Which is the better buy....... Toyota model X 2014...used 27,000 miles for $14,500. (only 9,000 miles left on 36,000 warranty) or same model 2015 NEW (with current special) for $17,200. ( 36,000 miles warranty). Car is basically unchanged for model years. I only drive about 10K a year.I want to add that 2014 used model is in excellent condition. -
Would you pay cash or finance? If financing, the difference in the cost of buying the vehicles may be insignificant. Zero interest rates are common these days on new car purchases.
The big question for me would be how many times the engine oil was changed on the 2014 model.
If the 2014 is a lease car that was neglected because someone knew they would be turning it back in and had no intention of spending one dime of their money on maintenance ir may be a car best avoided.
With the new vehicle, you are starting out with new tires, new battery, brakes that won’t need servicing in 15,000 miles and even new wiper blades. Go for the new vehicle.
What is the service history on the '14? At 27K miles you might need new tires soon. What is the condition of the brake pads? If the pads are mostly worn, or have already been replaced that would indicate an aggressive driver to me. That would affect the transmission as well.
I’m not sure the saving of $2,600 is justified unless you feel very good about how the previous owner drove and cared for the car. If you can document the service history for oil changes that they were done every 5,000 to 7,500 miles. And the brakes are about 1/2 worn on the OEM pads and the tires are still good for another 30K miles then it might be an OK deal.
If the service history is unknown, then expect it to be less than ideal and the new car looks like a better deal to me.
When I see a one year old vehicle with low mileage back on the market I always wonder why.
I’d rather pay a bit more and buy new. I respect that others feel a ton of money can be saved by buying late model used cars, but I’ve always done well buying new and maintaining and keeping the vehicle until some unexpected event happens in my life that causes my needs to change. Unless, of course, I win the lottery… Bentley dealer, here I come!!! {
With that little difference I would go for the new one and I would make sure it was broken in properly by me. As mentioned maintenance history and who drove the car is unknowns.
In general, popular Japanese cars are a better buy NEW than used, since the used ones command disproportionately high prices.
The car fax report states regular oil changes/no accidents/no repairs other than required maintenance… What struck me as strange was the tires were in excellent condition…very little treadware…if these are the original tires …how many miles can you get on them? (most of my past tires have been only 40K) . Can the miles be turned down on recent Toyotas?
Car fax is a farce. Don’t even bother believing them.
Carfax presents and illusion that they have access to a huge database that includes all the maintenance and repair records for the 250 million cars on the road. There is no such database. In truth, only a percentage of a percent of maintenance and repair data is ever reported to carfax, and from the reports I’ve seen their published (for money) resultant reports are loaded with incorrect “facts” and downright errors. Their “disclaimer” saves them from the dungeon, but also leaves them free to state anything about a given car, true or not.
For the average car, add $1500 per year, since the 2014 has two years worth of miles (I also suspect it is either built in 2013 or was a rental), either way, add $3000 and then it is more pricey than the new one and the risk is higher. This is assuming you are paying cash.
I will walk in and make a low ball offer on the 2014 and see what happens. But based on how used cars sell nowadays, usually that ends up being a waste of time.
Agreed with mountainbike that Carfax should not be taken as the final word. CF even has a fine print disclaimer on their website about that and 20/20 did an expose’ show on them a few years ago.
As to the appearance of the tires, it could be that the originals were worn and the dealer chose to install new ones.
Installing new tires is a common dealer tactic mainly because they know that tires are the one thing that potential customers may look at more than anything else.
The fly in the ointment in all of that is hopefully the original tires were not worn oddly due to an accident or suspension damage which was not reported to Carfax.
I would buy the new one. It will also have a better resale value when it comes time to part with it.
New car-full warranty-cheaper interest rates-What is so hard about that decision?
If the CarFax reports the details, date, mileage, and location of the service, you can believe it. That’s my experience anyway.
I would not hesitate to buy the new one. I’ve been getting advertisements for 0 % loans from Toyota for the past few days and if I were in the market, I’d take advantage of it.
The 2014 Toyota has 27,000 miles, which is a lot of miles driven in one year by a person or people you don’t know and who may have abused it and/or not maintained it as it should have been.
The price difference is so small that the new Toyota is a much better deal, in my opinion.
6 of one, half dozen of the other. I’d probably spring for the new car myself, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy the 2014 either, if I were looking for a new car I mean. I’d have my own mechanic inspect the 2014 first of course.
The 2016 models are out now…Offer them $12,000 for the 2014 and see what happens…