21 Things You Should Never Buy New

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I purchased a used car that looked great have fairly good mileage about 10 yrs ago. I will never buy used again. The car at that time was purchased for 7000.00 after the 90 day warranty expired everything went wrong with this car. Axel broke, radiator leaked, front end problems. It cost me an additonal 2 thousand dollars. The last straw was when my husband had my two year old son in the back seat going to his parents home and at a major intersection the car stalled and would not start up again. My husband and child could have lost their lives that day but God was with them both. From that day forward I always buy new because life is priceless. I would rather have my car depreciate than lose my family.

MG of NY 2:14PM January 04, 2011

Thank you for including this...but the most important part of adopting a pet instead of buying is that you are saving a life. Thousands of dogs, cats etc...are put to death everyday. Please, please adopt don't shop.

Shelley of FL 1:17PM January 01, 2011

Buying used can and does save money. Buying a car that is one year old still constitutes as fairly new to me. I will never buy a car less than 5 years old, it depreciates far too much.
However buying used requires a little car knowledge. If you don't have that knowledge then pay your mechanic to check out your potential buy to see if there are any underlying problems.
You also need to take into account that there are particular cars that are more reliable than others. Maybe I have been lucky, however I have never had any major issues that haven't been simply periodic maintenance, because I have chosen cars that are reliable and are in excellent condition to begin with and have reasonably low kms (however if kms are too low for its age you are likely to have problems too as per previous poster). I have also kept up maintenance, which is one of the keys. Giving a car a service every 3000 miles and checking fluid levels regularly is important (I am female and do this all myself, it's not difficult and is much easier to do yourself on an older car).
Like a previous poster said, the payments and interest that you have to pay (that could be earning interest for you instead) is likely to cost much more than car repairs.
1. Buy a used car in great condition, relatively low kms, good motor, reputable brand/car.
2.Maintain it frequently and keep it in good condition.

Patricia of CA 3:27AM December 17, 2010

I agree with Solomon. I had a series of bummer used cars that prevented me from ever living well or saving anything. My worst experience was with a "gently used" Ford Taurus that had only belonged to one owner. I was told this by my "reputable" dealer. The former owners had used it as a fleet vehicle in their business, and all manner of jerks drove it on all kinds of terrain. The warranty I paid for was only good at the Ford dealer, but I had purchased it at the other dealer---so I could never get it fixed, and it was always breaking down. I lost a huge bundle on it---and worst of all, I was towed from several remote ares in 110 weather. The new car I bought in 2002 now has 104,000 of my miles on it, plus my regular maintenance, and it is by far the best car I have ever had! Unless you are a genius mechanic, or live with one, buy new.

Mary of MI 8:56PM December 16, 2010

Mandy, I know Austin isn't as cold in the winter as where I am, 450 miles north, but don't have the utility companies check your meters to see if something is wrong, because I think you are paying at least 8 cnets per kwh for electricity, and you must have your thermostat set on about 90 degrees to have a $30 or $40 electric bill on average, because I've been in Austin in the summer when it was 105 degrees. I don't know how many square feet you are cooling and heating, but your bills are incredibly low. If you are considering ever selling your house, I would have your utility companies send you a bill history on a statement showing your utility cost history. It would be a huge selling point, and your house should bring a premium price as a result.

Mac Gaardner of OK 12:26PM December 16, 2010

I mean, if I buy a laptop that is exhibited in the store, and it is sold because it's the last one and/or newer products soon arrive, could it be a good idea buy it if the store offers the same warranty service as if I were buying a new one (like Office Depot)?
What do you think?

Richard Ojeda 8:50PM December 15, 2010

I bought a 1992 Oldsmobile Delta 88 in 1996. The car only had 15,000 miles on it-- it was the 4th car of the wife of the Owner of a Big Midwest Sports Franchise-- or so the Dealer said! I spent more money on that car in 3 years and 40,000 miles than I ever did on a new car. Alternator, a/c compressor, distributor, brakes, battery, water pump (OK, I'll take the brakes and battery as normal maintenance), there was always something going bad. Yes, the new car depreciates the minute you drive off the dealership, however, I know how every mile was put on and how I maintained it. Not sure that used cars are really that great a deal at the end of the day.

Solomon of MT 7:39PM December 15, 2010

My house in Austin, TX was built in 1964. It has a newer roof and central air and heating system, but old single-pane windows and wood floors on pier-and-beam construction. Plenty of places for outside temps to sneak in. My electric bill is usually $30- $40 a month and gas bill ranges between $17 and $45 depending on whether i had to run the heater. I wonder if your utility company is ripping you off, your meters are broken, or there is something wrong with one of your systems!

Mandy of TX 6:19PM December 15, 2010

It's funny that people don't see car payments as an expense, but maintenance on a used car is.
Figure the interest payments and the depreciation on a new vehicle vs. repairs on a used vehicle, assuming you have done a little homework before before buying your used vehicle.

jack of OK 1:21PM December 04, 2010

Back in Nov. '04, I bought a '03 Jetta. It was from a dealership with "certified" service checks. The car failed its first inspection! Within a year, the car needed brakes. The exhaust system had to be replaced rather early. Within a year of buying that car, I had maintenance costs that I did not see for years with my new cars.
If I can, I'll save an extra year and buy my next car new.

Jac of NJ 11:19AM December 02, 2010