For total cost of motoring, what do people think is the best age to buy a car?

[Deleted User]

For total cost of motoring, what do people think is the best age to buy a car?

Personally I'd say buying brand new and selling after three years is the most expensive motoring you can do, and buying 15 year old cars and running them into the ground is the cheapest motoring.

But what about in between? There must be a sweet-spot in the depreciation/maintenance curves where it's a good time to buy second hand? I'm thinking perhaps around 80,000 miles, after the first timing belt replacement, or maybe after the psychological 100,000 miles?

nobbysn*ts

I found buying just under one year, so even one year warranty cars can be sorted out free, or £500 regardless of age. Then keeping them. Maintenance has never really been a great issue, The one year old cars are up to 150,000, first clutch, no mechanical issues, the £500 cars run until the mot starts to look dear. Eventually sold on from scrap value to £1000.

InsideInsurance

Buying new and selling after 9 months is probably the most expensive as the curve does start to flatten out a little at least before the 3 years.

The sweet spot I think will vary depending on vehicle, different ones have different schedules and buying a secondhand car after a major part replacement is never going to push the price up by as much as that repair cost.

SailorSam

I've never bought a brand new car, probably about 3yrs old is the newest.
I should think the one big thing to decide before getting an old banger and running it into the ground is how much work can you do yourself. You don't see scrapyards as much as you use to, years ago i spent many a Saturday stripping parts off cars there and fitting them to my own car on the Sunday. With a Haynes manual at my side i'd do any job,and it's so much easier today with videos on Youtube.

Hintza

For slightly older cars just after the cambelt has been replaced.

eezyrider7

The best 'age' is subjective but you are right, the cheapest was is to buy an old car which will hopefully be quite reliable and run it inot the ground. The nearest I've found to a 'sweet spot' is at 3 years old when the car is ready for it's first MOT. Second hand car prices seem to take a slight dip at this point so you get a reasonably priced car that is still relatively new. Depreciation after this point seems to slow down then as well so you do not lose value so quickly.

Just my opinion of course.

EZ

forgotmyname

5 years old works for me.

Iceweasel

The UK used car market is unlike any other.

Nowhere else (in Europe at least) can you buy a 2 year old car at approx 50% of it's cost when new.

Buying older high mileage cars and running them until it's uneconomical to keep them going is not an option, even for someone capable of doing the work themselves, if they need the car for work and have deadlines to keep and places to be, on which their income depends.

For me the answer is to buy at 2 years old and sell at 5.

jimjames

Iceweasel wrote: »

Buying older high mileage cars and running them until it's uneconomical to keep them going is not an option, even for someone capable of doing the work themselves, if they need the car for work and have deadlines to keep and places to be, on which their income depends.
.

Having used high milers for work (140k and 190k) as well as currently running a 240k 12 year old car I disagree that it's not an option. I do a lot of work travel in it and not had an issue with reliability on any of them. Nice to have cars that cost under £1k and can be used like that for company expense claims, in fact the expenses has more than covered the cost of the car!

JJ_Egan

Main dealers ex demo model always if buying newish other wise a decent old banger .

EdGasket

Iceweasel wrote: »

The UK used car market is unlike any other.

Nowhere else (in Europe at least) can you buy a 2 year old car at approx 50% of it's cost when new.

Buying older high mileage cars and running them until it's uneconomical to keep them going is not an option, even for someone capable of doing the work themselves, if they need the car for work and have deadlines to keep and places to be, on which their income depends.

For me the answer is to buy at 2 years old and sell at 5.

I also disagree with the above. The most reliable car of any age is one that you maintain yourself. Then you know the job has been done properly and what state the car is in. My cars are rarely under 10 years old / 100K miles but hardly ever let me down.
You can have a breakdown with a car of almost any age. The best way to avoid that is to get under the bonnet and get familiar with your car.