Current Events > Who the hell is buying new cars?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Have you seen the sticker price on these things? And then you have taxes and the salesman's commission on top of that...

https://youtu.be/IfN3A5DnaTM?si=TlrziqrIVcen7nCv

A couple years ago, used car prices were damn near close to MSRP.

rich people?

although I would guess a lot of them are just getting leased, not bought

I ain't taking my chances with a used lemon

Jupiter posted...

A couple years ago, used car prices were damn near close to MSRP.

This.

I got my new 2022 Honda CR-V for as much or cheaper than some 2021 CR-Vs were going for.

Not to mention that nobody is making 2dr subcompacts (Mini and Fiat only?) or boxy station wagons (they all slope down in the back).

When I need to get a new vehicle I tend to go with the previous year model that has low mileage. There's people who seem to replace their car every year which results in you being able to get a pretty decent deal.

You just need to make sure it's low mileage though, last thing you want is a car that was getting driven absolutely non-stop as a rental or uber or something.

I bought one in 2018

I bought one last month. First time I ever bought a car outright for cash.

Do Americans really pay the salesman's commission on top of the sticker price?

I did last month. Well, I had one until a person caused the crash and it was deemed a total loss.

ai123 posted...

I bought one last month. First time I ever bought a car outright for cash.

Do Americans really pay the salesman's commission on top of the sticker price?

I dunno. I did for the last used car I bought; I assume it's the case for new as well.

ai123 posted...

I bought one last month. First time I ever bought a car outright for cash.

Do Americans really pay the salesman's commission on top of the sticker price?

yes it's basically impossible to buy a vehicle directly from the manufacturer because they have contracts with or own the dealerships

Rich people or companies, probably.

Or people who want to feel/look like they're rich.

thronedfire2 posted...

yes it's basically impossible to buy a vehicle directly from the manufacturer because they have contracts with or own the dealerships

You can buy direct from the manufacturer online here. It's not always cheaper than going to a dealer though. Sometimes the dealers do . . . deals. Especially if a new model is coming out.

Anyway the sticker price is the price you pay here. Commissions and taxes are built in. The only potential additions are the stuff they try to upsale.

Who pays sticker price tho?

ai123 posted...

You can buy direct from the manufacturer online here. It's not always cheaper than going to a dealer though. Sometimes the dealers do . . . deals. Especially if a new model is coming out.

Anyway the sticker price is the price you pay here. Commissions and taxes are built in. The only potential additions are the stuff they try to upsale.

dealers here do markups over the MSRP just because they can because of "demand"

even if the vehicle has been sitting on the lot for months

shit like the new Bronco when it first came out was selling for nearly double the sticker price

Same as always, the rich and the stupid. And the stupid rich.

ai123 posted...

Do Americans really pay the salesman's commission on top of the sticker price?

No, salesmen are typically just paid a percentage of the net profit.

ReturnOfDevsman posted...

I dunno. I did for the last used car I bought; I assume it's the case for new as well.

Like, they specified a fee for the commission?

BewmHedshot posted...

Same as always, the rich and the stupid. And the stupid rich.

Or maybe people who just need a new car?

ai123 posted...

Or maybe people who just need a new car?

Because... they break out in hives if they sit in a seat someone else sat in?

Personally I think it's a stupid risk to buy an old car. Likely had an owner that knows nothing about cars who took it to cheap mechanics who do shoddy work and got rid of it when it became too big of a headache to repair. My car has no surprises and the only person to turn a wrench on it was me.

ai123 posted...

Or maybe people who just need a new car?

people who need a new car aren't buying *new* cars

we're buying 6-8+ year old used cars

I bought my Camry XLE with 130k miles on it in '09 for $7k. Still going strong, but now that the used car market is getting better I've been looking for another good deal.

Looking for a used Tundra 4wd to replace my aging 2001. My Camry is an '01 too. But it's been paid off since 2010 and costs $20/mo for insurance, so I'm going to drive it until it quits or has a problem not worth fixing.

Edit: I'm not really replacing my Tundra since I'll keep it too.

I did. In 2017 o_O

BewmHedshot posted...

Because... they break out in hives if they sit in a seat someone else sat in?

No, because they want the peace of mind that comes with the full warranty.

They need a reliable car for the next 5 or so years and are unwilling to take a gamble on something going wrong with an older model.

I bought a brand new 2023 Kia K5 at MSRP in 2022.

Sold it last year though cause I was paying $500 a month for it and worked fully remote so in 13 months of owning it I only put 3000 miles on. It was a fucking gorgeous car but a waste of money.

In 2007. Hyundai Accent for 13k

littlebro07 posted...

I bought a brand new 2023 Kia K5 at MSRP in 2022.

Sold it last year though cause I was paying $500 a month for it and worked fully remote so in 13 months of owning it I only put 3000 miles on. It was a fucking gorgeous car but a waste of money.

I love the K5s.

I wanted to get a Stinger eventually but I heard not so great things about them. Plus I was worried about driving in the snow but we hardly get snow here anymore.

I bought a new car in 2011 for about $22000 AUD.
Last year I imported a used Honda N One from Japan for about $15000

New car prices have gone up so much. Unless youre buying one of the chinese brands, everything good is $30000 or more. Even a base model Suzuki Swift is $26000 now.

I can only see myself ever buying a new car is if at some point in the distant future I need to get an electric car.

thronedfire2 posted...

I love the K5s.

I wanted to get a Stinger eventually but I heard not so great things about them. Plus I was worried about driving in the snow but we hardly get snow here anymore.

I think they've stopped making them now.

Didn't sell as well as they hoped.

ai123 posted...

No, because they want the peace of mind that comes with the full warranty.

They need a reliable car for the next 5 or so years and are unwilling to take a gamble on something going wrong with an older model.

the full manufacturer warranty only applies to certain things breaking too soon, it doesn't cover normal wear and tear of things like brakes and suspension that would probably need work within 5 years anyway.

but that's part of why buying used cars is risky, people will buy a new car and do zero maintenance on it because they know they can just buy another new car in a few years

My car was the test car the dealer drove people in lol.

thronedfire2 posted...

the full manufacturer warranty only applies to certain things breaking too soon, it doesn't cover normal wear and tear of things like brakes and suspension that would probably need work within 5 years anyway.

but that's part of why buying used cars is risky, people will buy a new car and do zero maintenance on it because they know they can just buy another new car in a few years

Yeah, I know they only cover certain things. I get my cars fully serviced at manufacturer approved garages though, so whoever buys one of my old cars at least gets one that has been looked after.

The more people buy new, the more used cars become available!

We just bought a new van because we wanted a plug in hybrid and didnt want to end up with one that someone was selling because they had troubles with the battery or whatever

TheGoldenEel posted...

We just bought a new van because we wanted a plug in hybrid and didnt want to end up with one that someone was selling because they had troubles with the battery or whatever

That's a good point. I also got a PHEV, and you don't want to risk battery issues.

ai123 posted...

No, because they want the peace of mind that comes with the full warranty.

They need a reliable car for the next 5 or so years and are unwilling to take a gamble on something going wrong with an older model.

Yeah, that's a fair point. If you buy it brand new, you're not just paying for the car itself but also for the warranty (and often, for X years of safety inspections and servicing).

With the exception of getting in an accident I'd like to keep my current truck for probably about 10 more years. It is 11 years old with about 75,000 miles on it. It is in great shape. Just put new tires on it last fall and the only thing I have done outside oil changes is I replaced the battery at 7 years just as preventative maintenance.

I figure I have 1 more new purchase left in my life. I'm 48 now so if I buy one in 10 years at 58 that should be the last new vehicle I need. I'll either be dead or not driving anymore by the time that one needed to be replaces.

BrohammedAli posted...

Who pays sticker price tho?

Hank Hill does.

Got a new Civic in 2020 becuase it was only like $1500 difference between a new one and a four year old used one.

thronedfire2 posted...

rich people?

although I would guess a lot of them are just getting leased, not bought

Car repossessing is way up this year so I doubt it. That and if you watch enough videos on the matter vehicles from up scale neighborhoods are taken away very often.

ai123 posted...

I think they've stopped making them now.

Didn't sell as well as they hoped.

Yeah, people didnt want to spent 50k+ on a luxury sport sedan from a cheap shitty brand like Kia

Obviously anyone whos had a Kia in the past decade or so knows theyre actually solid rides now and a great value but theyll probably never shake that bad reputation.

IIRC the Genesis G70 is basically a Stinger, but fancier

The new Civic Hybrid seems like a perfect car but I would be nervous about the wheels being stolen

have you seen the price of used vehicles?

solosnake posted...

have you seen the price of used vehicles?

This, it's insane that that 5-7 year old cars are still over half their msrp.

Been fortunate enough to be able to buy new cars to date so far (once I became a more responsible adult). The peace of mind is worth it to me for multiple reasons. Here's to hoping my current car lasts 50 years might have to go used when it's time for another car

Ive only ever owned 3 cars, they were old used cars I got on the cheap. Paid less across those 3 cars than most people do on one brand new car. The downsides are you dont get fancy tech like CarPlay or reverse cams or whatever, its nice having a heavy wallet though

I always buy new

I bought a new one three weeks ago. It's not orange

Me last year and hopefully not again until it's close to 2040

6 miles on the odometer before I got my hands on it