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I made a mistake buying a new car, what's the easiest least painful to get out of this?

Maintenance/Repairs
#1

I bought a 2018 Mazda6 to eventually replace my trusty reliable 2010 Ford Fusion but I’m realizing that I had made a mistake. The Mazda6 isn’t a bad car but after having it a while I realize that it’s not really better than the old Ford. I bought the Mazda6 from NJ from a used car dealership. I paid them with a certified check and drove the car home to New York City. Later that night, I took an Uber to where I parked my Ford Fusion and drove it back home. The NJ dealership bought the Mazda from a woman in NH. I have the title with me now but I haven’t registered or titled the car in my name yet.

What do you think is the easiest way for me to get rid of this car and get as much of what I paid back? I understand that I won’t get everything back. I am considering calling the dealership and asking if they want to take the car back and giving me a partial refund. Would this be a common practice? Do I have to register the car, pay taxes, then try to sell it myself?

#2

First of all you did not buy a NEW CAR , you bought a used vehicle . Yes , call the dealer and see what they say but you are going to lose money no matter what . As for selling it without changing the title that will be answered by your state Dept of Motor vehicles.

#3

Look at what they’re asking for a 2018 Mazda6 on Craigslist, and list yours for slightly less.

In order to sell the vehicle, you must prove you own the vehicle. so the title has to be in your name.

Tester

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#4

What do I know except you are dealing with three states now and I think New York is going to want their money from the sale. What do you have, 30 days to register and pay up? So maybe you can sign it back to NJ without a tax implication, I dunno, but trying to get a title cleared is going to take a month or so.

You said the new one is not much better than the old one but the new one is 8 years newer. That’s a significant difference. I suspect maybe the easiest will be to keep it six months, pay the tax, clear the titles, and then sell it if you are still dissatisfied.

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#5

I think it is time to dump the old car and keep the new one.

#6

Some of the value of your Mazda vs the Fusion is its longterm reliability. That is, even if it doesn’t really drive a whole lot better, it has value. So it might be worth keeping.
On the other hand, if you really want to get rid of it, it will never be worth more than it is today. You will still need to legally own it, and face the fact that you bu at retail and sell at wholesale. Maybe the dealer will cooperate if you buy a different car from him. It never hurts to ask.

#7

Dealers are not in the zero sum game business. The odds of them giving you back anywhere near what you paid for it is zero IMO.
That car is essentially 3 model years old and may actually be considered 4 years depending upon the in service date; meaning the date it was first sold or used as a dealer demonstrator.

I did not browse them all but eBay shows a lot of 2018s not selling at 14 to 17k. If you paid as much as 20 or so you might be in trouble monetarily and may just have to learn to love it unless prepared to take a financial hit.

#8

Thank you all for taking the time to offer advice. I bought the Ford Fusion brand new and it’s been rock solid reliable so the decision to buy the Mazda was based in an irrational impulse. The Ford Fusion has been in an accident, there is some body deformation in the rear but structurally and mechanically it’s absolutely perfect, I cared for it very well with oil changes and transmission services and everything else, right on time. I have no doubt that it will continue to run for the next 20 years. It has a very low market value now so selling it doesn’t quite make sense and I’m finding that I like it more and respect it more now that I have sampled other cars. The insurance rate on the Fusion is higher now than the Mazda though, I think due to its age. All in all, it makes more sense to eat the loss and sell the Mazda. I consider it a lesson learned and an itch scratched, I won’t be looking for other cars now that I know what I have is quite good. I had been searching for years and years and it led me down the wrong path.

#9

That doesn’t sound right at all . Do you have full coverage on both ? Full coverage rates reduce as the vehicle ages simply because the value also drops.

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#10

Yeah I dunno, could be miles driven, the driver, the accident history for that car, credit rating, etc.

I’m not keeping straight anymore who owns who or who makes what but wasn’t a Mazda the same as Ford back then?

#11

That would make a 2010 ford fusion running fine in 2040. Doubtful even if you were hoping for 2030.

#12

I think you’re overestimating the remaining life of this eleven-year-old crash-damaged car.

#13

“I think you’re overestimating the remaining life of this eleven-year-old crash-damaged car.”

You may end up being right ultimately nobody really knows for sure with these things but I just have this good feeling that the basic structure and the engine and transmission will be good for a very long time. This model year of the Ford Fusion is considered to be among the most reliable of all time even beating Toyota in reliability. I may have to replace the starter or the alternator at some but that’s already priced in.

I have another idea to resolve this problem of mine. Since I did not register the vehicle in my state yet and since a DMV reservation takes more than a month, I was thinking that I might be able to enlist the help of the dealership where I bought the car from. I will ask them to change the the paper work for the new owner.

#14

“That doesn’t sound right at all . Do you have full coverage on both ? Full coverage rates reduce as the vehicle ages simply because the value also drops.”

I have liability only insurance. I believe as the vehicle ages, insurance increases because older vehicles are considered worn and a little less safe maybe?

#15

You need to talk to your agent , the age of vehicle should not effect liability insurance . Also I really suggest that you have full coverage on the 2018 Mazda . Your agent can explain why . Also low annual mileage can get you lower rates so you may be missing some discounts.

#16

If you have a loan on the Mazda, you are almost always required to have full coverage.

#17

How long is “a while” and how many miles have you driven it?

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#18

My sister had powerful buyer’s regret after a couple days with her brand new Subaru Impreza’s sound - different from her old Toyota - and seriously thought she’d have to try to return it. She’s a piano tech and very sensitive to sound/noise, etc.

Anyway, it’s 20 years later and she still has the Suby and likes it fine.

#19

Buyer’s remorse can be a very strong emotion.
Several years ago, we had posts from “Otterhere” who hated her brand-new Toyota Yaris. In her case, the problem resulted from her failure to do due diligence, and that she bought the car–in a hurry–at night.

What she particularly disliked was the upholstery pattern. However, she had looked at 4-door Yaris, but she bought a 2-door Yaris, which does indeed have different upholstery.

Also, she thought that the Yaris was totally inferior to her previous car–a Geo Metro/Suzuki Swift–which she considered to be the pinnacle of automotive excellence. :smirk:

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#20

Check the buyer’s remorse laws in NJ, if there are any, and see if you can return the Mazda. That is your best bet to return it. If you ask the dealer to sell it again, you are essentially asking them to work for you free of charge. Don’t bet on it. Unless you can’t pay for the Mazda, I’d keep it and sell the Ford. After ten years, you will need to replace all the rubber parts soon, and probably other things, too, like brake calipers, struts/shocks, battery, and tires to name a few. IMO, you convinced yourself that you made a bad decision, but I don’t think you did. Looking long term, the Mazda6 is an excellent replacement for the aging Fusion.

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