My problem is how wise is it to purchase a new (never sold) car from a dealer that is a 2019 model & has been sitting on his lot for over a year?
Would it be smarter to purchase a used version of the same car?
The new car will have a new car warranty.
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Buy the previous model car and take advantage of the break in price (assuming the dealer is giving you a break). Years ago a former coworker bought a little Ford Escort wagon that was a “leftover” and he not only got a good deal but he was very happy with the car.
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Leftovers can be fantastic deals. Just be sure it really is a fantastic deal. Shop some comparable cars that are new to be sure you are saving 10% or more off of the discounted price of a 2020. Also, do you keep cars long? Do you really want to start off with a car that a brand hated so much it killed the whole car line? In 10 years would you rather be in a Civic or Elantra? Just a thought.
Before purchasing any new vehicle, look at the past repair history of the same vehicle.
Because what might appear to be a good deal, might not be a good deal.
Tester
Well… Yes or no! That’s the best advice you’ll receive based on the question and information provided.
Your question is far too vague.
I bought a leftover vehicle 23 years ago now, one that is 24 model-years old. I negotiated an unbelievably good deal on this vehicle. It was during the last month of the year, between Christmas and New Year.
We have driven the car since. Today, the car continues to be a daily driver for about half the year. It rests for the other half.
It is a Chrysler product and been one of the most reliable vehicles I’ve ever owned and possibly the most reliable than nearly anybody has ever owned.
But, here’s the thing. I no doubt could have had the same results by purchasing a current model vehicle at my time of purchase. It was the low price that I negotiated, saving literally thousands of dollars. Also, I didn’t have to contend with loan interest rates, etcetera, because I paid “cash” with a personal check.
I’ve made it a habit to purchase previously owned (used) cars for decades, saving even more and getting fantastic results, however, I know a thing or two about cars.
I have purchased several dealer “program” cars, former rental cars, and they’ve all been terrific deals and great cars. My wife’s Impala is one such vehicle. That purchase alone saved us many thousands of dollars.
So, yes it’s smarter to purchase a leftover.
So, yes, it’s smarter to purchase a new model.
So, yes, it’s smarter to purchase a used model.
It all depends on the details which your question lacks.
How “wise” is a particular purchase decision?
Give some specifics (without identifying the dealer and location) and get some possibly more useful information.
CSA
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If you keep a car for many years a leftover can be wise. If you only keep a car 5 years or less, you need a discount that the dealer won’t want to give you for a couple of reasons. First, when you sell it you will get a lower price because it is a one year older model. Second, if someone totals the car on you, you will get less from the insurance company for the same reason.
One plus for the leftover, if you need to finance a car you can get better rates on a new car than on a used one of the same value.
Whatever you do, don’t do what my late in-laws did. They bought a left over 77 Pinto loaded with every piece of schlok that could be hung on it for what they thought was a great price. What they did not know was that Ford had dropped the price of the 78s and they could have had a 78 equipped with everything they wanted for LESS than they paid for the 77.
To me the used one need to be significantly lower price. The warranty on the used car is from the time it was first sold.
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If you plan to keep the car for less than 10 years, you will lose money. A 2019 is already one model year old, and by the end of July it will be two model years old. Add in the fact that this is not a desirable model, and you can see that this will depreciate way more rapidly than say a Toyota Corolla or even a Kia/Hyundai.
2019 was the last model year for this car in the US.
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It all depends on the actual selling price of that Cruze.
A now-discontinued model that has been sitting for a year or so on the dealer’s lot should be discounted by a HUGE amount, and it could be a bargain… relatively speaking.
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We bought a 2010 Volvo in 2011 at a really good price. At the time we had no plans to keep it for some goal of years . We might keep a vehicle until it no longer meets our needs or we just want something else. We still have it and losing money is always the case on anything but some limited production specialty vehicles and that is not always possible.
It was. Which is what I was talking about in the second part of the comment. Do you really want to own a car that the Mfg gave up on ten years down the road? Not me.
I wouldn’t, but if somebody wants an inexpensive “new” car, this might be appropriate for them.
To be fair, GM, Ford, and FCA are bailing on almost all sedans. The crossover SUV has killed the market.
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+1
I realize that demand is driving this unavoidable situation, but it’s also kind of sad when GM finally gets something right with their Impala and Malibu sedans, and then has to discontinue them as a result of little demand.
I do. I thrive on it. The manufacturer “gave up” on my daily driver model over 12 years, ago. Oh, the humanity! 
To tell you the truth I really never noticed when that happened, really don’t care, and it hasn’t made a hill of beans worth of difference.
In fact, I shopped for that car to purchase after they gave up on it. I paid a whole $4,000 cash 
for it from a Craig’s List ad and that was nearly five years, ago.
Not only is the vehicle my daily driver, it makes two 1,500 mile straight through road trips every year and I haven’t noticed that anybody gave up anything. I love the car and I’m a proud owner. When I see it and drive it I see common sense.
Just saying…
Some of us like living on the edge and saving tons of money! 
CSA
If you like the car, it’s worth considering. How much less than the dealer invoice price is it? I don’t mean the MSRP, but the price the dealer paid for it? GM must offer some incentive to the dealer for selling these cars.
@GorehamJ, we bought a 2003 Olds Silhouette after GM announced the end of Oldsmobile. We owned it for 14 years and never had a problem finding parts for it.
If I can get my time machine working, I’m getting a brand new 1961 Hawk.
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As in Studebaker?
CSA