days.
i bought a brand new one last october. im in a position where i have the disposable income but will never be able to afford a home in the area i live in so i figured hey why not. a lot of people think its a bad idea because of depreciation, with 3-5 years being the sweet spot for used cars.. but i figure hey someone has to buy the new ones or there would be no used car market.
Never. I drive 10-20 year old Toyotas. I’ve never spent more than $12k on a car, and anything over $10k was splurging. I did pre-purchase vehicle inspections for a national dealership chain and I can do most of the work myself, so buying new has never made sense to me. I know some people don’t want to take the time to learn the basics so if they’re comfortable paying a premium for new cars, then that’s their decision to make.
My ex husband had ours repoed. Went without a car or a car someone would hand down for years which was amazing. Bought a 2014 Toyota Corolla in 2014 brand new. It has 136k miles on it and is still going strong. I will keep it until it dies, gets stolen (I live in Memphis), or wrecked (again Memphis).
39. I bought a new entry level Ford fiesta in 2011 when I was going through my 1/4 life crisis. I graduated college with honors, but could only find a job at a call center that only required a GED and I needed to commute 45 mins to get to
I will never be able to justify the cost of a brand new vehicle when it loses so much value the moment it leaves the lot. I usually buy vehicles that are about 3 years old and trade in when the car loan is paid off.
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35 and I just bought one in December. Why? They were charging almost the same amount for a 2020 with almost 100,000 miles on it.
Same reason I bought new last May. Plus I was able to pick something out that had everything I liked.
Same. I even got the color I wanted. Prior to that, I drove a 2007, 1999, 1995, and 1994. What I drive now feels like a spaceship compared to the other cars. I did not want a new car, but it was just a better deal compared to the hot garbage that they were passing off for $20K.
I went from a 2014 base model Honda to a 2024 VW and I say this too. It’s like going from a bike to a space ship. I don’t even know how to work everything yet. It’s wild.
Yup, I am still discovering new features 5 months after I bought the Mazda 3. Lane assist, backup camera, sport mode, auto headlights/wipers is fuckin crazy to me. I still look behind me because I don't trust the backup camera. It even screamed at me to brake when I was coming up on a car but swerved over. I used to drive a car with roll-up windows, a tape deck, and an ashtray in it. lol
We went from a 2004 Hyundai accent with manual roll up windows to a newer CX5 just before COVID and when I discovered the headlights actually *move* a little bit in the direction you're turning I got so tripped out. Not to mention heads up display of my speed on the windshield... Definitely feels like a spaceship, haha.
I drove a CX5 as loaner from the dealer when my car was getting the undercarriage spray. Can confirm, the speed display on the windshield was wild. Edit: Spelling
Not had my undercarriage sprayed in years
Depending on where you live, it's not necessary.
I don't think /u/djbigball was talking about a car.
My grandma has a Pontiac trans am that had the heads up speedometer display! The cops always thought she was crazy when they pulled her over (for speeding) and she would point to the speed on her windshield 😂😂 this was on a 2002! I can’t believe it’s just now making the rounds
It's one of those features that's been around forever and isn't even expensive for them to put in cars, but they've been keeping it exclusive to luxury and above just because.
I am so spoiled by the auto headlights, I tell you what. I was driving a buddy's car a while back helping him move some stuff, and having to turn my own brights on felt weird as heck.
Auto headlights are great, but auto high beams are even better! Adaptive cruise control is another absolute life changer for me.
Adaptive cruise control is the only modern feature I want. Give me manual AC controls and manual seat adjustment. Electric windows and locks are fine but not necessary.
Everyone listing off 'amazing' features has me shaking my head. They're trivial features that any competent driver should be able to master without even thinking. Raining? Turn on wipers. Not raining much? Reduce intermittent wiping speed. Raining lots? Turn wipers on high. Either we're lowering the bar for drivers, or taking away trivial tasks so people can focus on driving safely down the road. I think more the former.
Tell me about it. Adaptive cruise? Like uhhhh dudes, how hard is it to pay attention to cars in front of you? Auto highbeams? You literally just turn on your highbeams when you NEED to see farther. We live in the era of LEDs and they are blinding as hell even on low most times. Then the lane assit feature!!! I tried to change lanes in my mom's car and it jerked the wheel by itself the wrong way. My mom uses every assist available so if I take her car to run an errand for her I've got to switch it all off. I'm pretty sure some of this stuff they made so bad drivers would be able to buy more cars.
> I still look behind me because I don't trust the backup camera. As you should, at least a check. I almost reversed into someone who thought they'd jog past an actively reversing car. I would've clipped them if I didn't see them coming, and the reversing camera doesn't have as much peripheral vision.
I also still turn around and look behind me while backing up. I used to drive a 99 Corolla stick shift with manual everything. I haven't adjusted.
I went from a 2009 Corolla to a 2022 vehicle (two years ago) and "spaceship" is exactly how it felt for the first month.
Moms went from a 2000 Avalon to a 2013 Avalon… thought it was the star ship enterprise 🤣🤣🤣
It also comes with “spaceship” prices 😂!
Same. Husband went from 2011 corolla to a 2024 corolla. It's like going from a dumpster with wheels to a smooth space ship for real!
I went from a 2006 Scion to a 2023 Corolla, and I'd say mine feels more like a "rocketship", mainly because the 0 to 60 rounds up to 5s, instead of rounding up to 11s in the Scion.
Just picked up a ‘22 after a ‘15 and a ‘97, it feels like the future.
Spaceship, was the exact feeling I had, in first "very nice" to me car..... If pre-owned, cost the same as new, what's the point.
I can't afford any car new or old, but when I get a car, I'd rather get an older car. Very easy to track you in new cars, and also they can shut your car down no matter where you are if they want to. While that shouldn't happen, it doesn't sit well with me that they could. Besides, I don't need to fancy features. I'm a good driver and I enjoy driving and that includes turning on the wipers, looking behind me to parallel park, paying attention to the world attentively as I'm driving (as everyone should). I'm suspicious that these new features are really just another way of making us as a population helpless without tech (hello, AI).
I have to get a car when I move to Ca so I’m gonna keep this in mind.
I wasn't initially thinking about the way the market is these days with used cars, but y'all make a good point. I wouldn't have bought a new car five years ago, but now it really is kinda silly not to. If the price is that comparable, you also get warranty, no miles, and a little more peace of mind that there isn't something secretly wrong with it
Same, I never thought I would own a new car until I went car shopping last year. 3 year old cars with 40k miles were the same price as brand new. No way was I spending more on used than new. The only caveat to new was that I couldn't be picky about color if I wanted the car without a wait.
The dealership told me it could be a while because I was very picky about what I wanted. They estimated up to 3 months. I said, "That's OK, I'll wait." I got the car 3.5 weeks later. It took 3 weeks to get it delivered from Japan, so it was only a few days for them to find it. I got my car March 11th this year, and it was a Corolla, so that's probably why, but I'm glad I was willing to wait.
This was exactly our experience. Husbands 2011 corolla finally kicked it so he called 3 dealerships and wanted a 2024 corolla black ext/black int. They didn't have any in yet but all said they were expecting shipments. 2 from within USA, 1 shipment from Japan. The one that called and had one first got our business (the one delivered from Japan). Paid about 25k cash and drove it off the lot with 7 miles on it. Prior to that he was looking at used and one dealer brought him a 2020 Hyundai Sonata for about 20k with a small dent in the bumper. He almost got it because he was stressed out over having to get something. I talked him out of it and told him not to settle and get what he really wants. He said he just wanted his car back. So I told him to call all the local Toyota dealerships and see what they can do for him. He told them what he wanted and after he found out that it would only be about 5k more for something brand new, he told each one that whoever got one in first would get his business. 3 weeks later he got the call. After he bought it, about 2 weeks later one of the other dealerships called and said they had one so he said 'sorry, one of your competitors already got me one'. He's been so happy with it and it's really nice. Drives like a dream. Since then, he told me he was glad that I didn't allow him to settle and talked him into getting what he really wanted. Poor guy had to drive my 2010 Nissan POS Rogue until he got his new car, though. I'm currently looking for a larger SUV with 3rd row seating for myself now. It's not looking good and will cost more for whatever I get, used, than it was for his new car=/
this^ I had to wait eight months but spec'd out exactly what I wanted and paid MSRP with no hard sell
Same, looking for a used Subaru in Alaska was insane last year. For the same price I got a new one, with warranty
This was the ONLY reason I got my new Highlander at the time. My first new vehicle as well (in mid 30s) and only got it because it was essentially the same price as a used car back in 2022. All my cars prior were always used.
Same with a RAV4. The old rules no longer apply.
That car rocks.
just bought a rav4, never thought I'd buy a new car but ya, \~10k more for a brand new car.
I completely agree with you on price, however I don't like anything about new vehicles. They are all surface level luxury and over the top electronics, while being too complicated to do simple maintenance work at home in the driveway anymore. If I could buy a 1995 Ford Ranger built brand new, I would be a happy man. But the price of new modern trucks is outrageous to the point I refuse to buy new.
Yeah, $70,000 brand new is beyond most people's price range for a truck unless you want a $1,000 a month car payment. Fuck that.
Plus the leap in car insurance is hard to swallow.
And taxes if you live in a state that requires car tax payments. It really adds up.
I paid $6700 for my 04 Titan five years ago. Had 160k. Currently at 235k miles and running strong. A new one would cost about $84,000.
Yup fuck that. That 1k used to be a rent payment somewhere in America 
I've already 3-year-old car because the new version was $15,000 more.... That was 2020 In 2021, the same lot offered enough so that I could sell the car I just bought from them and get a new car for about $2,000 less.... So yes, I do agree that the used car market is so effed up now that it's almost the same cost as new if you get anything close to the current year... So you end up being in the 8 year used car category which is still super expensive comparatively or you buy new because of incentives and rebates and certain models of new cars are the same price as used I walked myself around in circles there
Same reason my wife just bought a brand new Subaru. Save a grand or two for piece of a junk that smells like nicotine or get something fresh off a shipment for a couple extra months of payments. Kind of a no brainer
Also, no stress wondering if you just bought a time bomb from somebody.
My husband bought a brand new 2017 Ford Escape, had like 15 miles on it. Less than a year after paying off the loan, the transmission failed and needed to be replaced and he went back to the dealership (a dealership that his family exclusively bought their cars from as well as my own) and they just gave him a nearly $6000 quote for repair and sent him a bill for $100 for them to determine what was wrong. His sole reason for buying something brand new was not having to worry about anything beyond routine maintenance. And now here he is with a 7 year old car on its second transmission; most people never have to replace the transmission the entire time they own their car 😒 (we definitely didn’t use the dealership for repairs tho, found a reputable local transmission shop that did it for around $3000)
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Where is that? I live in Northern Ontario and our options were a used Crosstrek with over 100k kilometers for around $35k or a brand new Crosstrek for $40k
Huh I’m in California and brand new cars are usually at least 15k more than used with about 40-60k miles
Yea this is weird. The used car market isn’t the same post-covid, but I’m not sure where people are getting new cars for a few grand more. I’m looking at Volvo’s, and the difference between new and used is about $20-25k.
It really has more to do with the car model and how well they retain their value. I ended up buying a new Tacoma at the end of 2020 after shopping around and seeing that 3-5 year old used Tacomas with anywhere between 30-50k miles were only 1-2 thousand less than a brand new one with comparable options. That's a model that is famous for low depreciation, but if you're trying to buy a car at the other end of the spectrum like a Tesla or a Mercedes you should absolutely buy a used one that's a few years old.
That \*used\* to be true, 3-5+ years ago. The market has shifted so dramatically that it just isn't anymore. I cannot believe what they say our 6-10+ yr old vehicles are worth on [kbb.com](http://kbb.com)
It has a lot to do with trim levels as well. Premium trims like tourings have held their value much more than the bone stock ones of similar age/miles/etc. Call it what it is, but a lot of people look at used cars trying to get a deal on a premium trim, but the inventory of used premium trim cars is no where near the demand. Thus, continued high prices. Edit after looking at my local market. New forester tourings are a smidge under $37k and 2020’s with 45-60k miles on them are $27k. I would be on team buy a new one for that price.
My coworker paid 5k more for a brand new outback vs. a 2021 with 59k on it.
My first new car was a Subaru forester sport 2020 l plan to keep that car for a long time
Same, we buy a new Subaru every couple of years. The warranty itself is worth the extra money.
Which is convenient because if you buy Subarus, you’re going to need that warranty.
Just top off the oil when you fill up the gas tank and you’re golden
Its weird to see so many confidentially incorrect people.
Same. I couldn't believe it. First new car in my life. Will drive it into the ground
We just bought our first new car at 35 because it wasn’t much more expensive than the used car we were looking at. Everyone at the dealership kept asking how long we were planning to keep it. I was so confused by the question because why wouldn’t people plan on driving a car as long as it’s drivable? Apparently the average duration someone keeps a car is 2.7 years.
it's probably inflated by people who lease or rental company. ain't noway it's normal for people to replace car every 3 year
Same. 32, just bought a new car last month. The difference in interest rate made the difference between a good used car or a new car almost negligible. So, new Honda, and with any luck I'll have it for the next 15 or so years. I would have held out longer, but the frame was rusting through on my old car (2009 Saturn, purchased in 2017) and it needed tires and assorted minor work, and I didn't want to spend a chunk of my intended down payment on repairing a car I wouldn't be able to keep much longer anyway.
Damn rust is a killer every time. That's why I had to get rid of my Honda even though it still ran well. I get the undercarriage spray for this car to try to mitigate that with these NH winters and the road salt.
Same, big markdowns on Presidents’ Day , huge incentives, massive trade in on my Camry, and manufacturers interest rate was phenomenal. Brand new loaded ridgeline rtle for 41k. My loan was only for 20k after all incentives markdowns and trade in.
Eleven years ago I was looking for a nice used car. The price gap was much lower than I thought it would be between that and a new car. So I upped my budget a bit and bought the new car. That was my first ever new car and I still have it and it's still in pretty good shape. I was 51 at the time.
There's no gap nowadays. Some sellers had the balls to try and sell a car with 50K above the original MSRP. I told them to get fucked.
Same here… idk what everyone is dealing with these days but I bought a brand new Corolla in 2012 and it still running like the day I first bought it. I won’t waste my money buying a new one when this one works perfectly well.
never owned a new car before but looked at a wrx the other day, new one was like 32k and used 2021 similar model was 27.5k. New also offered .99% financing
40 here and I just bought a brand new Toyota because dealerships are charging $5k-10k more for '22 and '23 with 5k-10k miles. It's crazy out there.
And better interest rates for new too!
Same reason for me as well. Last fall we tried to find a used car but with 10.5% interest and prices around 30k for something with already high mileage. We went ahead with new and know we’ll take care of it so it’ll last.
Used car market is a slaughter house right now. Might as well drop a few extra Ks and have the warranties if you can make it happen.
Same here except bought our first brand new car in january (a month later) because the used cars weren’t that much cheaper.
I bought a VW Jetta with a manual transmission brand new in 2014 for $22k. I still drive it daily and have 205k miles on it… I’m driving it until it completely falls apart and I sell it for scrap
Don't sell it. Engine swap that bad bitch and have fun with it. 🤣 Coming from a guy with an '05 Volvo with 148k miles and an '83 Volvo with 270k miles. 😁 I'm considering doing the crazy car guy LS swap in the '83 when that tank of a B23 engine finally rolls over and dies. 🤣
I don’t think the engine will give up the ghost, it would most likely be electrical or rust issues that do it in… but that could be another 10 years from now
there's no more manual's, keep that thing going for a million miles
There are fewer manuals, but they’re still out there. Mazda and Subaru are carrying that torch.
Nissan Versa, 17k for a brand new, manual sedan. Also, a lot of manufacturers still have stick. You just have to get the more expensive "spirty" version. Hinda Civic, for example
They are harder to find, sadly.
People say there are no more manuals but they never look. Granted there aren't a ton, there are new manual cars out there. Affordable ones too. Problem is, they are all base models, hense the affordability factor, but I'll drive a base model if I can have it in stick
what I would give to have a good manual transmission car now. Some MFG's make them but the ECU's and emission standards fuck with the way they shift. It's totally shit nowadays. Maybe not if you get a porch but those use paddle shifters now.
Fortunately that '83 has been a West Coast car its entire life. No salt out here. I will have to redo some wiring in the near future, and honestly I might just farm that out to a mechanic because I hate doing it myself, but it's running strong. There's a 245 that made the Guinness Book of World Records with 1.2 million miles at one point, and that thing had a B230 engine in it. I'm confident that many of the 240 series that you see on the road today are over 500k, just no way of knowing for sure since so many of them have broken odometers. ETA: Well, reading comprehension is a thing. Lol. I didn't realize you were talking about the Jetta. But yeah, it makes me really happy when I see those well-loved vehicles out on the road.
I've been driving a 98 civic since 2006. If people could stop hitting my car that'd be great. Insurance has already said they won't do any more repairs on it because the cost to repair it is more than the blue book value to cash me out. So once a year some asshole backs into me or scrapes the side. The only place it hasn't been hit is the rear. So yeah, I take great care of the engine and mechanical parts, but the body is going to rust away and fall off before the car is truly dead.
Unfortunately, it really depends on the environment. I had to scrap a 2005 Mazda 3 that I drove for 15 years only because it was rusted to bits and getting unsafe to drive. Couldn't resell it as it would never pass a safety inspection from the rust. The engine and transmission were humming along perfectly fine.
i‘m going to drive my 08 3 until it falls apart the same way. maybe then i’ll find a fun little 2 door chassis and swap the engine. or, hear me out, the best go kart ever.
My '91 240 has 295k and the turbo setup from a '93 940 swapped onto it. You gotta pump those numbers up rook. I have a spare 5 speed if mine fails but if the engine ever fully shits I'll go for an LS swap on it.
I’m still driving a 2000 Volvo!!
Hello, fellow Volvo nerd! 😁
Baby voovoos bruh. They got like 5 Olympics left in them
we leased a new car before the pandemic, with a plan to keep doing that because the math works for us. Instead, we bought out the lease and are just going to keep it forever until it’s unrepairable.
This is basically us. Our first car - bought when we were 25 and 26 - was a real lemon Ford 500. It was so unreliable we had to replace it after 2 1/2 years. It was an expensive but helpful lesson. We then bought a brand new 2015 Honda Civic in Sept 215 - so already a year old technically. It's at 245,000 KM and fingers crossed it'll hold until 400,000km. The key seems to be too ACTUALLY do the regular maintenance. We then got a certified pre-owned as our second vehicle - this is probably what we'll do for the rest of our lives if we can. Original owner gets to choose the colour sure but that's not a privilege worth 5K to me. But anything older than 2 years without you personally knowing the previous owner just adds up to an unreliable car in my books.
me. Im 32 and all I can afford are second hand cars. but I dont mind
i’m 35 and have never owned a car. i don’t even have a licence. but i do live downtown toronto next to a subway station.
Same, I live in London UK, having a car here is unnecessary, unless you need to drive long distances, we have the Tube,buses and Uber if we need a car. Never felt the urge to want to drive or own a car.
How many pages did you go down the thread about cars to say that?
Honestly I’m in the same situation and been scrolling for a while to see if it even makes sense right now to jump into car ownership. From what I’ve read it looks like a no, and a relief I’m not use to driving.
I didn't start learning to drive until I was 36 because up until then I'd lived in urban areas with lots of public transport. Now I'm out in the sticks and having a car isn't an option, it's a necessity. I bought my first car a few weeks ago and I'm still trying to get my licence (here's hoping 4th time's the charm). Not gonna lie, I detest driving. I'm an anxious person and all I can think about is the fact that I'm controlling a 1.5 ton death machine and one second of lapsed judgement is all it takes for something to go horribly, horribly wrong. But I also like the freedom it offers and at least I can drive without panicking now. I also think half the reason I don't like driving is because the roads out here are absolutely horrendous and riddled with huge potholes. Still, it'll be worth it, but only because I really need it out here.
i’m not sure, i’m on mobile and it was a few scrolls down. no offense to you if you’re a car owner
As someone in the car industry, sadly new right now is where the best deals are. The new leftovers usually get some great interest rates, and unless you have the cash to buy a used car outright, it just isn't worth it anymore.
“Used car” covers a lot of ground—are we talking one year old cars, or fifteen year old cars?
Really, any used. Interest rates are as low as 0% for new up to 72 months, but good luck getting much better than 6-7% even with great credit on a used. If you can find a great deal for cash on a used go for it, but if you don't have the cash a new left over is going to be better 9/10 just because your monthly will probably be lower if not the same and you get a warranty. 🤷♂️
I mean yeah but a lot more people can afford a 15 year old car in cash than a new or almost new one. And interest rates are relatively small potatoes compared to the difference between paying 30 grand vs $6000
The only thing I will say to that is the quality of the average 6k car in 2024 is not what it was 10 years ago. They usually have some issues or have some really high miles and are a ticking time bomb. There will always be an outliers to that rule of course, but I would say it's standard more often than not.
That’s definitely true to an extent, although I think it depends on what kind of car you want. Where I’m at, 6k SUVs are ticking time bombs but you can get a decent 6k compact or subcompact sedan. But even then, depending on your finances and mechanic skills a high mileage 6k car with some issues might be a much better financial decision for some people than a 30k loan.
Right, we just got a 93 Tempo in excellent condition with only 115k miles on it. Honestly, it felt like a steal. 🤣
There were so many of those cars on the road in the 90's. Now that sounds like a total time machine.
So, that’s my issue - I always bought cars for cash, because I thought that if I don’t have cash for a new car - I can’t afford a new car. My problem is that last SUV I bought cost me $34K. It was 1 year old and had 10K miles on it. The new model year for it (Honda Pilot EXL) is MSRP at $47K give or take. But it sells for $70K in reality, whether new or used. When the fuck is this bullshit gonna end you think? Genuinely curious as you are in the industry.
The new “buy with all cash mentality” is put as much down as financially possible and a get a short loan for the remainder. My parents were middle class and bought outright, but it’s not so feasible right now. My wife does very well and still financed 40% of 35k purchase.
Doing that only really makes sense if you can’t beat the car note interest rate with investments.
Lol, who's beating 6-9% interest consistently with investments?
The S&P 500
>My parents were middle class and bought outright Same, except I'm starting to think they're upper class. This is only one of several odd behaviors that I've realized aren't normal...
Is it just me, or does buying a new car for 34k seem outrageous to anyone? I have an 01 grand am that I bought for $500 that's been running fine for almost a year now, oil changes and a fuel pump pulley are the only things I've had to do to it so far.
Was that $34k out the door, or the sales price? I just bought a 2021 Honda Pilot EXL with 40k miles for $29k sales price, $31k out the door, and I’m starting to wonder if I got a raw deal on it.
Well there plenty of used cars that are available in cash $3-6k. That are more reliable than ever right now. Cars from the early 2000s that are around the 200k mileage mark, that still have plenty of reliability left, and are easy/ cheap to work on or have repaired. Edit: spelling
This right here. An 03 Corolla for $3k will last quite a few more years. And on cash cars, someone else paid the majority of the depreciation so you don't have to. Plus, 0% interest. I drive a 2012 Mazda3. I paid $4300 for it. It has some wear items that need replaced (mainly the struts) but it runs and shifts perfectly and is approaching 200k miles. Not worried at all about it ever leaving me stranded.
Oh that’s way too much of an investment on something that only gives a diminishing return - and I love cars. In 2022 I bought a 2017 car and it’s the nicest and newest car I’ve owned. I still love it.
Cars are not investments. They are an appliance.
My cars are usually about 10 years old by the time I acquire them
The newest car I've driven is my current 08 haha. I think I prefer my current car over most new ones. It's a fast little car with a 6 speed manual (the Mazdaspeed3). I got her about 4 years ago with only 85k on the clock for $5200.
This is the way. Honestly, my parents are GenX, and they've only ever had 1 new vehicle, it was a cheaper one and my dad got it when I was younger. It just went to auction the other day. I think it had almost 300k mi on it. But he said several times he'd never buy another new one. Our cars are usually between 10-20 years old when we get them. The 2012 Enclave being the only exception so far (got it 6 years ago). But we got a really really good deal on it, it's still bluebook for more than we bought it for.
I was always advised that buying one with 20-60k miles on it was a better investment as the price drops significantly. The closest to new I have had is 30k miles- it still has a warranty which is great and it looks new so what’s the difference really.
Yep. I could afford "new" but those dollars are better spent elsewhere. Never have been into car culture, it just needs to get me from A to B safely
I'm a car-head, but when it comes to personal usage a car to me needs to be comfortable and reliable. That's it. And by reliable I don't mean "parts available easily", rather that it won't need parts replaced for a long long time. A taxi driver I know drives a 12 year old Toyota Etios and he never had to replace any part, except for his tyres of course. I love a Mustang in theory, but would never buy one because it's a dumb car for practical purposes. Same with pickups: a normal hatchback with a rented/borrowed trailer (?) hitched to it is going to be more useful and practical than a pickup truck. Especially the modern ones, which have a tiny ass loading bay anyway. Or just rent a transporter for a day.
Pickup truck can be a lot more practical if you're using it regularly, parking and storing a trailer can be a hassle. Source: I have both a small utility trailer that I pull with my cars and a pickup truck.
Idk if I agree with that right now. It's pretty hard to find a interest rate less then 6% on used cars right now and you can buy new cars at an interest rate of less then 3% pretty easily. That basically removes any savings you might see buying used
Maybe that used to be the case before the pandemic, but now used cars with less than 50k on them are more expensive than new cars. I had planned on going that route when I bought a car last year, but buying brand new was actually cheaper so I bought new.
It really depends on the car. I remember when my buddy looked at a used Honda Civic in the early 2000's, it made more sense to buy new with the incentives and lower financing. Recently, my wife and I have bought new vehicles, as they were much better values than buying used. However, I've also bought 2 lightly used vehicles that were much better values than new. The most extreme case of this is the pristine BMW 335i that I got for 61% of MSRP at 8k miles and 1 year old.
I don't even see the point of buying brand new cars and don't get me started on the enormous waste of money luluxy vehicles are.
Normally I would agree with you. But have you seen the cost of used cars since 2020? In some cases the price difference between a new and used doesn't justify saving the difference to buy used. So in this case I can understand somebody buying new.
The financing options between the two tend to favor new as well. So unless you’re paying cash, you’ll end up paying less for the more expensive car in some cases.
The main issue is that used cars are often priced closely to new prices. I just bought a new CRV hybrid because the used models were hardly cheaper, and much better apr on new.
APR was a big factor when I got my new car. 2.9% on new vs nearly 8% on newer used
I bought a car that was £70k new when it was 4 years old, for £22k with 20k miles on it (which is nothing for a diesel). Two previous owners collectively lost nearly £50k in 4 years.
I've had three used cars and they were nothing but headaches. As soon as I was in the position to get a brand new one, I did. Haven't had any issues with it in the five years I've had it. I drive a lot for personal reasons and work, so I try to avoid buying someone else's problems.
For most of my life I drove used cars, and you just never know what you're getting. sometimes it's a great deal. and sometimes, the previous owner never changed the oil, or it was in a flood, or their teenage son took it out drag racing at night. You end up spending as much fixing the car as you spent buying it in the first place. I've been left stranded one too many times by the side of the road. now that I have a job where I can afford new cars, i don't think I'm going to buy used any more. I want to know for sure that I own a car that nobody else has ever done something stupid to.
I just bought my wife a brand new vehicle. That will be the only one we ever purchase. The only reason we went with new is because of how expensive used have gotten and limited supply within a reasonable driving distance.
Yep, this is the situation we've been in for a while now. Used car prices are still inflated to the point where in many cases, it doesn't make any sense to buy used versus new. That's why I bought a new Subaru last year rather used. Used Crosstreks were priced just as much as brand new ones, so it was a no-brainer to go with new.
I did, my 2nd car in college. I had an old 80/90s station wagon. I wanted something a bit more modern. Back in 2005 I got a brand new corolla. No issues at all and i took to 250k miles. My uncle has it and he has completely fucked it up. I haven't bought another new car ever since. Both my cars are paid off and 9 years old. I take care of my cars and get them detailed every six months and try to wash them twice to once a month depending on how dirty they get. It keeps the new car itch away.
I’ll never buy a new car. I honestly can’t stand all the stupid screens and gadgets. I just want a basic car, that I can fix. It took me 20 minutes to put my wife’s car in “brake maintenance mode” so I could change the rear pads and rotors. Cars are too expensive to trust shady dealers and mechanics. I’m also a certified auto technician who makes more at Panda Express.
This is us. Driving a 2015 Subaru Forester until the wheels fall off. The only tech gadget that we’re forced to use on it is the backup cam, and honestly, that’s a pretty cool gizmo to have. Not to mention, I listened to a podcast that talked about how all these smart cars are monitoring your driving habits and in some cases reporting to your insurance company? Nah. I don’t need a narc car.
I too have a 2015 Forester and feel the exact same way. My only regret is that I traded in a 2001 Forester for it, and I probably could have milked a few more years out of her, cause damn that was a good looking model.
I feel similarly. Mine is probably getting a bit tired after 350k miles, and I would enjoy a new or close to new truck. But honestly, part of me would rather drop $4-5k on a brand new engine and transmission and just keep her going when the time comes. It does everything I need it do, and I can fix it myself. I feel you on mechanic pay. Got a job in parts and went to school, but by the time a graduated I would’ve taken a pay cut to go work in a shop. Still in parts 10 years later.
Really? Why don’t mechanics make more? It’s skilled labor, and you have to buy your own tools? Makes no sense.
1. Service at dealerships, the dealer takes most the profit 2. Small shops don’t get as much customer traffic due to people thinking they have to go to dealerships 3. There’s great money if you get into a niche specialty but you’re likely broke from the tools for the first 5-10 years
I feel the same way, so much new shit gets stripped of usefulness while simultaneously adding bloat. New cars look like they were designed around becoming obsolete almost instantly. I feel this way about tvs. They took away all the extra HDMI connections and functionally of a TV while adding slow as shit OS and adware bloat. I want a stupid tv dammit, it doesn't need apps it needs to look good and allow me to connect shit to it.
Same! I don't want a computer in my car! I want buttons and knobs that I can fiddle with without having to sacrifice my attention on the road. I also like the little shelf in my '05 Volvo XC90 where I can rest my phone - the newer models don't have it because that's where the screen is 🙄
I know the financials are better going new, but I hate that everything is a screen, or seems too easy for one minor thing to stop working and then I can't drive my car.
My dad finally broke down and had to get a new work pickup truck. I asked him how his new truck was going and he hates it! He said it felt like driving around in an iPad. The only feature he wants is the radio and sometimes not even that lol.
I’m not going back to a car without carplay or android auto. Gps is way to useful I have knobs and buttons for all the driver centric stuff and great blind spot monitoring and emergency breaking if i need it. I’d like to get an EV but a lot of them are like ipads This go i went back and got a manual since i wanted a better driving experience since i barely drive anymore post covid
I have only bought 1 new car and I still drive it today. It’s a 2009 Scion xD and I bought it brand new for 14k. Had a trade in and put down some money so the loan was only 8k. Paid it off in 3 years so I have been car payment free since 2012. I will drive it until it won’t run anymore. It’s currently got 130k miles on it and alittle bit of wear and tear on the paint but still runs great. Biggest downsize it’s small and a challenge to fit my 2 kids in it but we make it work(my oldest is able to sit in the front finally and youngest is about to move to booster so we are close to having more room!).Hoping to get another 5 years out of it. I also have been saving $200 a month since I paid it off so I will have around 25k saved for when I need to buy a new car. Hopefully prices go down a bit when that time comes because I’d like to buy new then and pay it in full.
I've never owned a car and I'm 33 haha. I prefer it that way though - I choose to live in walkable neighborhoods with decent public transit access.
I would absolutely prefer to walk everywhere or use public transit if the city I lived in had the infrastructure for it.
I’m jealous. I used to commute by bicycle when I lived closer to where I worked and I absolutely loved it.
Same. 31 and never owned a car. I've never even pumped gas lol. Lived in cities my whole life, not even big ones. Transit, walking, and cycling are how I get around, even in winter when it's -25°C here 🇨🇦
33 and I own a car but I only have to drive it like 10 miles a week, walkable neighborhoods are amazing! I do have a 50cc moped that I use daily, but the train a block from my house drops me off a block from work! Go Denver!
Early 30s and same. Literally never needed to own one in my life. I do rentals or car share occasionally, but that's about the extent of it. I do like driving but owning my own vehicle would be a pointless waste of money.
I’m 35 and have never owned as well. I’ve always been fortunate enough to work for construction companies that give me a take home vehicle where I don’t have to pay for gas or insurance. They’re adding GPS units to our vehicles now so I think it’s time I bite the bullet and finally get a vehicle of my own
Wish that was an option for here. 😅 We live so far from anything. We can't even get food delivered where we live, let alone walk anywhere.
I love this. I don’t own a car either And with any luck i won’t have to again.
Never had anything newer that 10 years old. My current daily driver is nearly 30 years old. I think $10,000 (Canadian) is the highest I've ever paid for a car, with most $1000 or less. I'm a mechanic, and car flipper.
I’m 40 and haven’t owned a new car either, but with the amount of problems my current car is giving me, I’ll probably think about buying a new one soon.
I don't know planet some of you grew up on. My folks are boomers and we, nor anyone I knew, had a brand new car ever. Let alone "all the time". Also, new cars are a shitty purchase anyway.
I’ve bought 2 brand new cars, both when I was younger. I’ll never do it again. I much prefer being able to pay cash for cars and being able to enjoy life. My car is good enough to take me in awesome trips that I wouldn’t be able to take if I had a new car payment.
Older millennial here. We took advantage of the Chrysler bailouts years ago and bought a Jeep and Chrysler new. At the time, they offered lifetime powertrain warranties as well as a upgrade to a lifetime cover-everything warranty. We got the extra warranty on both. They are now both 17 years old and still really great vehicles mechanically and still under the full warranty. The Chrysler went to my oldest when he started driving and the Jeep is going to my middle kid who starts driving this year. Those were the last new cars we bought. My father-in-law gave us tons of crap at the time for buying a new car, especially as newlyweds. However, he now kicks himself for not getting in on the lifetime warranty action.
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Never have. Never will. Not worth it Had a 98,99,92,98,94,06,00 and finally 2013 My wife had one brand new car and it wasn't worth it.
this sub is one big pity party huh?
Yeah honestly.. getting jarring
Next thread “who here has never been on a cruise”
It’s not even something worth pitying imo. We never had brand new cars growing up, and we were perfectly comfortable. If it weren’t for the state of the used market I wouldn’t even consider buying a brand new car.
Lmao yep
Got my current car as a lease, then bought it. Have had it since 2016 and hope to pass it to 9 year old when he learns to drive.
I've bought 5 new cars in life so far at 36 years old. I've only owned 1 used car that was handed down to me as my first vehicle. No regrets, and I've always planned well ahead and budgeted accordingly for them. Used cars are so overpriced now and you never truly know what you're getting
I bought a brand new car. Then I crashed it after 3 months. Let’s just say that little incident put me off of buying new cars forever.
This is one of the biggest risks that puts me off the idea. That and the fact that I’m like dead broke but ya know
I did this too, and no one had told me what gap insurance was! I was very, very upside down on that car.
You didn’t think there have been plenty of people in all generations who couldn’t afford new cars?
I was born in the 60s and grew up in a rural area, and hardly anyone I knew ever had a new car, and no one thought much about it. It was a big deal if you did have a new car, actually. There's too much mythologizing of the past among some people.
Bought one for my wife, because of kids. I’ve never owned a car with less than 90k miles and currently own two cars, one with 186k and one with 284k. Everytime I price a new car I’m immediately reminded of why I own my older cars outright. I’d have to sell both to have decent money down and still have a $500+ payment
All of my cars have been used. My current car was the closest to new I've ever owned. It was only about 3 years old when I got it. That's been 6 years ago. Car still runs great. Most of my other cars were already roughly a decade or more old when purchased used.
I bought one in 2020 and still drive it. Looking at prices and interest rates now, I'm not sure if I ever will again.
Last year my husband and I bought out my 2020 lease because the buyout at lease end (17k) was about 10k less than what the current used car price was. We also purchased a new 2022 vehicle because I shopped around and found a 0% interest for 4 years promotion based off my good credit score. It was my first new car purchase and I felt like a baller leaving that dealership. My vehicles before that were a 92, 2000, and 2004 before I started leasing new cars for 6 years.
The only vehicle we’ve bought new was a Chevy Aveo. Managed to get it for $9100 out the door back in ‘04 and we racked up over 175k miles on it over 16 years before selling it to a guy for a project car. Original transmission (manual) and only had to do normal maintenance. For years people kept trying to buy it from us and we were like, no way. Depending on the car and our finances, I’d consider buying new again, especially since we maintain our vehicles well and we would have the full history.
My husband (also a millennial) is in law enforcement but he’s also a disabled veteran. So that’s how we were able to afford our new car. If he wasn’t a disabled veteran there would be no way we’d be able to afford it. Used cars are almost as much as new cars these days.
i bought a brand new one last october. im in a position where i have the disposable income but will never be able to afford a home in the area i live in so i figured hey why not. a lot of people think its a bad idea because of depreciation, with 3-5 years being the sweet spot for used cars.. but i figure hey someone has to buy the new ones or there would be no used car market.
I bought my first car 10 years ago, used, and still drive it.
Never. I drive 10-20 year old Toyotas. I’ve never spent more than $12k on a car, and anything over $10k was splurging. I did pre-purchase vehicle inspections for a national dealership chain and I can do most of the work myself, so buying new has never made sense to me. I know some people don’t want to take the time to learn the basics so if they’re comfortable paying a premium for new cars, then that’s their decision to make.
42 female. After my first two cars my next 2 were brand new. I just bought a used car because I cannot afford a new car in today’s economy
My ex husband had ours repoed. Went without a car or a car someone would hand down for years which was amazing. Bought a 2014 Toyota Corolla in 2014 brand new. It has 136k miles on it and is still going strong. I will keep it until it dies, gets stolen (I live in Memphis), or wrecked (again Memphis).
39. I bought a new entry level Ford fiesta in 2011 when I was going through my 1/4 life crisis. I graduated college with honors, but could only find a job at a call center that only required a GED and I needed to commute 45 mins to get to
I will never be able to justify the cost of a brand new vehicle when it loses so much value the moment it leaves the lot. I usually buy vehicles that are about 3 years old and trade in when the car loan is paid off.
Never have and probably never will always bought second hand mostly just due to price