Does it make sense to pay more for an older (2004ish) luxury car (i.e. BMW, Acura, Volvo) or pay about the same for a newer (2006 or 2007) non-luxury car? I'm wondering if the quality of a BMW, Acura or Volvo sort of balances out the fact that it is an older car...? But I guess repairs would be more expensive for a luxury car...
2007-07-06 05:31:05 · 12 answers · asked by Just a guy 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Buying & Selling
By the way, I am not looking to buy because I am rich. The car I have now has 250,000 miles on it and I know it is going to go soon. I am just trying to figure out what is the best long-term. I'd prefer the lowest payment I can get but I also want reliability. I drive A TON and want a car that will keep running like my last one did. I also want something that handles well and is a good car to drive.
2007-07-06 06:03:06 · update #1
Oh and the used luxury cars I am looking at are Acura, BMW or Volvo, about 3 years old, for about $20/$22k.
2007-07-06 06:06:53 · update #2
I have an uncle who can afford to buy a Mercedes off the lot, with all the bells and whistles, for cash. He has NEVER bought a new car, he's too smart with his money. If you buy a new car, it loses a THIRD of its value the moment you drive it off the lot. Since you're only talking about a used car 3 or 4 years old, go used. You won't have to pay for as much depreciation, and you won't be upside-down for the first 3 years you own it. Watch out for high-mileage cars, and look for one with well-kept maintenance records. Do your homework, and pick out a car (luxury or not) that has a history of longevity.
2007-07-06 06:44:59 · answer #1 · answered by mrscjr 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Congratulations on keeping your previous car for 250,000 miles.
1. To minimize repair costs: Look at the Volvo or BMW dealer programs "Certified" pre-owned program that pay for repairs for a period of time. Dealer websites describe these, and list used car inventory so you can see prices per model. You can go to bmw.com, or volvo.com to get linked to nearby dealers.
2. Consult peer-review websites:
a) edmunds.com (free) describes the "True Cost of to Own" each model of car. They rate cars, and include owner comments. Link is below.
b) Consumer Reports (minimal subscription fee), run by Consumers' Union (which writes the annually published report), tracks each model's repair history over the years. They are unbiased and detailed. They rate Hondas and Toyotas consistently high.
3. If you are considering buying a car from a private party [not a dealer] -- take the car to an hour-long diagnostic from AAA before you buy. AAA will print out a list of the car's issues so you can see what lays in store. The diagnostic costs about $75 but it's worth it.
4. You can get a car's history from carfax.com if you are really concerned.
Okay, good luck!
2007-07-06 05:34:17 · answer #2 · answered by Teresa H 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
BMW and Volvo have a history for breaking down. I would say if you buy luxury go for Acura. If you go for a brand new car get something like a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. Those things last forever. Well, not forever, but for many many miles.
2007-07-06 12:15:09 · answer #3 · answered by Free the monkey in you! 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i own a repair shop,and all the used luxury cars i see cost a lot to keep them up,once the get past a certain amount of miles ,they all get to the point that they need more repairs,but parts for the older luxury cars actually cost more than some of the newer ones do,you,ll wind up paying just about the same for repairs but have an older car,good luck hope this helps.
2007-07-06 05:40:30 · answer #4 · answered by dodge man 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A lot of the luxury brands have very attractive certified used car programs. There are 3 or 4 year old cars that comewith warranties like a new car would. Lexus wins the award for best preowned program year after year.
2007-07-06 05:49:57 · answer #5 · answered by Jay P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Megan is correct! The two good prospects are: The Acura TL, with a 2010 Car Reliability GPA of 3.25 over a Consumer Reports 10-year data history, The Acura TSX, with a 2010 Car Reliability GPA of 3.33 over a 6-year data history. For comparison, here are overall 2010 Car Reliability GPAs for several brands, in descending order: Honda: 3.67 ( an A) Toyota: 3.53 (a low A) Acura: 3.38 (a higher B) Subaru: 2.61 (a low B) Mercury: 2.41 (a higher C) Buick: 1.78 (a lower C) Volkswagen: 1.58 (a low C) Audi: 1.29 (a D) Chrysler: 1.04 (a D)
2016-05-19 22:33:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Got some money you do not know what to do with it. Burning a whole in the packet. Whats wrong with the car you have now. Tried of driving a used car so we will buy another used car. Right??? Go buy a used motorcycle for $4000 and have more fun and meet more people. Spend $150 and drop the car at the detail shop. It will look better--OK. The way the economy is -- I would not be making $350 car payments when I can drive my paid for car for free.
I drive my vehicles for 20 years.
2007-07-06 05:49:07 · answer #7 · answered by Gerald 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
a used luxury car can cost a lot of money to fix if needing repairs down the road. a car with less quality may be cheeper to maintain, and less likely to break down, because there are obviously less parts to break.
2007-07-06 05:35:54 · answer #8 · answered by Dannos 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A cheap car is a cheap car, new or old. Buy a two-year old luxury car and pretend you bought it new two years ago.
2007-07-06 05:34:37 · answer #9 · answered by SvetlanaFunGirl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How rich are you? If money isn't a problem buy the luxury one. If you dont just buy a new one.
2007-07-06 05:36:17 · answer #10 · answered by granvillegirl9 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋