Hot take or obvious — new car or used, which do you actually buy and why?
Buying a brand new car off the lot is almost always a bad financial decision. Not because cars are bad. Because the math on new cars is quietly brutal, and the industry has done a masterful job making people feel like they deserve the new one.
A new vehicle typically loses 15–25% of its value in year one, depending on the make and model. The person who buys the exact same car at two years old saves $8,000–$12,000 on the purchase price alone — before factoring in lower insurance premiums and registration fees tied to declared value.
The strongest counterargument is real: manufacturer warranties, zero prior accidents, financing rates that sometimes beat used car loans, and the reliability certainty of knowing the full history. For people who drive high mileage or keep cars for 10+ years, the calculus shifts. That is a legitimate position and it is worth naming.
But here is where it still falls apart. Most people do not keep cars for 10 years. The average American trades in every 6 years, which means they absorb the steepest part of the depreciation curve every single time. The $10,000 you hand back to the lot on day one is not buying you $10,000 of peace of mind. Most of it is buying the smell.
Tell me where you land on this.
Share this with someone who sees it differently.
