Brand New Vehicle

[Evia]

Curious if anyone here as bought a brand new vehicle?
I’ve only had 3 vehicles in my life and all of them I bought used.
I’m looking at buying a new vehicle soon and have been browsing a few new models and am seeking input from other people who have purchased new vs used in the past. Did you regret it? Do you still own it?

Also I’d be open to discuss any and all car buying advice!
I’m looking for a reliable sedan or suv to haul around my family of 5 with a 25kish budget. I live in a 4 season state so AWD and/or 4WD are pretty high on list. I’ve been browsing the accord, legacy and camrys the most. I’ve been really digging the 2020 Legacy especially...

I will never sell this car and plan on trying to get 250k+ miles out of the thing. So if you know of any car that has a history of hitting high miles with standard/minimal maintenance I’d love to hear em.

I’m not against buying used again either. I definitely get a lot of bang for my buck that route...

Idk I wanna make a good move for my family here. Not find myself in upside down contract with a car in the shop all the time.

[Danth]

Between the wife and I we've bought a bunch of cars over the years ranging from new to 20+ year old classics. The most pleasant experiences were when I knew in advance what specific vehicle I wanted and what I wanted to pay, lined up everything in advance on the phone, and only had to show up to sign the paperwork pick up the vehicle and leave. Never buy new if being efficient with your money is top priority. It's always a bad deal in that sense. If you simply want something new, or want to have something for perhaps a little longer without having to fuss with replacement/etc, that's a better reason.

I trust car dealers about as much as I trust snakes except snakes are more straightforward about their intent. Over-prepare. If at all possible show up with your own financing (or better yet, straight up cash in the bank) in advance. They'll inevitably try to rake you over the coals if you use dealer financing regardless of whether you buy new or used. Be ready--and more importantly, willing--to walk out if you can't get a deal you find acceptable. A customer being pressured into a questionable sale because he/she doesn't want to walk out is the number one reason people end up with bad deals.

You can't outright expect any vehicle to last 250K without stuff breaking along the way, especially if you're talking about stop-and-start daily driving (not all miles are alike) and the car getting beat up in the manner that family cars usually do. Winter and children beat cars to hell and it sounds like you have both of those things. A reasonable number of vehicles reach that these days, but that's still a bit of reach as a straight-up expectation. You want longevity with low maintenance, then what you want is simplicity for the best chance of success. Avoid turbos or CVTs. Definitely avoid any model that's in the first year of a new revision. Watch out for small little engines that demand 20 weight synthetic oil. We live in the era of 100 dollar oil changes, and it's dumb.

I'm not enthralled with all-wheel-drive. All cars are AWD for braking and it quite often gives drivers a false sense of security in poor conditions. It can be nice to have for crawling a steep icy driveway or some such but it doesn't replace proper driving technique for the road conditions. If you can fit it in your budget, good, but I'd rather have a nicer 2WD car than an AWD sardine can. Subaru has good AWD setups and a lot of experience with manufacturing them.

If you aren't already familiar with a car, try to get familiar with it before you buy. A lot of modern cars are built with a bunch of gee-whiz features to try to win people over at first glance on a showroom but which aren't always necessary or well-thought-out in actual use. Navigation systems with poor button layouts or excessively complicated menus are a common culprit these days. If you're regularly hauling around a bunch of kids and doing normal family-type chores a minivan might be worth a look in addition to the classes you mentioned above. Maybe they aren't "cool" but that's the job they're meant for and they do it exceptionally well.


Danth

[solleks]

I bought a new car once, i regret it because the high registration costs (was a big truck) I've owned over 20 cars/trucks. If you buy a Subaru with like near 100k it'll be less than half cost new and registration will be cheaper. It will go to 250+ with good maintenance (even a disastrous repair won't be the end of the world). If you like to be fancy then it's going to cost you basically. It's likely you don't suffer the government gouging i do though due to location . get your own financing from your bank for sure

[solleks]

I forgot to say i sold that truck because of high registration costs and i didn't need it. If you can finance yourself buying from a private party might be the best deal. In my experience a dealership will give you a big middle finger if you have any problems with a used car anyways. I personally don't ever plan on buying a car with a loan again. But i love to tinker with cars. I should say you have good taste Japanese cars are the best imo i personally love Toyotas but Subarus seem like a great deal

[BlackBellamy]

Originally Posted by Evia [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Curious if anyone here as bought a brand new vehicle?

No but I worked in a dealership. My best advice is figure out exactly what you want to pay for the car total with all the bullshit and if they go a dollar over that just walk the fuck out. I mean tell them first, that's the whole point [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I always buy used myself. I can get a two year old car with low miles and avoid that new car smell premium.

[Mblake81]

Originally Posted by Evia [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Curious if anyone here as bought a brand new vehicle?
I’ve only had 3 vehicles in my life and all of them I bought used.
I’m looking at buying a new vehicle soon and have been browsing a few new models and am seeking input from other people who have purchased new vs used in the past. Did you regret it? Do you still own it?

The nice thing about new is you are not buying someone else's abuse. Some models turn out to be good and some lemons. That is one benefit of buying used as the vehicle has been out for a few years so you can check the reliability.

Originally Posted by Evia [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Also I’d be open to discuss any and all car buying advice!
I’m looking for a reliable sedan or suv to haul around my family of 5 with a 25kish budget. I live in a 4 season state so AWD and/or 4WD are pretty high on list. I’ve been browsing the accord, legacy and camrys the most. I’ve been really digging the 2020 Legacy especially...

Subaru has one of the best AWD systems on the market as it was developed for rally racing. I have more trust in something that comes from a racing pedigree as the bugs have been worked out.

Audi also has a developed AWD system know as the Quattro.

[Bigsham]

Buy american

[Gatorsmash]

Buy end of cycle model or else is all I'm going to say. Bought a new Highlander in 16' when the 2017's were on the floor with the new amazing engine and transmission set up.

They were recalled this year.... and buy an electric car if your buying new. They are fantastic now and will be my next car, even in 16' they were "ok" but now are pretty nice with good AWD (I'm in a 4 season state as well)

[Smellybuttface]

I’ve bought new and used. Even though the car I own now was bought new, I would in all likelihood only by certified used cars in the future. Avoid the immediate new car depreciation (all cars have an immediate depreciation, but new ones most of all) and you get a great warranty on certified.

[Muggens]

Never buy a new car