8 comments to “Should I buy a new or used car as my first car?”

1. Meg M wrote:
   16. October 2008 at 6:56 pm :

   I have found a used Honda or Toyota to be the best first car.

   You can reasonably beat on these cars, and they won’t die on you. They are easy to maintain and are overall excellent values. They make great cars to learn on.

   I would not recommend buying new for your first car, as your first car tends to get beat on, and often damaged or wrecked. Once you have some experience behind you, then you can upgrade.

2. D'Artagnan Pluck wrote:
   19. October 2008 at 9:03 pm :

   USED! try looking at for research on what is appropriate for you.

   You will likely have at least a minor accident with your first ride, so don’t get carried away with anything fancy. A 5 to 10 year old car is best. Try Honda Civic, Toyota, Nissan.

3. the bad seed wrote:
   22. October 2008 at 4:21 pm :

   any classic American muscle car..
   never drive or ride in jap junk

4. ccnice1 wrote:
   25. October 2008 at 11:44 am :

   16? research and find a great used vehicle….cars depreciate ! Really depreciate after you buy them new.

5. shelcom wrote:
   26. October 2008 at 7:44 pm :

   don’t saddle your self with the high payments and insurance cost of a new car. Get a decent small sedan like a Focus, Mazda 3, Corolla, Civic, Elantra, etc in the 5-7000 range. They get good mileage.
   Remember, as a teen your insurance costs may very well be more than your car payment and the more a car is worth the higher the premium generally.

6. Ian F wrote:
   26. October 2008 at 9:05 pm :

   USED. DEAR GOD USED.

   First of all, you’re fairly like to wreck it. It hurts less to damage a beater than it does to damage a nice car.

   Second, you’re 16. Full coverage for ANYONE can be expensive. For you, it could easily be thousands of dollars per year. Seriously, you’d be lucky to see south of 400 bucks a month in most places.

   Third, unless you’ve got money to burn, buying a new car is just not a good idea, financially. The cost in depreciation, even for low-depreciating vehicles like Hondas or BMWs, can be astonishing if you aren’t prepared for it.

   Cars you should consider (cut and pasted from another similar answer of mine):

   DO BUY:
   Anything Honda or Toyota
   Anything Geo (they’re Isuzus, Suzukis, or Toyotas)
   Anything Mazda except an RX7 or MX6 (unless you like wrenching on the car)
   Anything Suzuki except a Reno, Forenza, or Verona
   Pretty much anything Nissan
   Any front-wheel drive Mitsubishi
   Any V-8 engined Ford, or a Ford Escort or Focus
   Any Lincoln, and any Mercury (except the Sable, post 1997 Cougar and Mystique)
   Any GM A-body…
   Chevy Impala/Monte Carlo, Pontiac Grand Prix
   Buick Regal
   Any rear-wheel-drive American car ever (except V6 Fords).
   Any BMW, Volvo, or Saab. These makes are known for doing 300,000 miles or more if you take care of them. (Honda and Toyota are known for doing 200,000 even if you don’t take care of them)
   Older Mercedes if you don’t mind paying for parts.
   Post 2004 Hyundai and MAYBE Kia (same cars, but different factories, IIRC)
   Dodge Neon (after 1998), Chrysler PT Cruiser

   DO NOT BUY:
   Hyundai or Kia before about 2004
   Daewoo (including the Suzuki-badged Daewoos…the Forenza, Reno, and Verona)
   Any domestic not on the “do buy” list.
   4th generation water-cooled VW (1997-2004ish)
   Any Saturn except the current ones and MAYBE the Ion.
   Any Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge (except the Colt) with an automatic transmission

   Make sure you have someone who knows cars with you when you’re shopping. By “knows cars,” I mean someone who has owned a lot of them, and does most of their own work.

7. fisherwoman wrote:
   27. October 2008 at 4:51 pm :

   First of all, you are not of legal age to sign a contract, so if you don’t have the cash for payment, your new car purchase idea won’t work, unless your parents are buying for you. Second, you don’t mention if you are employed, this also will stop you from establishing credit, whether it be a new or used car. Third, your insurance rates will be very high, and you will be required to carry full coverage if you finance it, liability at the very least, and if you have a newer car, you should be carrying coverage that can cover repairs or damages, as vehicles are expensive, and repair costs are even more expensive. Fourth, you should be focusing on school and not getting yourself in debt at such a young age. It takes time to build credit, and establish yourself in the financial world. You have a lofty dream here, and unless your parents are paying, this dream is out of your reach, at this time. As for best starting car, I’d purchase a Honda or Toyota, as both are dependable, reliable vehicles, and the Honda especially has excellent resale value.

8. Strong wrote:
   28. October 2008 at 1:50 am :

   Honda civic.
   And you can try this:
   90% off Retail Value.
   Good luck!

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