1st time buying car, - new or old?

aerosolcan SG

Hi everyone! Am considering to buy a car. This is likely to be the family car, so factors to consider are fuel consumption, cheap, decent performance, appropriately "mature" look.

Anyway my question is, should I get a brand new car (altis, lancer, vios?) something thats 3 yrs old (lancer, corolla?) or even older? This is especially considering the new tax changes, which reduce the upfront ARF tax, but thus also reduce the trade in value later.

Am preferential to getting a new car, especially cos COE and ARF relatively lower now, but scared will "buang" cos new driver... then very heart pain lah...

I am open to either buying a new car & holding on to it for quite a few years, or buying older one & scrapping/trading in after about 2 years.

Also, if buy old car, how old is recommended? If is 8-9 yrs old scared maintenance, but good thing is if buang then not so bad. Dunno which models good for 8-9 yr old cars also.

How i wish the Vios was styled to my liking, (apologies Vios fans!) but right now, it just doesnt look appealing to me, but performance & PRICE all good.

Ghee SG

When come to buying new or old, some year back I also got this headache.... eventually I chose to buy new....

few pointers.... coz new car.....

(a) reliability and maintaenance headache free (at least for 3 years)....
(b) since new and u are the first owner, u have the control over how u want to "treat" it.... u will know the car inside out.....
(c) u will have the new car smell for a few months.....

Older car....
(a) unknow history.... maintenance history....accident history....
(b) reliability... if u are new to car and no knowledge of car mechanism, u are in dead trouble if the car breakdown on u.... the mechanics will "keto" u.... u will spent alot....
(c) confidence.... u may lose confidence if the car frequently fail u....
(d) the 2nd car dealers are like "tai-yee-long".... unless u are good, many of us are prone to "con" by them..... higher sellling price... additional cost which u din anticipate when u pen the paper.... many horror stories....

Of course, new car.... higher cost...higher depreciation.... but u can be assure of reliability....

so it depend on wat u want! Cheers!

no_speeding SG

If u really wanna know my opinion, u'll be inside the car most of the time so the exterior is not really a factor. Wink

Other than that, i think vios is really a good car and its cheap. Else, try the 3-4 years soluna. Its another cheap car and offers suffice power...

Then again, theres nothing as a cheap car, take the bus if u dun mind.
Be forewarned, they cheap money sometimes....
Shocked

Aulf SG

Not all second hand car dealers are tai-yee long la .. I happen 2 know some ovr at the ubi car mart dat are pretty reliable and reasonable with their prices, it'll help if u have one that is recommended by frenz ... in any case you can shop ard and compare prices if you think they try 2 keto u ...
one thing abt 2nd hand car is dat its not so heart pain when they get scratched or dented .. and this is sth dat will happen if u park at HDB or public lots ... Mr. Green

ziezoe SG

if you are a seasoned driver, no harm going for new cars.

if you are a new driver, which can't take a new scratch on a new car, go for a 2nd hand car, about 3 years. Some of these cars are going near scrap value, do some huntings on your own and you can get a real bargain.

aerosolcan SG

THanks guys. Any idea what the depreciation is for a new car and a 2nd hand one?