Leased car question

Xstatic3333

I feel like new vs. used vs. beater cars is the most contentious debate we ever have around here!  LOL.  

Even within my house, H and I don't agree on this.  I've only had new cars since high school; I was very lucky to get a new car as a college graduation gift (I know how blessed I was).  When it was totaled by an inattentive driver in an accident, I took the settlement to get my current car which I plan to drive as long as possible.  Even still, I think I will get a lightly used car in the 10,000-15,000 range for my next vehicle.  I'm pretty much settled as a Honda girl at this point, and they are just so darn reliable.  I'm not totally anti-payment, but like it to be very small (under $200).  I know the interest rates are good, but a big car payment would just annoy the heck out of me.  

Meanwhile, H, as you may remember, bought a $9,000 Subaru Forester with 80,000 miles on it, seemingly a very practical purchase, and had it need a repair that cost more than the car's value in less than two years.  He's completely scarred now and I don't think he'll ever want a used car again.  He was really willing to work within our budget, however, and get a new car that was practical (an Impreza) even though his dream, a new Forester, was almost within reach if we stretched ourselves or took out a crazy long loan.  I think his bad experience was an exception to the norm since it was a turbo, and they're known to be unreliable.  

Either way, I definitely think it's a huge stretch to say that used cars aren't safe.  I'm not a car expert, but what I think I'll do next time around is pay a mechanic his hourly fee to check out the used car I plan on buying before I finalize things.  If the current owner objects to that, it'll be a signal that something is off.  

hoffse

I don't think anybody is saying that a used car isn't safe.  

I'm saying that safety technology is consistently being upgraded.  New crash tests come out that sometimes have surprising results.

We buy newer cars because we're willing to pay for those upgrades.  Not everybody is.  I drive a CR-V, and they re-engineer the bodies every few years.  The 2015's scored better on the crash tests than the 2014's.  My 2007 is pretty safe, and I hope it would save my life if I was ever in a serious accident.  I just think the 2015 is a bit safer, and so when it is time to replace my car I will buy 2015 or newer.

Now for reliability - I think it's fine to buy a used car, but you want to make sure it's well-vetted.  There's always a possibility you might end up with a lemon if you buy new, but I think the odds are higher with used.  

The worst car my H ever drove was from Carmax.  It had a pristine report.  That thing was a nightmare, and after spending thousands in repairs - and having it stall out while he was driving in the middle of Atlanta traffic at 85 mph - we finally sold it and bought him a new car.  That stall out situation was so scary, that I just told him to take it back to Carmax and sell it.  It was fairly spur-of-the-moment, but neither of us has ever regretted that decision because he could have had an awful wreck if traffic had been heavier.  We had planned to wait another year before replacing that car, but saving the money just wasn't worth it to us after that.

I will never buy another car from Carmax again, especially when they were willing to buy that POS car back from us.  The thing barely cranked during the "test" and they still paid us $5K for it because the teenager testing it thought everything seemed fine with the engine.  Ummm... no.  It obviously wasn't fine.

Anyway I think cars are a bit like vacations in that people will have different priorities.  Some people will pay for upgraded features. I don't think there's anything wrong with that if you can afford it.  Some people are comfortable buying used, some aren't.  Again, nothing wrong with either one as long as you do it with your eyes open.

vlagrl29

Used cars are totally fine IMO - I just personally wouldn't want too old of a car with tons of miles on it - I could have kept my current car in that case.  Once the car starts breaking down on the highway its time to get a new car and by new I don't mean brand new.  My ford focus I bought at the dealer ship for $15k - 0 down - 0% interest for 72 months.  When we buy cars again it's going to be a car a few years older than the current year with around 30k miles on it and buy an extended warranty.  My in laws did that and have already saved in repairs.  

short+sassy

@simplyelise 's story about her accident in the Mazda6 just reminds me of how lucky we all are to have the kind of safety features in vehicles that we do.

I totaled my Chrysler Sebring about 6-7 years ago.  I hit the side of another car head-on at about 40 MPH.  The entire front of the car crumpled...just like it is supposed to...and ended up being only about 2-3' wide.  The engine dropped, instead of being shoved into the passenger area.  The front air bag went off and kept me from slamming into the steering wheel, even with my seat belt on.  I had a huge bruise on my knee where it hit the bottom of the dash and a giant red spot on my upper chest...that lasted for over a week, lol...from where the air bag punched me.  And that was it.  I didn't even need to see a doctor, much less go to the hospital.

If that same accident had happened in high school when I was driving my mom's '70 Chevy Nova, it would have been a WHOLE different story!  Granted, it was a "classic car" even then, but still. 

jtmh2012

short+sassy said:

If that same accident had happened in high school when I was driving my mom's '70 Chevy Nova, it would have been a WHOLE different story!  Granted, it was a "classic car" even then, but still. 

When I was 12, my mom and I were driving from Maine to Virginia in our 1979 Suburban.  Got cut off by a driver and ended up upside down facing into traffic (long story involving a towed travel trailer).  We both walked away from that with a few bruises and scratches.  Still drove that thing for many years.  Can't do that these days.....:(