Would anyone here buy a USED Car?

[zebra]

Originally Posted by Caspers2SSRS

Contarily, the dude now driving the V8 and selling the V6 may have demanded it perform at a level beyond its designed and engineered mechanical expectations and limitations, which has been determental to its longevity and decided to rid themselves of it after having dealt with the circumstances of some sort of premature wear, permanent tear or impending catastrophic failure.

case in point - i sorta drove the v6 in Penny like it was a v8 sometimes & one day it had enough. now i have a v8 in that same truck... if that says anything to ya

[StarkLS]

I bought my previous car used. 2006 Cobalt SS/SC. Had 26k mils and paid 13k for it. Traded it in 2 years later after many mods, got 8k for it still owing 10. I can't imagine the resale if I had got the 2009 SS/TC

[Sevn86]

Originally Posted by John Shields

I've bought only used cars until now (this car). I wont ever buy another used car again. But I recommend to every new driver that they first buy and start on a used car.

Same with my dad. My car is the first car in 25 years of being in america that he bought new...

[GaryTucker]

Originally Posted by johntaylorny

In searching locally for my Camaro, I'm thinking of just how horrible of a financial investement a car is. The value plummets by 15-20% a year, yet you still pay interest on that amount that doesn't even exist anymore. You are essentially, throwing money away (aside from the fact you get to drive a cool looking Camaro).

Now, it would make financial sense to buy a 2010 with a few thousand miles on it. That means some other idiot has eaten a lot of depresiation.

My concern is with hidden problems in used cars. You don't know how they drove it and what problems may arise from mechanical abuse. The last owner may have gotten rid of it because it's a lemon. And will banks loan on a used car? My local dealership here had a used Camaro but it was a former rental car from Hertz and I was like noooooooooooooo way.

Would you buy used?

Unless you just can't find what you are looking for in a used car, there isn't any reason not to buy used at this point. As you pointed out...let someone else take the 15%+ depreciation. As far as safety, stay away from obviously modded or abused cars. If you can find a car that is fairly stock (stripes, wheels, tires, exhaust are usually ok...headers, programming, superchargers, etc. are not), then you should be ok in purchasing.

Also, as the car is only a year old you will have plenty of warranty left. Be sure to get a written guarantee (notarized) from whoever you buy from that the car's ECM hasn't been tuned outside of GM specs...this will ensure that you have someone to go back on if it turns out later that the ECM has been programmed and your warranty gets voided. It won't replace the warranty, but I'm betting you'd have pretty good luck in court.

Good luck!

[calbert1999]

Sure. Not everyone can purchase a new car "or" really shouldn't because of the obvious points you bring up. Vehicles today are very expensive, and a car is not an investment. My advice is if you can't afford it, there's nothing wrong with waiting a few years and purchasing one second hand.

It also depends on the circumstances; Personally, I agree cars in the 21st. century are way overpriced and aren't really worth the money when purchasing, however, if you want something special for once in your life that yuo can call your own, and you can truly afford to have a new toy, then why not.

Purchasing, my 2010 Camaro SS is the first time I've ever purchased a new car, and the reason is it's the first car, besides a corvette, that has styling I like, power, and it's quite reasonable compared to comparative vehicles in the same class like BMW, Mercedes, Porche, Lexus, and Acura. Also, I'm not from Europe or Asia, so I don't like or appreciate the EurHonda styling and feel, until you get into the very high end stuff, and quite frankly I'd have to agree, paying $100+ for a car is pretty damn stupid. But, then again you could say the same for $50k too. But, hey it's a $50k difference.

The way I looked at it was I could purchase a cool car, modify it the way I want it to perform and I'd either brake out even with similar brands, or I'd end up with a much better bang for the money. So, far I'd estimate with my upgrades I have a much better performing car than most and the power and styling is right on the money.

Camaro is an all N. American muscle car, everyone loves it, and it's reasonable to purchase for the everage person. I don't see a lot of people freaking out over a BMW or Mercedes, but when I drive up in my SS / RS sounding like a Hog, everyone freaks out.
Go, ahead and compare to a 400+ hp. BMW, or Mercedes, they all cost around $70 - 140k.

Overall, a Camaro SS is not a bad buy for someone who wants to have a nice race car, and blow away the imports, and still save a few 10s of thousands of dollars.

As for warranties; Who cares, it's a scam anyway and if you want something fixed right by these automakers, you'd better shell out some $$$ or better, purchase better parts as an upgrade option and have them installed by a performance car installer. A perfect example, the exhaust on a 2010 SS is garbage, yet it does the "basic" job of ensuring emmissons are legal but it doesn't do the car justice, so one of the first things you'll notice on Camaro5 is everyone is trashing their exhaust, and putting headers on, and a CAI. And, tuners, are specialists, that know how to bring out the power that GM locks-down. So, guess what you don't have to worry anymore about the warranty on the GM garbage exhaust, and reputable vendors and installers will stand by their prouducts and services, and that's a real warranty. Not a warranty that covers only part of the vehicle and when you need it you can't get it fixed pro-bono, unless of course you purchase the extended warranty, and the the extended plus package, and then the ....... you get my drift? Changes are save yourself thousands of dollars get the basic warranty, and if five years when something breaks you shell out some cash to get it fixed, by then your warranty will be gone anyway.

The Camaro is a great car for the daily driver, enthusiasts, and racer. I don't think any other car can provide as much bang for the buck regardless if you purchase new or used.

[chevyk1]

I have done both but my Camaro was used. Couldnt be happier with it.

[ketel0ne]

My first 5th Gen was new, but my 2nd will probably be used.

[Jeremeymt]

I got mine used with 15k miles on it and saved alot of $$. It does have one scratch on the front and a small door ding but wasn't anything too bad. I have never bought a car brand new and it's worked out so far! Go for it!

[Brownhornitt]

Originally Posted by Caspers2SSRS

Contarily, the dude now driving the V8 and selling the V6 may have demanded it perform at a level beyond its designed and engineered mechanical expectations and limitations, which has been determental to its longevity and decided to rid themselves of it after having dealt with the circumstances of some sort of premature wear, permanent tear or impending catastrophic failure.

Very interesting. Didn't think about that.

[Eric's Blue]

When I was buying my V8, I started out looking at one with 4k miles from the chevy dealer... if you re looking at a low miles used from a dealer just, better off just buying new. You can find people who may have a V6 for sale who are trading to a V8. Sometimes people get in over their heads and you can find a low mile V8, I m always just concerned what they have done to it and if they have possibly messed with the warranty.

[harmonicator]

New is waaaaay overrated. I paid near 40 for my 2010 and have put near 5k into it. I could have bought the car I have now for mid-30's used, and I would have several thousand to put into mods like a supercharger/suspension/etc.

[LoneStar]

If you do go used make sure you get a CARFAX!!! And have someone (or yourself) look over it really good. Before I got mine, I was interested in a used one until I looked underneath the car and saw how banged up the bottom was.

[Shift]

If you look around hard enough you might find one that is barely used. I've known a few people who have bought cars on impulse then after a couple months realized it was a either a bad idea and not practical for a family or just didn't really like it. There was also one occasion where a friend of mines financing fell through and he had to return it a week later. I still dont understand how that happened. But at that point the dealers cant charge the "new" car price because banks won't finance it. Look hard enough and you might find one of these practically new cars for used car prices, you just might have to settle for the options it has.

I'm personally buying new only because it is for my wife and she has never had a new anything and she deserves it. The only way I could do it was by busting my butt working huge overtime to put down 12-15k because I dont want to get upside down in it from the start.

[firsttime Camaro owner]

Nope, I wouldn't buy a used car. The main reason is that I don't have to. But I think it's financially a very good idea for the first time drivers and those who have limited resources to go that route.

With that said, don't ever buy a used rental car, especially a Camaro! Nothin' accelerates faster, takes a turn sharper or stops quicker than a rental car!!