Quote:
Originally posted by rodgerd
My take? Go used unless you've got cash to burn. Depreciation will kill you in most parts of the world; ypically you'll lose something like one third of your money driving off the lot.
One good option is to look to see if a dealer has any of last year's car with the balance of the warranty outstanding; you'll get a big discount over new, with most of the benefits of a new car.
At any given price point, you get more car second hand than you do new.
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First, the disclaimer. I am in the Automobile business. I sell VW's. Here are some important positive and negative points to consider.
NEW Positives:
Never been beaten up/undermaintained by previous owner
Full Warranty (usually much better than certified used)
With the current market, and most makes at the '03/'03 change, prices and financing are low (I know we offer 1.9% on most of our cars)
NEW Negatives:
More expensive
Cannot be choosy at the end of the model year
USED Positives:
Less Depreciation
NEe car financing and pricing specials keeping pre owned values down
Less Expensive
Certified = Warranty
USED Negatives:
Higher interest rates
Unsure of previous owners maintenance habits
Not New(dents, dings, ect..)
All in all, depending on the vehicle that you are looking at, sometimes a 03 or a demo model will save you enough with interest and lowered cost to make up the difference.
If you have any specific questions, you can PM me.
I always suggest shopping for price on the internet, and using the guides available online (NADA, Edmunds, KBB) as they can save you a lot of hassle, and keep you from getting screwed.