Another Reason to Not Buy a New Car
 

I can't think of any good reason to buy a new car.

They smell nice. Anyone else notice that there was a man interviewed named Mr. Bland?:)

I walked around town today, picking up car brochures. I always like to know what I'll be driving in 15 years time.

I don't buy new cars either. Any surprise this is an Audi? Or the story could be about Porsche and the intermediate shaft. What happened to German quality?

Probably won't be a new car in my future (other than company car) until my three kids are beyond college. But...new car smell is one good reason. I like that. Also, just the fact that no one has touched it and done anything stupid before you. No door dings, no chuck-holes, no Jiffy-lubes, no french fries under the seat, no pine straw in the trunk, and the list goes on.

A lot of money to spend for peace of mind, but if you're thinking of buying a "holy grail" car that you're going to keep, yes...new may not be the financially responsible thing to do, but sometimes that's not the overriding criteria.

Admission: Didn't read the link on the OP.

Bought one last year and struck out the clause they had no problem. Most people don't even read the sales contract I'm sure. We generally buy new cars and keep them until the wheels fall off.

However I had the same transmission issue in an Audi 100 many years ago- it went kaput at 60,000 miles. Audi treated us like crap and wouldn't cover a thing. Suing them would have taken far more resources and time than we had. Consequently, that was the last Audi we ever owned.

I have not bought a new car since my 1974 914 2.0

My wife bought a new Infinity G35x. It was the first new car she had ever owned. My name is on the title so technically I guess I bought it as well. She picked out what she wanted and picked the colors and options. It is her car and I have only driven it a few dozen times. It has been a typical appliance car. No problems at all.

A customer of mine told me a story about his brand new Chevy truck. Brake light / signal light bulb burns out, he replaces it but it still doesn't work. Takes to the dealer where they had to re-flash one of the onboard body computers in order to reactivate the circuit!!! $125.00 for a $2.00 solution... Is he just blowing smoke? anybody know?

Have never and will never buy new. In fact I'm unlikely to ever buy a newer-than-1996 vehicle simply to avoid the OBD-2 mandated nanny-state crap and it's associated headaches.

Add automotive to the long list of cool things killed by corporate greed plus government over-regulation.

Newer cars are just soulless, overpriced appliances for the most part now. They evoke about as much passion and interest in me as a computer-controlled stove top.

Probably true. An amazing amount of stuff is computerized these days and is solved with software downloads or updates. If the truck is brand new, the warranty should have covered it.

If a car has really good resale value, it's best purchased new IMO. If it has bad resale, used makes sense. Historical examples- why buy a 2 year old F-150 for $3K less than a new one? If you can buy a 3-4 year old Lincoln or Cadillac for 50% of new- good deal.

When you buy used, you have a car with X miles on it that is Y years old. It will always be worth less than a new one would be when you go to sell. The longer you keep either car, the more the resale difference will approach zero. Let's say the used car has 30,000 miles on it. It's due for a major service and probably close to a set of tires and brakes. Plus it could be fore sale because there was some problem with it or it was there was some bodywork done that doesn't show on the Carfax. The chances are higher that you'll get the color and options you want on a new car, too.

On top of that, a new car comes with a full warranty and the Lemon Law protection. Extended warranties are cheaper on a new car than a used one, and the financing is likely better, too. Add up all these things and often times a new car is a better deal than a used one.

Most of your rationale is the result of where you choose to live. We have no emissions testing here at all, so not a consideration for some of us. Your comment that new cars are just overpriced appliances tells me you haven't test driven a new car lately. Ever drive a Mini Cooper S? The Infiniti G37S I recently sold was a blast to drive. 328hp, paddle shifters, sport seats and 26 mpg. I hear great things about the new M3 also. Just sayin'.

My next door neighbor owns the Ford/Chrysler dealership in town. He told me recently that used car values are so high lately that it really doesn't make much sense to buy used, unless you're going POP's route and buying something that's used up. Steve's comments echo my neighbors, so perhaps there's something to it.

that is the point of the article on arbitration clauses - no lemon law protection, and maybe not much of a warranty either

I'll believe it when I see it. Most comments in this thread tout buying used as the only way to go, which so far includes Lemon Law protection. Arbitration agreements as of now are between the dealer and the customer, not manufacturer and customer. I didn't catch anything in this thread about warranties going away.

I agree there are some newer vehicles that are cool/sexy (BTR, etc.) but largely the new stuff really is put-me-to-sleep computerized plastic throwaway junk.

I also think that throwing money at the steepest part of a depreciation curve (and the depreciation curves on a lot of the new models are frightening!) is just plain stupid. Like the saying goes, "...a fool and his money..."

But do whatever floats yer boat I guess. I'll stick to cars at least 5-10 years old and ideally pre-1996. Lots of good choices.

a warranty that is unenforceable has gone away

I found the lemon law here in Colorado not to be worth the effort. My Grand Cherokee was in the shop all but one week of three months we owned it. I mentioned the word "lemon law" to the service manager and a lawyer for the dealership, and a Chrysler local rep descended on me.

Their statement to me, and my attorneys advice, was not to pursue it unless I wanted a very long legal fight. During that time I would still own the vehicle anyway. So we got it out of the shop and sold it right away. I figure a few thousand lost on the deal was cheaper than fighting Chrysler.

Shame I left a business card in the glove box because the new owner called me about issues he was having as well.

You can buy new car smell in a spray bottle.

I bought the Mazdaspeed brand new. While it was a good feeling being the only one to have ever had their grubby mitts on it, I don't think I need to repeat the experience. Of course, I don't think I ever took it to the dealership for maintenance (did not require any warranty work).