Posted by: @wilson-woodard

2022/2023 Honda civic is what I’m thinking.

Their CVTs in those cars are not the best. The ones with a manual transmission are a different story.

Posted by: @wilson-woodard

EVERYONE keeps telling me that it’s such a bad idea to buy a new car.

They're right. The prices of new cars are high.

How much money are you willing to spend for a car?

Welcome new member,

You are in a good position and sounds like you are making sensible choices.  Honestly, I think you would be OK either way, new or used.

The advantage of used cars is that someone else takes the disproportionate share of depreciation.  So the second owner gets more of the car's useful life for less money.  The downside is greater risk.  When you buy a used car, you have to assume that it has a problem (which is why they are selling it).  And not only are you buying someone else's problems, you are buying their maintenance history (or lack thereof).  For a mechanic like Scotty (who only buys used) this isn't a problem, because he can fix things himself for less than it would cost to have someone else do it.  The more repairs you are willing and able to do, the greater advantage in buying used.

In your case, since you are talking about a civic, buying new might make more sense because it is not a high-$ car with a lot of early depreciation (like a merecedes or BMW or something).  If you take proper care of it from the get go, it should last a long time, and if you don't plan to sell it in the first few years, then depreciation is irrelevant.

Before you make a final decision, take a look at new and used values right now. The market is softening, but is probably still a bit distorted.  (By the way, there are not a lot of $10,000 cars that will really last you 10 years of daily use.  If you do go used, be patient to find a good one.)

Good luck and welcome to the forum

IMHO, it’s personal preference. Some folks like to take the calculated risk on a used but cheaper car, and some folk like to be the only one to have owned the car, so they pay a premium for that honor and privilege. 

It’s your money, so despite all the recommendations you may get for used or new, it’s ultimately your choice. 

I have one friend, all he has bought is used cars all his life. And another friend, they keep their cars forever and always buys new. And yet another friend, who loves the luxury lifestyle, so leases luxury brands, but pays the ultimate premium for that lifestyle. 

In terms of what new car to get, the Civic is an excellent choice. I’m rolling in a 1999 Honda Accord since the beginning. Right now, the latest generation Civic is my top choice should I need to buy a new car.

It’s seems like it is the same size or bigger than my Accord. And I love the interior design and ergonomics. How far cars have come in twenty years! 

So yeah man, if you want a new Civic, I say go for it. If it was almost any other brand, I’d say buy a used Honda or Toyota instead. 

So you’re like me. Personally, I only buy brand new cars because I have trust issues. I don’t trust anybody, even my friends so let alone some previous owners I don’t even know. My 2015 Fusion lasted 110k miles without a problem. My current 2021 Camry SE is running like a charm with almost 10k miles on her. My mom drives a 2014 Honda Odyssey originally bought brand new as well. It has 140k miles. Again, it has never had a problem. So I don’t think new cars are worse. It’s about the car makers, whether they produce quality vehicles or not.