Do you buy new, used, or very well used cars?

[Colleen27]

I have only ever purchased new cars since i was 19 years old. I don't want to buy someone elses headache!

I think that view has become somewhat obsolete. It was absolutely valid at one time, when most people bought cars with cash or short-term financing to last for many years, but with the rise of relatively short leases and a culture that values new for its own sake, I think there are a lot more used cars out there now that were never anyone's headache. They just happened to belong to one of those people who defines success as a new car every few years, or who drives so little that the cheaper monthly of leasing make more sense than the higher up-front costs of ownership, or whatever.

My MIL trades in her Equinox every three years when the lease comes up. She's got one of those ultra-low mileage, returning customer leases and keeps her car pristine, and every time she does the math, this works out as the cheapest way of staying in a car she's comfortable driving (meaning relatively new and reliable, with a warranty and roadside service). But whoever is buying her off-lease returns is getting a very nice car that's never been a headache to anyone.

 

[Stratman50th]

You must get amazing gas mileage.

About 1,000 miles to the gallon in the Tahoe!

 

[kanerf]

The last decade or so I have been leasing. Every 3 years, I get a new vehicle. With my most recent one though, I bought it out at the end of the lease. It is a PHEV and it is very difficult to get them and I was unable to get a new one to lease.

 

[kdonnel]

About 1,000 miles to the gallon in the Tahoe!

View attachment 742703

Does the odometer actually increment in the Tahoe when flat towing?

 

[Stratman50th]

Does the odometer actually increment in the Tahoe when flat towing?

No thank goodness. When I traded it there was 133k on the clock. It's been towed another 50k I think? I haven't towed the Sierra yet so haven't had a chance to check it.

 

[tvguy]

I tend to buy new and drive a long time for myself.

1974 Ford Pinto bought new. Kept 16 years and 130,000 miles and replaced it because we had a second kid on the way and needed a bigger car.

1990 Mercury Sable bought new. I drove it 13 years and 100,000 miles at which time I gave it to my son, who drove it 4 years and 130,000 miles, and then my daughter drove it for a year to 140,000 miles when she totaled it. So I actually owned it 18 years.

2003 Ford Focus bought new. I drove it 15 years and 160,000 miles. Sold it when my daughter gave back the car my wife and I bought for her.

2018 Ford Flex bought new. Currently has 18,000 miles on it and I intend to keep it the rest of my life.

1965 Ford Mustang. Purchased used/totally restored in 2015. I have put 5,000 miles on it. As a hobby car, no idea how long I will keep it.

 

[ncc1701]

We buy new , usually keep them 6 to 8 years. We are both retired but even when working used public transportation in to Philadelphia.( except when I worked my monthly Saturday). We have 2 cars for convenience & they are usually a couple years apart.

 

[mrodgers]

I have only ever purchased new cars since i was 19 years old. I don't want to buy someone elses headache!

Funny, the 3 worst cars out of 14 I've owned were the 3 I purchased brand new without "someone else's headaches"

The 2 best vehicles I've owned were the 2 out of 14 that I purchases with more than 100,000 miles. They both happen to be 80's Toyota trucks. Nearly indestructible as long as you keep covering up the bedside rust holes for state inspection.

As I said, I chose the style of car I want and can afford, then go buy the better one 2-3 years old for the same price. Example, wanted a Rav4 but it was a new model year and too expensive so I couldn't buy it. Bought a Ford Escape, one of the 3 new cars with nothing but problems. Wife rolled it and we lost it prematurely and I replaced it with a 2 year old Rav4 for the price I paid for the Escape new. We're talking the difference between $19,000 for the new Ford and used Toyota vs. the new price of $35,000 which was really expensive back then (still is but normal now.)

So pretty big difference and an enormous difference in quality going with a used Toyota vs. new Ford. The Ford I spent most of my weekends under fixing the piece of junk. And the ex just recently got rid of the Toyota at 225,000 and it had never been touched since I bought it with 23,000 miles. Didn't do one single thing with that Rav4 other than oil changes and tire changes.

 

[mrodgers]

When i leased cars I beat the crap out of them so I would never want to buy one of my old leased cars! If its a new car at least everything is covered by warranty.

What do you call "beating the crap out of them"? Curious because I also beat the crap out of my cars, but I highly doubt you've driven 150 mph in yours. I doubt you've dropped your car 8 feet down a near vertical creek bank, across the creek, and bounced up over the 8 foot near vertical bank on the other side every weekend. I doubt you've had any of your cars up on 2 wheels, both side to side and front to back. I doubt you've driven across the Clarion river or across the Allegheny river in your cars. I'd buy your cars used off of you any time. You baby your cars in my opinion

 

[mrodgers]

About 1,000 miles to the gallon in the Tahoe!

View attachment 742703

Yeah, silly boy, but toss a golf cart in the back of the Tahoe being towed like you plan on with the Sierra, then get back to us on your wonderful mileage

 

[mrodgers]

I tend to buy new and drive a long time for myself.


2018 Ford Flex bought new. Currently has 18,000 miles on it and I intend to keep it the rest of my life.

Yeah, I would keep them a long time also if I drove your miles. I just bought my 2018 in April last year and I'm at 18,000 now. Bought with 37k and have 55 on it now. Might even be 56k now after the weekend.

That's from driving my daughter from and to school. My Mazda I had almost exactly 6 years and had 75k (traded to get out of a basic tiny divorce car.) That one is the least I've put on a car since I graduated high school.

 

[Stratman50th]

Yeah, silly boy, but toss a golf cart in the back of the Tahoe being towed like you plan on with the Sierra, then get back to us on your wonderful mileage 

I'm confused on the commen?

 

[mrodgers]

I'm confused on the comment

You said you wanted to put a golf cart in the back of the truck. I don't know if you were going to haul it that way with the RV but I was just making funny that your joking 1000 mpg Tahoe as it's being pulled, the truck would be much worse from the added weight of the golf cart.

 

[tvguy]

Yeah, I would keep them a long time also if I drove your miles. I just bought my 2018 in April last year and I'm at 18,000 now. Bought with 37k and have 55 on it now. Might even be 56k now after the weekend.

That's from driving my daughter from and to school. My Mazda I had almost exactly 6 years and had 75k (traded to get out of a basic tiny divorce car.) That one is the least I've put on a car since I graduated high school.

My mom always wondered why I drove so many miles! She drove 159,000 miles over 53 years. Average of 3,000 miles a year.

 

[Stratman50th]

You said you wanted to put a golf cart in the back of the truck. I don't know if you were going to haul it that way with the RV but I was just making funny that your joking 1000 mpg Tahoe as it's being pulled, the truck would be much worse from the added weight of the golf cart.
Aaah.. I figure the pickup and golf cart combo will get the same mileage as the Tahoe

 

[mrodgers]

My mom always wondered why I drove so many miles! She drove 159,000 miles over 53 years. Average of 3,000 miles a year.

Yup. Mom just told me she passed 27,000 miles. She bought her Focus in 2013 with 9000 miles on it, so that's 18,000 in 20 years. I just passed 18,000 of my own driving and bought mine 10 months ago, LOL.

 

[tvguy]

Yup. Mom just told me she passed 27,000 miles. She bought her Focus in 2013 with 9000 miles on it, so that's 18,000 in 20 years. I just passed 18,000 of my own driving and bought mine 10 months ago, LOL.

Well, full disclosure. We always had a third spare car, at least since 1986 that was our weekend......vacation.......Little League team.......Soccer team hauler. That was our 1987 Suburban that I owned for 31 years and 150,000 miles and traded in in 2018.

 

[Turn the Page]

I have only had used cars. My current car is a 2010 model I bought 6 years ago. We have had to put a ton of money into it though which has soured me on used cars.

I am looking to buy a new to me vehicle before next winter and given that the prices on 1 to 2 year old Subaru Outbacks (which is what I'm looking at) are only like $2-$3k lower than just ordering a brand new one I think I'm going to go that route this time.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I am looking to buy a new to me vehicle before next winter and given that the prices on 1 to 2 year old Subaru Outbacks (which is what I'm looking at) are only like $2-$3k lower than just ordering a brand new one I think I'm going to go that route this time.

That's why we ended up with a brand new Honda Odyssey this time. It was only $5000 more than the used one we were going to buy. It had 6 miles on it when we drove it off the lot instead of 30,000 like the used one.

 

[hopemax]

We've reached the point in our financial lives where we can buy new. Our current cars were both bought new, and those were the first ones to be so. DH's 2018 Mini Cooper that he tracked from assembly, loaded onto the ship, through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles, and by train to Colorado. Mine is a 2019 Mazda CX-5. Prior to that we had a 2003 Honda Civic that we bought in 2004 with 19K miles on it, and prior to that a Nissan Sentra that was used with less than 30K miles. We drive our cars a long time, so I'm hoping my next car will be self-driving. But I think things have slowed down on that front.