Buying a used car makes waaaaay more sense especially if you buy a certified one.

You can purchase up to 5-year, 60,000 mile warranties. CarMax offers up to 6/72,000 depending on the mileage of your purchase.

If you're thinking of buying that clunker from Joe's AutoShed or a private-party who has no documented service records then shame on you...

So, you don't take the appreciation hit, have a newer ride with a sizable discount, lower motor vehicle fees and a warranty.

BUY USED, ALWAYS.  THE THRILL OF DRIVING THE NEWEST MODEL GOES AWAY THE SECOND THE CALANDER CLACKS OVER TO THE NEXT YEAR.  WHAT YOUR LEFT WITH AT POINT IS AN EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT THAT DEPRECIATED A GOOD 35 TO 40 PERCENT OF IT'S PURCHASE VALUE.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW CARS OR IF YOUR CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING SOMETHING THAT YOU LOOK GOOD IN, A 2 OR 3 YEAR OLD CAR WILL MORE THAN FIT THE BILL FOR YOU, WHILE RETAINING A MUCH LOWER COST OF OWNERSHIP.

IF YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A DO-IT-YOURSELFER, AN EARLY TO MID 90'S USED CAR IS A PERFECTLY VIABLE OPTION.  IF YOU CAN BUY A CAR FOR A GRAND AND THEN SPEND AS MUCH GETIING IT ROAD WORTHY, YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN OWNERSHIP COST OF ABOUT 200 TO 300 A MONTH, INCLUDING INSURANCE.

the answer to buying is in your budget.  if you want a vehicle that you can afford new you usually can afford it used.  JUst make it is from a dealership that does check ups on their inventory before they wash it and put for sale

i've never purchased a new car, in fact last month, i just bought a 2004 chevy trailblazer with everything except the dvd player.  it runs great, has lots of power and has the safety features i wanted in a suv.  the best part, it has no dings, dents, or windshield dings on it.  i would definitely suggest checking out a 1-2 year old used car before checking out the brand new cars.  in many cases, you'll still get the new car apr financing as long as it's under 2 years old and you'll still have a warranty on it.  if you must buy a brand new car, wait for the time of the year when the dealers need to dispose of their current year models before their new shipments arrive, you will then have the new car you want at a price that's reasonable, the only drawback, you get less to choose from.

1.No one sells a car just because it runs so good.  You are buying a risk when you buy a used car.

This poster needs to spend more time in California.  People do, indeed, trade in good running, even near new cars just to get the latest body style.  Even more people turn back leased cars for the same reason.  My daughter got a two year old lease return with just 14K miles with the balance of a 100Kmile/5year warranty.  

If you are not a slave to fashion, look at higher end cars that have just brought out a replacement model.  For peace on mind, get a certified used car that will cost more, but not as much as a new one.

A good compromise between new and used for those who freak out about maintenance  is to by a certified used car from a manufacturer.  That's what I did once from Lexus and it paid off.  Just make sure it is a decent certification program.  Lexus gave me an addititional 56,000 miles (to 100k) and three years extension on a bumper-to-bumper warranty.  This was on a car that was already 5 years old when I bought it, so the original  owner paid the bulk of the depreciation.  Fantastic deal.

This is to chandra,,

whether new or old you don't know what you are buying. New cars have recalls all the time, and before you say it warrenties are used to make money for the finance companies not give it away. That is why warrenties are not for the life-time of the vehicle

I sold cars and when we sold a new car we often asked why do people buy new when used do the same thing and sometimes better. If you notice the price of new cars are not increasing too much...until..you start adding amentities that are already on the used version of the same vehicle. Ultimately I feel that people that buy new don't have the funds to buy used, personally I want buy a vehicle if I can't pay cash for it.

I drive a '94 Volvo 850 and trust it on any road trip and any weather. I have had no problem out of it...unlike the '96 Cadillac I sold to get it...I love Caddi just not a reliable luxury car...we can sit here and debate about this for a very long time because it is a great debate, but the ultimate decision is our own I will say this if you think a new car is an invest ment think again...

I purchased a used '87 Jeep Cherokee in '98 paid 5 grand, was in like new condition,

had 98000 miles. Jeep is 4wd, gets 20 mpg, will carry 5 w/cargo room. Have replaced

alternator, starter, fuel pump, spark plugs & wires,radiator hoses and thermostat about $300. I do oil changes faithfully.Have now got 200000+ miles & can still drive anywhere. Cost to insure and register at a minimum. Cost of ownership? Purchase price and repairs about 6 cents per mile. Fuel economy? I can buy 80 gallons of gas a month instead of a $300 car payment, thats 1600 miles of gas a month. I don't even drive that  many miles a month.

If you can pay cash for a new car, you can usually get better deal. You have more bargaining power. Just don't let the dealer talk you into alot of the extras. You don't need them. We bought a new mini van anf paid cash along with a trade in and we knew how much we were willing to pay. That's the same with buying a used vehicle. We stuck to our guns and got what we wanted for the price. It's amazing what cash does.

If you are going with a Honda 1 to 2 years old, then it makes sense to go with a new one (Honda's has the lowest depreciation of any vehicle), lowest cost of overall ownership. Their newer used vehicles are priced pretty close to a new one. If you are looking at a domestic vehicle, then definately go with a used or programmed one (they have the highest depreciation due to very large rebates and fleeting to the Rental market). You can get a newer used one for a more than half the price of a new one. Make sure you purchase an extended warranty when ever you purchase a used domestic vehicle.