Buy Used or New?
 

Hey everyone - my first post. I do not own but I have been shopping for a 370Z for quite some time and really want to get an opinion from you all on something.

I know that typically people who purchase cars like these do so with the intention of driving them pretty hard (I know I will). Do you guys have any experience with buying a used Z only to have it fall apart from the previous owner riding it too hard? Are the Carfax reports all that reliable for determining the current state of the vehicle?

Any particular model year best for used versions? I.e. - would a 2009 with 8K miles be better than a 2011 with 30K miles?

I know the advantages of buying them new from a quality perspective, but want to get my hands on one of these for as little as possible.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks so much!

Buying used is buying someone else's problems. If you have two vehicles sitting next to one another, same year, same mileage, it may not be obvious which one has been lovingly maintained and babied, versus which one was driven like a bat out of hell and never even given an oil change.

Carfax reports can be fudged.

For all of these reasons, I put out the extra dough and bought new. Plus, every year has brought small improvements.

Just my two pennies.

:iagree:

I bought my Z certified pre owned a year and a half ago. It was a 2009 with 15k miles and was in perfect showroom condition. I have driven the hell out of my car and haven't had any major issues after driving it over 30k miles. The only issue I just ran into was the door lock actuator failed recently, but that has nothing to do with the previous owner. Ordered a new one for like $200 and everything should be good after I install it :tup:

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".

It is simply much less likely that the car has seen abuse if the odometer is 4 miles.

And signs of "abuse" can be very easily hidden. And any past owner can play like a meek and honest person for the sake of a sale.

Basically, buying used is taking all of the possible issues of buying new and adding years of use to it.

yah, that's the same issue im having with checking out used STI-hatches as my dd. i dont know how much it was raped...

I could easily be this person too. I am the last person people think would be a "speeder" or drive aggressively. No not him, he's too melow. It pisses me off and makes me laugh at the same time.


OP: I like to buy new as I've gotten older but buying a three year old Z car should handle the abuse better than some, while saving a few bucks.

:iagree: I got my 09 Nismo 6 months after it came out with only 5k on the odo for only 32,500 and I couldnt be happier. I cannot stand the thought of buying a vehicle only to drive it off the lot and instantly lose around 5k or more depending on the vehicle.

Thanks for the replies! All very helpful.

Another question - have you guys ever done any tests for HP degradation on used Z's compared to new ones? Is there a significant drop in the performance of the engine over a timeline of just a few years?

Thanks!

Actually mine got better after about 9k. My mpg increased, and the car felt slightly peppier.

My Z set the 2nd fastest stock 1/4 mile time 3 months after I got it, so nope! :icon17:

Buy used for savings if you need/want it rather than peace-of-mind.

If you're buying something to mod and you're expecting to tear into it quite a bit you might as well go used, but if you want something stock, with a warranty, that you just plan to drive and you would worry less IMO it's better to go new.

I'm in the 2nd group, by the way. Anyone who has ever bought any of my cars used has gotten a great car, but I had a car one time and knew the guy who bought it after me, who did some really stupid mods and then parted out/sold it a year later still looking great with fairly low mileage. I wouldn't have bought that car back for $10,000 and it was selling for almost 3x that.

You might want to consider buying your car used on this forum. You could possible get an idea on how the person treated your car too.

I used to always buy new, but never again. That money you lose just driving off the lot is ridiculous. Late model used with low miles is the way to go for me. I bought my last car (a BMW) new and it was problem after problem from day one. Lost my *** when I finally traded it. My girlfriend bought a 2 year old Miata and the thing has been perfect. You are taking a chance new or used, but I'll save that initial hit you take when buying new.

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.

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.

+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.

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...

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!
:D

thats basically the used car buying formula. :tup:

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.

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.

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.

:eek:

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.

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.

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

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.

Nope. I'm afraid they absolutely can sell a Certified Used car that has been in an accident. Google it if you don't believe me, and I've seen it happen myself.

Certified used doesn't mean that the car wasn't or could not have been in an accident. It means that if the means they use to check for an accident do not reveal an accident, the car is sold as certified used, and nothing more.

I'm not saying they want to scam you, but I'm saying that it happens, and the guys doing the inspection don't necessarily look for damage beyond "panels appear to be original and nothing on a Carfax."

all certified used cars also go through a manufacturers inspection based on their specific standards....i would still go certified pre owned over used

yep, the STI hatch i saw over the weekend at a subaru dealer had a 'certified pre-owned' label on it while carfax showed it was in a collision.

i took a close look and could not tell where it was damaged, but i kinda felt :icon14: and didn't pull the trigger.

gettin a hatch ehhh niceee :icon17:

been searching the last 3 weeks for the one... i am tired. :eekdance:

hahaha good things come to those who _________:rofl2:

I love the sti hatch. that thing is nice as hell.

I would, too! There's not reason to avoid them specifically at all, and they come with other benefits. My point is just that in no way should it be taken as any reassurance you don't need to have an independent mechanic look at it and check it over thoroughly for signs of collision repair. :tup:

All certified used means they bought the factory extended warranty, I have seen many cars that were in wrecks sold as certified.

Do people actually buy a 370z to baby it? I'd hope the majority buy it to drive it like it was meant to be driven. Doesn't mean beating the crap out of it, but also not driving like ms daisy.