new car or used car?

Question

should i buy a used for no more than 10 grand car or a new car? i have the money to pay off a new car if it cost 25grand or less and still have a good amount of money left over. iam 20 years old in the military, joined when i graduated hs. never owned a car before but i still know how to drive. iam getting a lot of different opinions from my buddies here and back home so i wanted to see what other people say.

Answer 1

Since you are young and probably not sure of your driving needs or preferences yet (speed, reliability, safety etc etc) I would suggest a used car for $10,000 or less.

This way, you keep as much money in your bank account as possible and still have a decent ride that your friends or girlfriend will respect.

I've owned a few new cars before, but in recent years, I always look for a car that is 1 - 2 years old with low mileage and in mint condition. When buying a used car, I also always buy the top of the line loaded ones. These are much better value than the base models, since the top of the line models tend to depreciate substantially more than base models.

If you are not mechanically inclined, or do not wish to spend time fixing your own car, I recommend getting a car less than 5 years old. This way, you have one last kick at the warranty can before it expires.

Also, it is a myth that new cars are better. New cars have many mechanical problems as well. Just check JP Power reviews. Typically the Japanese and Korean cars has the best reliability, then its a bit of a toss up between US and European cars. Some US models have good reliability while most are not. Also some European models are very reliable while others are quite poor. If you don't like Japanese or Korean cars for whatever reason, then I would suggest a US car over an European car. Reliability generally is similar but the US cars are far cheaper to repair than European cars.

If you do go the used car route, I would stick with the tried and true. You can't go wrong with a Civic, Corolla, Yaris, Fit, Mazda3, Sentra. Any of the Korean small cars will give you better value (lower costs) but same reliability.

I would stay away from Ford, Crysler, GM small cars. US auto makers have long given up hope of making a reliable economy car.

As for European cars, I would also stay away from VW and Audi, these economy cars (Golf, Beetle, A3 etc). Although they are well engineered, they don't do well on long term reliability tests and once they break down ... it is very expensive to fix.

If you must buy new, I would recommend you wait until you have a decent steady job first. That way you can buy a really nice new car. I believe everyone should have the experience of driving a new car at least once in a life, so why not save up the money and get one that is really cool and desirable.

But if you can't wait, then I would recommend a base model of any of the above including the VW and Audi's. New cars has 3-5 year warranties, so you'll be safe with these choices.

I currently drive a 2006 Mazda5. I have a small family. I bought the Mazda5 on Dec 31st of 2006. The car was used for about 5 months and I bought it at an Audi dealership with about 10,000 miles. It was a trade-in; the previous owner did not like how it drives and switched to an Audi with all wheel drive.

It is a loaded Mazda5 without leather, but has sunroof, A/C, ABS, side airbags, premium sound, mag wheels, automatic. If I were to buy this car new, it would cost me around $22,000. But I bought it used for just over $16,000. I saved a little over $6,000 for a car that is less than one year old.

Granted I waited for the right opportunity, if you can afford to wait, I would recommend you be patient and look for a deal like mine. I can drive this car for the next 2 years and sell it used for a little bit less than what I bought it for.

In terms of when to buy? Jan and Feb are the best months. These are the slowest months for car sales, most people aren't thinking of cars in Jan/Feb ... they are thinking about how to pay off the Christmas present debt.

Also, a car you buy in Dec is phycologically one year newer than a car you buy in Jan. Example ... a used 2006 Mazda 5 is still brand new in Dec 2006. But, in Jan 2007, it will be one year old in most people's minds. So ... although the mileage is similar and in all practical terms it is the same, a buyer has a little extra negotiating power in Jan since they are buying a 2006 car.

Anyway, good luck. Have fun. Give me a shout if you need any help.

Answer 2

I was always told that once you drive it off the lot then it is a used car. Sometimes you can find good deals on used vehicles and then a lot of times you can find a lot of someone else's problems on a lot. If you have the money I'd go for a new car. A lot of the used cars are the same price or more than if you bought it off the lot new and some dealerships will offer incentives such as a cash back which you can use toward your down payment.

Answer 3

Since its ur first car buy i would think about buying a new car(with a good warranty like one that goes over 50,000 miles but you can buy an extended warranty just in case). Honda offers a better used car warranty(100,000 miles) than on their new car bcause they want to stand behind their product(which is good) but it has to be "Honda certified" like from a Honda dealership and the resell value is the best of ALL cars. If u were to buy a used car ALOT of ppl get stuck with a previously wrecked or a bucket that will only stay in the shop. Try the link below to see what others has to say about different cars! And always remember u pay for what u get! And researching is key to finding ur dream car(drive it, get all of the options that u like..cd changer, Mp3, Ipod adapter, rims....). Dont just settle for anything.

Answer 4

If you want good transportation at a reasonable cost then any used car that looks good, drives good, starts every time, stops good , steers good , and rides good and one last thing it must have " T O Y O T A " on it in several places and I'm not talking about written on with a magic marker. A toyota with 100,000 miles is almost like some cars with 0 miles. Check everything or take it to a mechanic with a good reputation. Pay him or her 50.00 to 100.00 and make your decision on all of the above. I have a 1996 Toyota Truck with 240,000 miles and has the original clutch. I live in Alabama(US) and recently visited your beautiful country. I almost drove the truck but I was not paying for the gas so my friend wanted to go in the Civic and we did. Toyotas Rule.

Answer 5

That's a good idea to buy used car in your left over money. To buy used cars, one must take utmost effort to analyze the best car out of thousands of car available for sale. It is advisable to know the vehicle identification number and also check whether the documents are perfect enough!

Answer 6

Used cars and New cars have their own charms. New cars costs more and you have to drive carefully as it is new. In the same price you can have a better used car.

For more details on used car, visit: our website.

Answer 7

Depends on what you buy, and what your needs are. Remember, if you buy a used car, your buying someone elses car trouble. They traded it in for a reason. Now, if the price is good enough to allow for you to repair the problems without losing equity in the car, then a used car makes sense. BUT, if you buy a new car, it comes with a better warranty, and hasn't been abused or trashed. I personally, would buy new if I could afford it, over used.

Answer 8

Generally, you should only buy a NEW car if you're going to keep it at least 10 years. Being young, that's not likely, so buy a used car with low miles.

Answer 9

keep this in mind: your new car will depreciate in value about 33% the moment you drive it off the lot. a used car, however, has already depreciated at least that amount. if you can find one a year or two old without too many miles on it (around 10,000-20,000 is a good estimate) than you'll save about 30% vs. buying a new car and not be victim to the same dramatic and instantaneous depreciation.

Answer 10

Used cars are always better deal. So, if you can find a good used car, you shouldn't buy a new one. You can check some used cars for sale maui sites online to see some good and available deals. These deals will help you to take your decisions. good luck!