Would You Buy A New Car?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23797016
Interesting article but surely the best way to avoid depreciation is to not buy one in the first place. I have a mate who, against my advice, spent 40k on a new car, because "it needs to be reliable" - The garage has had it more than him and he's gutted. The sad thing is that new or old they can go wrong, many think new = good. My car cost 90k when new, I bought it 8 years old for less than a tenth of that.

[Svejk]

What car have you got, ttt?

[Graham-W]

I'd never dream of buying a new car. 3 year old with sensible mileage for less than half the price of new.
Buy new for £20,000 and sell at 3 years for £8,000. Cost: £4,000 per year.
Buy the same car at 3 years old for £10,000, run it for three years, sell for £4,000. Cost: £2,000 per year.
It's a no-brainer.
The longer you keep it the cheaper it gets.

[TWR]

If the car you have is in very good Mechanical / Bodywork Order I can not see the point, My car is 12 years old, very well maintained, bodywork Ex condition including the underside as I was it often, I can not see what a new car could give me.

[BlueToffee]

We generally change every three years or so, always go for a demonstrator or a pre registered vehicle, almost new but save £0000's

[paddywak]

For the last 12years I've been in the motability scheme and get a new car every three years.Before that when I used to buy my own cars I used to change every 2-3 years and I'd look for an ex-demo about 3-6 months old with low mileage. Nowadays I'd possibly go for an ex motability car. I know they are three years old but they all go in with full service history,are clean, well maintained and usually with a genuine low mileage,mine for instance average between15-18k over three years

[pixie373]

I would never pay for a new car. If a car has had a reasonably sensible owner previously, they will usually have sorted out any problems already - like you're normally better off buying reconditioned white goods, than new. A new car might have a good warranty, but that doesn't help the inconvenience of it being in a garage.

[Baldric]

Always buy ex-demos, usually with about 5k on the clock,
then run for 3 or 4 years.

[SlackAlice]

I'm the same as paddywak, used to buy ex Motability cars. With a little care looking there are some good bargains.

The last two cars I had were ex demos or pre registered the last one with 35miles on the clock and got it about 25% discounted.

[ToraToraTora]

so who buys the cars new in the first place? none of us it seems!

[Littlegem]

I just love a brand new car.

[gingejbee]

Littlegem: so do I. Just got one and delighted with it.

[ToraToraTora]

what did you buy, you two?

[woofgang]

Me. I have bought three brand new cars in my driving life, done my research and kept each car for around 12 years with minimal costs then p ex'd them for a decent amount. In between I have had two used cars which have been expensive pains in the A.

[Littlegem]

BMW 1series sport

[paddywak]

I must admit when ever I change my car I always feel a bit special when I get in that new car and drive off the forecourt onto the road for the first time.

[woofgang]

first new car was an Escort Estate, second was a Jimney, third and current is a Rav4
Expensive errors were another Escort Estate, supposedly checked and warranty'd and a low mileage, one owner Jeep Cherokee.

[ToraToraTora]

littlegem, 23Kish??, now for that you could get something spectacular!

[ToraToraTora]

I imagine that feeling goes away pretty quickly when you realise you've just done 6 grand by driving it away paddy!

[Littlegem]

ToraToraTora, you don't think that way, you just enjoy.

[paddywak]

That's the nice thing with Motobility Tora,it's like a lease you don't actually own the car so you don't actually lose anything. You pay your hire and everything's included,you even get a couple of hundred quid cash back when you change your car.