Buy new or 3 year old?

[Lord Voltermore]

Recently traded in my 3 year old EX with a main Honda dealer.  . A bit above average mileage  , 27K miles.  I was quite pleased it was considered good enough to include in their own used car stock. Interesting to compare its   price against their other 3 year old Jazz. (They had several  - Jazzes , Jazzi ?) 

Their asking price was about £1000 higher than I  got in part exchange. Fair enough I think , although I did concentrate the deal on a good trade in value, which would have reduced any other discount that may have been possible .  You cant have both.   

A Crosstar, same age and almost identical mileage  was £1000 more. It would have been £1000 more when new.      An SR model  same age but with only 11K miles  was  only a couple of hundred cheaper than my EX.  ( It would have been about £1500 cheaper when new. )  Or in other words my EX was  about £1200 cheaper than it might  have been  because of its extra 16000 miles.  In  theory using my  car more cost me £1200  . Although a doubt the SR owner got the full £1200  extra in part exchange.

But most interesting was an EX  the same age as mine  but with only 3K miles. They were asking £2000 more than mine for the privilege of its  very low mileage.    (did the seller benefit fully?  )
I can see the appeal of a car with 3000 miles rather than paying significantly more for a brand new one.
But if they bought mine , kept it 3 years   and did the national average  of 8000 miles  per year  it would still only be    27K +24K  ,total 51K miles. Barely run in for a Jazz. And many Jazz  owners do far fewer miles than this.    Or do you pay  £2000 more  for only 3K  + 24K miles, total 27K  at 6 years old  .   Nice  , but it will still be a 6 year old car that has seen 6 winters. etc. Will it still fetch anywhere near  £2K more when sold? 

Or do you  buy an SR with 11k miles  for similar money to mine  but forego heated seats and warm bums? 

[madasafish]

When you buy a 10 year old car (average UK car life is 16 years) ,condition is all.  Mileage  - unless very high-, extras etc are largely irrelevant. You are talking £4 to £5k territory. So paying over the odds for a 3/5 year old car with very low mileage makes no economic sense as depreciation will kill values.

[Westy36]

The public still think low mileage is be all and end all for a car, and it isn't. Lack of use is no good whatsover for machines. I'd sooner a car that has been used regularly than an example that has covered just 1000 miles a year.

Bikes I've owned over the years, have only been on the road six months a year. I've always started them frequently over winter, got the engine up to temperature, bounced up and down on the suspension and used the brakes on the drive etc. Keeping everything working whilst laid up is important to avoid problems when the road tax goes back on.

Are you enjoying your new car LV?   

[Kremmen]

Whoever buys mine early next year will get a good example

MY22, Sep 21, ~4,500 miles, garaged, FHSH, driven carefully

[guest334]

These days no one buys cars, drivers buy finance deal.
Used cars are full of issues 7 out of 10 have a story always check the vehicle via vehicle score hpi experian check
I would avoid low mileage examples petrol & diesel need to be driven.
As prev comment says it's all about condion when I'm asked to get me a car I use Auto trader , local ads contacts never eBay F book avoid online cars.
First check not history then look at tyres
You can still buy well however budget for £300 spend on upto £3k .
Used Jazz these are still worth buying subject to your own checks.
Good luck buying best time coming up November & December.

[Lord Voltermore]

Most of my miles were 'good' miles. 6+ hours with a warm engine  on motorways and A roads ,not thrashed.   (average 64.6 mpg  from new on the 'fibometer)  . (OK its also crossed a lot of mountain passes  such as the Tranfagarasan in Romania ) .   Also the original Blueearth tyres still had over 5mm  because I fitted  different wheels in winter - which I still have for  my new Jazz    Very low mileage  cars may have only done occasional short trips on a  cold engine with the brakes rusting and battery deteriorating from  lack of use.

Are you enjoying your new car LV?   

Yes . But because I have no particular reason to drive at present I have only done about 100 miles so far.  (we can  walk to family and most facilities)    When we bought the 2021 Jazz it was such a pleasure to drive we immediately drove  to Scotland. But because the new one is so similar there is no need to drive just for the sake of it.   The main difference I have noticed so far is the new "Here" satnav.  Maps seem more realistic and they have already modified  a nearby roundabout where they are still at work  completing the landscaping etc.  l    Voice prompts are much more detailed  (eg " turn right at the third set of traffic lights and then take the two left lanes " )     .    Does anyone know if it gives any live traffic data and rerouting in the UK?  (The garmin did so occasionally but only in Germany. ) 

[peteo48]

The public still think low mileage is be all and end all for a car, and it isn't. Lack of use is no good whatsover for machines. I'd sooner a car that has been used regularly than an example that has covered just 1000 miles a year.

I think that's dead right. It's why, given my low mileage, typically stop start motoring, I try to include a few longer dual carriageway type runs. I had a Mk 2 Cavalier back in the late 1980s, excellent condition but had 40,000 miles on the clock when I bought it as a 2 year old car. Gave great service until it was stolen and then crashed. If you'd "clocked" it and wound the mileage back to, say, 10,000 I don't think anybody would have been able to tell the difference.

[madasafish]

We keep cars for literally decades if we like them:
Peugeot 106D 15 years, (only new car ever bought over 50 years motoring)
Yaris D4D 21 years and still going strong.
Jazz 12 years and still fine.

We buy usually 2-3 years old when depreciation has cut prices by 40-50%.
We buy on condition - tyres, service history, bodywork and MOST IMPORTANT - rust or its lack especially rear sills and wheel arches.
 A few minor paint scratches are an excuse to bargain the seller down..
(This requires a degree of model familiarity - Homework first on likely faults - and NEVER EVER  buy a new model . Wait 2-3 years and buy the facelift - it will have issues sorted out..)
Being a semi competent mechanic with an understanding of electronics helps..

As does  having lived in Aberdeen for a while...

[ColinS]

My rule that I wouldn't break is "Never buy a used car in the rain".

[Hicardo]

Re the OP.  Depends if you're buying cash or finance.  Great deals on new vehicles for monthly payments.  If you're paying cash, buying a 3 year old makes more sense.  Id probably buy at 2 years old and 15-20K.  I say that, i've bought new cars for the last 20 years, keeping them 3-5 years on average. I know!  No excuses.    Now a little older, i'm more focused on keeping a lid on the overall cost, I'd go for the 2 or 3 year old car.  Not with the Jazz tho, because of the brake sim issue.