Scotty says he always buys his cars used. Some folks always buy new. And some folks both. Which statement(s) best represents you in the poll? And Why/How?
You can pick more than one statement.
I always buy mine used, usually 5-10 years old when it’s been out for a while and we can learn more about how they are holding up. Also, I don’t want to take that steep depreciation hit buying new.
He recently said his son bought a brand new Sienna, due to the crazy used car prices at the moment.
I’d say it depends..
Definitely depends. I used to buy all used cars, but now I'm buying new only.
Why did you decide to switch from all used to now all new?
Fair question. I used to buy all used because it was cheaper and I didn't mind the tinkering and fixing issues so much. But now I don't really have much time to work on my own stuff and I drive all over to aquire/sell vehicles so reliability is a lot more important to me, as is MPG. I drive about 20k/year right now, so I'd really be putting the mileage on a used vehicle. At least new, I know the maintenance history and everything. Of course, if I see a muscle car I like that's older I may purchase it used since that's the only way to get it. But for my daily rides, new works better for me. Yes, it is absolutely more money than used...you simply can not argue that. But I look at it as I'm paying some of that for the car, but some also for the convenience and reliability of being able to hop in and go without wondering if I'll make it back without a tow. It's a trade off that would not make sense for others I'm sure. It just depends on your individual situation. I hope that made sense.
Makes sense.
New car or used car is a personal thing. There is no right or wrong. People who buy used cars will tell you they do so because one, they want to save money, and two, their used cars were proven reliable in the past. Both reasons are legit.
Some people like me, on the other hand, only buy new cars because I like the personal touch and I like that I'm the only person to touch my car. Even if a mechanic as good as Scotty inspect a used car, I still have no clue what the previous owner did to it or in it.
meh. some used cars can go for hundreds of thousands of miles. Some new cars fail straight out of the lot. The only practical reason I see for buying new is that you're well enough off financially, that the added cost means nothing to you.
I can afford to buy a brand new Camry XSE V6 cash in full but I still financed a used 2019 Camry SE 4 cylinder because a new Camry XSE V6 would still burn 3/4 of my savings and I have bigger priorities. Yea I’m cheap but not Scotty level cheap lol. Now my grandpa was rich and a big time cheapskate just like Scotty but he still bought his cars brand new, cash in full, but they were usually base model Hondas and he’d keep them for like 20 years. His reason for buying new was because “you don’t know what the original owner put that thing through”
i buy new for my girls (lots and lots of airbags), used for myself
A car I plan on keeping for a long time, I may buy new. It has to be a deal, though. I bought my 2017 Mustang brand new in 2018 as a model year leftover and got a pretty killer deal on it. I think $22,000 or something close to that, before the government took its cuts. That car is my toy. Only has 21k on it 3 years later.
The 1999 Ford Ranger I drive on a daily basis I paid $3,000 for with 249k and very little rust. The transmission needed overhauling and I didn't have it checked by a mechanic before buying, silly me. I had the money and had it rebuilt. That was pre-Scotty me. I would have never rebuilt it if I found Scotty and knew it would be such a hassle when they mess stuff up. $5,000 later, I have no real complaints. Basically if I'm paying cash like for a video game, that's a beater. If it has a payment, it needs to stay nice. Haha.
If brand new cars were at least 20% cheaper as they are, than I would start thinking that way too.
