Buy Used or New?

DarkJak · 08-06-2012, 07:39 PM

I'd also consider how you plan on driving the car. I bought a used 09 and didn't lose any sleep over it since the interior was pristine and I knew that I'd most likely be driving it much harder than the previous owners did.

The 370Z is pretty reliable and the motor can take a beating so I wouldn't be as concerned buying used.

Zenki370 · 08-06-2012, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christian370z

I personally will only buy used, so much more value for the money. The 370Z has proven to be a very reliable car for the most part, and stands up well to wear and tear. If you do your research, have a PPI done, and just be aware to look for any signs of neglect, abuse, paint work, maintenance history, and try to get an idea of who the owner is (enthusiast, perfectionist, honest, etc), you should not hestitate to buy a used Z.

Also, don't think that buying new will save you from everything. There are many new cars that had been in accidents or were damaged during shipping/handling/delivery that were fixed, never reported and sold "as new".

+2

I was the middle car in an accident. I was pushed into the car in front of me. It was a 09 lancer ralliart, brand new on a test drive at the time. They never went against the insurance company, fixed it in house, sold it as new. Bet they didnt disclose that.

sonic370 · 08-06-2012, 09:02 PM

just my 2 cents. be careful very careful when buying used. there will be some great deals out there for some used 370's do your homework...

from my experience from buying used vettes and one used 350...
there is no in between. they have either been treated like a member of the family or kicked in the xss.... so buyer beware...

CrownR426 · 08-06-2012, 10:24 PM

Certified + Preowned + Warranty = Smart Buy
Always check car fax and take it to a Mechanic you can trust.
I'd get a 09 Nismo or 09 40th over any newer model cause its a smarter buy.
If I was on a budget I would get Base + Sports cause its the fastest Z!

nmjaxx9 · 08-06-2012, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrownR426

Certified + Preowned + Warranty = Smart Buy
Always check car fax and take it to a Mechanic you can trust.
I'd get a 09 Nismo or 09 40th over any newer model cause its a smarter buy.
If I was on a budget I would get Base + Sports cause its the fastest Z!

thats basically the used car buying formula.

Compdoc777 · 08-06-2012, 10:45 PM

I have purchased mine used and certified with a zero deductable warranty. You can trade in the warranty for full price. Nissan likes to give a ton on trades as well.

Davey · 08-07-2012, 09:42 AM

No offense but... Unless you are getting a great interest rate or some other side benefit, Certified Used is a waste of time. They don't spend a lot of time on the inspection nor do they really put any more money than absolutely necessary into the car to get it ready for sale. I've even seen cars poorly repaired after wrecks as "certified" that even an amateur like me could see it wasn't right

I mean, if I were buying used I wouldn't shy away from Certified Used but either way, get a trusted mechanic's opinion.

Compdoc777 · 08-07-2012, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davey

No offense but... Unless you are getting a great interest rate or some other side benefit, Certified Used is a waste of time. They don't spend a lot of time on the inspection nor do they really put any more money than absolutely necessary into the car to get it ready for sale. I've even seen cars poorly repaired after wrecks as "certified" that even an amateur like me could see it wasn't right

I mean, if I were buying used I wouldn't shy away from Certified Used but either way, get a trusted mechanic's opinion.

The car can't be certified if it was in an accident, dealers get audited on each certified car. The way I found out about that was that the auditor had my keys when I came in to test drive and i spoke to him. I got 3.2% on my certified Nismo. 8/120K mile zero deduct and for 2011 only had 8002 miles.

falconfixer · 08-07-2012, 10:40 AM

I traded in a 2008 Wrangler Rubicon on my Z. This Jeep I jumped sand dunes in the outskirts of Las Vegas. I ended up blowing out (read broke in half) the rear shocks and the entire inside was filled with sand. My fix was to gut the interior and Herculine the tub. I moved to Anchorage and beat the living hell out of it in the wilds of Alaska. I sunk it up to the middle of the doors in the Chena River on one excursion. I then moved MD where going off road results in execution by firing squad. So I had to trade it in. I went through about a gallon of simple green and a pressure washer inside and out. Rattle canned the undercarriage to hide all the trail damage. Waxed and buffed the exterior as best I could. You name it I did everything I could to hide the abuse. Guess what---the dealership took the Jeep and sold it to someone for almost $24K. I wouldn't pay $10K for it.

Do yourself a favor, buy new. You could get one of my vehicles.

b1adesofcha0s · 08-07-2012, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by falconfixer

I traded in a 2008 Wrangler Rubicon on my Z. This Jeep I jumped sand dunes in the outskirts of Las Vegas. I ended up blowing out (read broke in half) the rear shocks and the entire inside was filled with sand. My fix was to gut the interior and Herculine the tub. I moved to Anchorage and beat the living hell out of it in the wilds of Alaska. I sunk it up to the middle of the doors in the Chena River on one excursion. I then moved MD where going off road results in execution by firing squad. So I had to trade it in. I went through about a gallon of simple green and a pressure washer inside and out. Rattle canned the undercarriage to hide all the trail damage. Waxed and buffed the exterior as best I could. You name it I did everything I could to hide the abuse. Guess what---the dealership took the Jeep and sold it to someone for almost $24K. I wouldn't pay $10K for it.

Do yourself a favor, buy new. You could get one of my vehicles.

shadoquad · 08-07-2012, 10:58 AM

Honestly, if nothing else, I think that we can all agree, regardless of buying used or new, don't just take the seller's words as gospel. Check the car out, get a trusted gearhead to help you inspect it. Look the car over with keen eye for detail, and always take a long test drive of the car you're about to take home, looking for serious issues.

At the end of the day, it's your money, spend it as you please.

Rockcrawler · 08-07-2012, 11:25 AM

I'm in the used club, eyes wide open. You can get a sense by interior, rock/paint chips and tire condition if still on the originals. Bought my pristine 09 with 8700 miles and got 1.99 financing, well under 30k. They are realible, near exact same option content and I still had over a year of factory warranty left. Hard to see much risk in that.

on the flip side, I had to replace my diesel truck this yr due to an interior fire..... used truck market is soooooo strong here that made much more sense to get a decent new leftover.

Compdoc777 · 08-07-2012, 12:20 PM

Also on certified cars you get a 100k drive train warranty for free. Stock is 3/36 isn't it?

shadoquad · 08-07-2012, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Compdoc777

Also on certified cars you get a 100k drive train warranty for free. Stock is 3/36 isn't it?

No, new drivetrain is 5/60 or 6/60. Everything else is 3/36

christian370z · 08-07-2012, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadoquad

I see a lot of used pricing that is on par with or the same as new models, and used cars already are less valuable, merely by an extra owner being on the title, extra years since new. I don't think the depreciation loss on a new car is too tall a price, but it differs for everybody.

Depretiation also differs on the car (make/model/options) as well as the area you are in too. Some cars will depretiate much faster and steeply than others, the Z happens to hold it's value very well versus something like a Pontiac G6.

08-06-2012, 10:24 PM	#19 (permalink)
CrownR426 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: South Korea Posts: 4,676 Drives: Manual Rep Power: 848	Certified + Preowned + Warranty = Smart Buy Always check car fax and take it to a Mechanic you can trust. I'd get a 09 Nismo or 09 40th over any newer model cause its a smarter buy. If I was on a budget I would get Base + Sports cause its the fastest Z! __________________ Love + Hardwork + Passion RIP SVTRacer

08-07-2012, 11:25 AM	#27 (permalink)
Rockcrawler Base Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 141 Drives: 09 6MT, tr, spt, nv Rep Power: 13	I'm in the used club, eyes wide open. You can get a sense by interior, rock/paint chips and tire condition if still on the originals. Bought my pristine 09 with 8700 miles and got 1.99 financing, well under 30k. They are realible, near exact same option content and I still had over a year of factory warranty left. Hard to see much risk in that. on the flip side, I had to replace my diesel truck this yr due to an interior fire..... used truck market is soooooo strong here that made much more sense to get a decent new leftover. __________________ 2009 silver sport, 6MT touring and nav, 8700 miles when I got it, "almost" a daily driver now... bone stock aside from tint and Gemini CBE, PC'd Rays black stardust and running 275/295 DWS rubber

08-06-2012, 07:39 PM	#16 (permalink)
DarkJak A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 1,397 Drives: 2009 370Z Rep Power: 16804	I'd also consider how you plan on driving the car. I bought a used 09 and didn't lose any sleep over it since the interior was pristine and I knew that I'd most likely be driving it much harder than the previous owners did. The 370Z is pretty reliable and the motor can take a beating so I wouldn't be as concerned buying used.

08-06-2012, 09:02 PM	#18 (permalink)
sonic370 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2010 Location: Orange Texas Posts: 1,574 Drives: 09 370Z Sports PGK Rep Power: 18	just my 2 cents. be careful very careful when buying used. there will be some great deals out there for some used 370's do your homework... from my experience from buying used vettes and one used 350... there is no in between. they have either been treated like a member of the family or kicked in the xss.... so buyer beware...

08-06-2012, 10:45 PM	#21 (permalink)
Compdoc777 Enthusiast Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Cypress Posts: 277 Drives: 2011 Nismo #4 MB Rep Power: 13	I have purchased mine used and certified with a zero deductable warranty. You can trade in the warranty for full price. Nissan likes to give a ton on trades as well.

08-07-2012, 09:42 AM	#22 (permalink)
Davey A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Indiana Posts: 3,766 Drives: '15 NISMO 6MT Rep Power: 117171	No offense but... Unless you are getting a great interest rate or some other side benefit, Certified Used is a waste of time. They don't spend a lot of time on the inspection nor do they really put any more money than absolutely necessary into the car to get it ready for sale. I've even seen cars poorly repaired after wrecks as "certified" that even an amateur like me could see it wasn't right I mean, if I were buying used I wouldn't shy away from Certified Used but either way, get a trusted mechanic's opinion.

08-07-2012, 10:40 AM	#24 (permalink)
falconfixer Track Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: 10aC Posts: 978 Drives: Taco Rep Power: 76	I traded in a 2008 Wrangler Rubicon on my Z. This Jeep I jumped sand dunes in the outskirts of Las Vegas. I ended up blowing out (read broke in half) the rear shocks and the entire inside was filled with sand. My fix was to gut the interior and Herculine the tub. I moved to Anchorage and beat the living hell out of it in the wilds of Alaska. I sunk it up to the middle of the doors in the Chena River on one excursion. I then moved MD where going off road results in execution by firing squad. So I had to trade it in. I went through about a gallon of simple green and a pressure washer inside and out. Rattle canned the undercarriage to hide all the trail damage. Waxed and buffed the exterior as best I could. You name it I did everything I could to hide the abuse. Guess what---the dealership took the Jeep and sold it to someone for almost $24K. I wouldn't pay $10K for it. Do yourself a favor, buy new. You could get one of my vehicles.

08-07-2012, 10:58 AM	#26 (permalink)
shadoquad A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: . Posts: 42,608 Drives: . Rep Power: 3886	Honestly, if nothing else, I think that we can all agree, regardless of buying used or new, don't just take the seller's words as gospel. Check the car out, get a trusted gearhead to help you inspect it. Look the car over with keen eye for detail, and always take a long test drive of the car you're about to take home, looking for serious issues. At the end of the day, it's your money, spend it as you please.

08-07-2012, 12:20 PM	#28 (permalink)
Compdoc777 Enthusiast Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Cypress Posts: 277 Drives: 2011 Nismo #4 MB Rep Power: 13	Also on certified cars you get a 100k drive train warranty for free. Stock is 3/36 isn't it?