I'm sure this has been discussed before but I want up-to-the-minute
info and opinions.

I need a new car, am probably going to buy a Honda Civic or Honda Fit.
The questions are:
New or low-mileage used?
If new, should I buy over the net? Fleet? or ?


I want to spend the least amount of money, and while I realize a one
year old car is somewhat cheaper (not all that much), there is more
risk of getting a lemon I think, that way, and I want something
dependable.


My past experience with buying used is about 66% bad and 34% good. Even

after having a car thoroughly checked out by a qualified mechanic, I
often ended up with a lemon that ended up needing a lot of work after I

bought it used. Bad used car karma? Maybe.


However, I am thinking that if I buy one that is only 1 year old and
has low mileage, had scheduled maintenance, etc., I might be okay. But
the price of buying from a reputable dealer is not that much cheaper
than buying a new one, right? So which is better?


I remember last time I bought a new car (1997), I found out later that
I could have gotten a better deal via a fleet buyer. Is that still a
good way to go? Or can you make a better deal just finding out the
actual dealer invoice and making your best deal by going around to
various dealers and finding one who just wants to make a sale, and
willing to make the least amount of profit to do so?


Thanks for all input, even though I know this has been discussed
before. Like I say I want up to date opinions and info in this
fast-changing market.

D.K. wrote:
All experience is anecdotal (obviously), but I have had better luck with cars
one or two years behind "this years model" having between 15 and 20 thousand on
the odometer then I have had with new. Often these are turn-ins on 24 month
leases and all of the piddly new-car problems have already been dealt with.

With any pre-owned there is the risk that the last guy traded it in because of
some real problems, but there are also a lot of people who just like to change
vehicles frequently.

Much of this is dependent on whether you are interested in keeping the car for a
long time and want lowest total cost of ownership or if you are more interested
in how much it will cost you per-month. Generally you can get better loan rates
on new vehicles making the monthly payments about the same.