Is it simply better to buy NEW?

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by hootar

IF you can afford it Go New

New cars Should have better safety features then 2nd hand cars.
After all what price do you put on the Mrs and Kids.

If you carnt afford new then updating is a step in the right direction. Especially when it comes to the family.

I think I read some statistic that you are 4 times more likely to die in a car built in the 90s than a car built today. I could be remembering it wrong

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by hootar

New cars Should have better safety features then 2nd hand cars.

How do you figure that

Unless there has been a model update or running updates they will be exactly the same.

A used FG X won't have any less safety features than a new FG X.

[MR XR8]

I am in the process of looking for a corolla for the missis and what I am finding the price people are asking for them 2nd hand we are going to go new . By the time you pay transfer , rego , service and you are still driving a 2yr old car with 30-50klm on them , for a couple of grand you can get a new one . The small cars in auto seem to hold value well .

[Sprintey]

I've enjoyed buying 2 cars new, I tend to own long term, so look into the reliability of the drivetrain beyond warranty, and how reliable they are overall, and how expensive they are to maintain. It was nice to order factory specs exactly to what we wanted and have an Aussie car built for us, I will never be able to do that again, thanks Ford Australia! At least I got to, and the car is still tight as a drum.

I'm noticing a bit of love for the VFII Calais Sportswagon in this thread, yep, agree, it's the last Aussie 'screaming buy' as a car you can buy and keep for a long time for sentimental reasons.

Where after this? Dunno, plain vanilla Toyota reliability and resale I guess. I quite like the new Corolla styling (Hybrid version on the way is interesting) and Prados will pretty much get you anywhere and the GXL auto flogs everything for resale and withheld value.

(Best resale in Oz was a manual SV6 ute from memory, with a staggering 80% retained at 3 years when I checked, food for thought as they won't be here much longer)

For other cars, I tend to try to buy something I really loved when I was younger (for me, it's XR8/XR6 Tickfords, or 1980s Landcruisers) and then try to buy at the bottom of the depreciation curve, so they go up in value like my old XW has. They do require more love to keep, factor that in. Rather have appreciating assets* than a car loan, particularly a rapidly depreciating new car loan. But that's me, and everyone is different.

Glad you got a good car at a good price new Crazy Daz.

* a car isn't an asset really, but if it's simple, inexpensive to maintain as you can do quite a bit on it, and goes up in value, it is the lesser of two evils

[blackf6]

Used cars, are worn in. And have patina. New cars are not new once you fart in them. Words of wisdom there.

[mike_nofx]

Never bought a new car, Never really had the lazy $50 odd K required to buy new, and those $19k driveaway specials as mentioned in the OP like Lancers/Hyundais etc just aren't my thing.

Really it all depends on the reason for purchasing the car as to why you need/want new or used.

Heres a personal example in favour of used:
Bought an '06 BF Falcon LPG Wagon in '10 for $10k to use as a work commuter car, have put 200k on it in that time. Its worth about $2k now, so my purchase price loss is $8k over 6 years which is $1333 per year which to me is a bad enough. Now had I bought a brand new Falcon Wagon in '10 I'd have spent, what, $40k, and today it would be worth ~$8k, So I'd have lost $5333 per year.

[mike_nofx]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

If you're worried about the financial hit, don't buy brand new. If you want the peace of mind a decent warranty affords from buying new, go for it.

But unless the finance deal is unbelievably too good to pass up, do not buy a new car on credit. It is sheer insanity.

It depends on the situation really.

I THINK you'd be better off taking out a low interest personal/car loan for 5 years than to redraw money from a mortgage and be paying for it for the 10-15 year remainder of the mortgage for example.

I don't think there's too many people under about 40 who have the cash to outright buy any semi-decent new car, none who have their priorities in order anyway - 30+ year olds still living with mummy and daddy I'm looking at you

[Qwerty321]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

It depends on the situation really.

I THINK you'd be better off taking out a low interest personal/car loan for 5 years than to redraw money from a mortgage and be paying for it for the 10-15 year remainder of the mortgage for example.

I don't think there's too many people under about 40 who have the cash to outright buy any semi-decent new car, none who have their priorities in order anyway - 30+ year olds still living with mummy and daddy I'm looking at you

This. Whether or not it's better to buy new is a complete matter of perspective and depends greatly on the individuals situation. Yes it is better to buy new on a low interest loan (or in some cases 0% finance) and keep the car for a long time. However, the most important thing is to live and buy within your means! If your a person with a stable income and a stable mortgage and all around in a good financial situation, then yes by all means go down to that showroom and get a new car (Ofc there is a big difference between buying a Maserati and a Toyota), but if your not in a situation where spending almost $40 grand on a car is financially responsible, then a 2nd hand car that gets you to work and back with odd rattle and occasional puff of smoke is by all means the better choice.

Threads like this will often end nowhere, cause what's better for one person does not necessarily apply to another. Take me and the OP. For the OP a new car is the better choice, but for me a 1.5 grand car was the better choice cause spending anything above $3k on a car is grossly unaffordable and irresponsible in my impoverished student state.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

Heres a personal example in favour of used:
Bought an '06 BF Falcon LPG Wagon in '10 for $10k to use as a work commuter car, have put 200k on it in that time. Its worth about $2k now, so my purchase price loss is $8k over 6 years which is $1333 per year which to me is a bad enough. Now had I bought a brand new Falcon Wagon in '10 I'd have spent, what, $40k, and today it would be worth ~$8k, So I'd have lost $5333 per year.

No one was paying retail on a BFiii wagon back in 2010. If you found one in stock probably 32 wouldn't of been out of the question. You also have to figure if you would of had more costs such as repairs/maintenance on what is now a 10 year old car instead of a 6 year old car. But the point still stands I'm sure you are still much better off!

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Off topic, but how did you find your Rio? We had one for a little while, a current shape SI 6 speed manual, and I started not to like it. Felt the fuel economy and power claims didn't match with reality and also felt the engine was designed for 95RON because mine would ping its head off with 91 - even though Kia sold the car as one that only needs regular... Felt like some of these Korean cars are overrated as the Honda Jazz we had previously was a significantly better car in nearly every way.

I loved it, it was nice to look at and fun to drive. I only ever ran mine on 95 from new, as I heard of the pinging from the kia forums, the on paper engine specs never translated to exceptional fuel economy though, it should have used 10-15% less.
In the end, it had 3 things wrong-it only had 3 doors (sls) was a manual (shoulda got auto) and burnt a hole in my pocket paying insurance on a car that hardly got driven.

[Doreturnonfoot]

Some good viewpoints here. Was thinking that a car is more like an appliance - these days I usually buy new appliances. My first form of transport after leaving home at age 18 was a pushy, then a $2750 Toyota then several 10k cars - xf ute, rodeo, triton, rodeo, to my current car -was 24k - most expensive yet. What ever the spend it all beats riding a pushie particularly in the winter.. I should have kept the xf - I would be certainly in front.

[vztrt]

Bought a few new cars. Or but ones that are about 6 months old. They have to be at the dealer as I wanna see the car before dropping a large amount of money. All been good. Funny enough bought my old ba xr6 cheaper new then a used ba xr6 from the used car lot....and it was manual (which wasnt available in the used car lot).


Seriously dont even think about the money lost...if i worried so much i would buy a 10yo car.

[Top_Ghia]

I've been lucky enough to buy three new cars. All Aussie built Ford. And one near new.
To me buying a new car is nice but stressful. A new car should be pretty much perfect. And from that day on every single mark that is put on it hurts. The first new car I had the Mrs crashed so I quickly traded it in as it just wasn't the same even after a perfect repair. The second one was great but I was paranoid about where I parked it and the Mrs didn't get a lot of driving time in it.
Now we have our third new car that the Mrs drives and it drives me mental the condition she keeps it in. After 7 months it's a mess.
I drive a banged up BA wagon with 300,000km on it and I don't stress about it at all. If some muppet opens the door on it at the supermarket I just shrug it off.
In the new car I'm looking for that perfect car park where nobody can get near it.