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Sedans Midsize Sedans Comparison Thread 
12297 messages, Last post on Apr 13, 2007 at 11:55 AM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: danf1 (Jun 11, 2005 7:33 am) |
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Replying to: annek (Jun 11, 2005 9:25 am) Keep in mind that buying the least expensive example of any used vehicle is probably akin to buying the worst cared for car. A good detail can hide years of neglect. Sometimes paying a little more up front will save you a lot of aggravation down the road.
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Replying to: danf1 (Jun 11, 2005 11:12 am) I feel like I'm getting a better "deal" with the new one since they are under invoice and thus under true market value, however, this used car with low miles gives me a chance to get things I wouldn't pay for otherwise but that I like (spoiler). It has the advanced safety features like the side curtain airbags...also rare in a 2 or 3 year old model. I'd be saving about $3700 off the price of a new one. I know new cars depreciate most in first two years so that's why the general advice is to find a well-cared for car with low miles 2 or 3 years old. However with new prices so low, it's hard to figure out which way would be better in the end. Opinions here?
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Replying to: annek (Jun 11, 2005 12:55 pm) |
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Replying to: annek (Jun 11, 2005 6:49 am) |
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Replying to: annek (Jun 11, 2005 12:55 pm) You didn't specify the mileage on the two-year-old Camry so it's difficult to evaluate the deal. Was it an "early" 2003? Or, was it made later in the model year? That should be part of your equation. It could be closer to a three-year old than a two-year old. Have you seen all maintenance records? Has it been serviced by the Toyota dealer? Do they have computer records of all service and any areas of concern? |
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Replying to: blane (Jun 11, 2005 3:54 pm) |
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Replying to: blane (Jun 11, 2005 3:54 pm) How is depreciation affected by the fact that new cars are selling for about 300 below invoice in my area? I looked at some formulas and it shows they are depreciating at about $3000 the first year. So wouldn't I save in the long run with the used car since the initial buyer had to take the hit in depreciation?
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Replying to: annek (Jun 11, 2005 9:51 pm) It sounds like price is your primary consideration. If that's the case, then the '03 Camry is your best bet. That's clearly the cheaper alternative and if you don't really yearn for a brand new car, then no matter how good a deal the new car price is, it's going to be more expensive both in initial outlay and depreciation over any time period you want to use. Look at the Edmunds "true cost to own" calculators to get a comparison.
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Replying to: lmacmil (Jun 12, 2005 7:17 am) My primary considerations are cost (both short-term and long-term) and reliability. Of course, this is not exactly comparing apples and apples since the accord tends to retail for $500 more than the camry, right? When I do true market value on the comprable 05 camry, it's about $300 under TMV. There was no option for spoiler (which the used one has) so I coudn't factor that in, though I think there is some curbside value to that. |
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