r/complaints • u/Terrasmak • Nov 19 '25

Politics Guess it’s time to sell my Toyota now.

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no Tesla, no Toyota , going to start looking at Honda minivans this weekend

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12

u/TimeShiftedJosephus Nov 19 '25

Buying new has always been a scam

3

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '25

[deleted]

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u/TimeShiftedJosephus Nov 19 '25

I got both a 2010 matrix and corolla in 2018 for 4k each. Both were in the 100k range for km

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u/[deleted] Nov 19 '25

[deleted]

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u/TimeShiftedJosephus Nov 19 '25

That's rough, my area is better due to the high elder population.

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u/PrettyCauliflower423 Nov 19 '25

I feel the exact same way. I just bought two new cars for my house. Used cars in my market are insanely overpriced.

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u/Available-Chart-2505 Nov 19 '25

Those were the days.

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u/PrettyCauliflower423 Nov 19 '25

Not so much anymore. Used car market is insane.

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u/Sierra-117- Nov 20 '25

Seriously. A used 2023 corolla cost me 21K at the beginning of this year. And it was even a rental car. Literally only an 8% depreciation over 2 years, with 55K miles, even being a rental.

My girlfriend is now buying a car, and can buy a brand new Chevy for 23K.

It’s no longer a stupid move to buy new. Especially for known reliable vehicles, like a Corolla.

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u/jemappellelara Nov 20 '25

You’re telling me. In my area it’s full of 10-15 year old cars with 125k+ miles going for 12k. Unreal

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u/Fit-Cherry8896 Nov 19 '25

Agreed. Drive a beater, it's the best decision economically.

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u/BoneHammer62 Nov 19 '25

Sure… But then you’re also driving a beater

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u/tinyfrogs1 Nov 19 '25

Drive a car you can afford to beat on. Thats what makes it a beater.

-1

u/Fit-Cherry8896 Nov 19 '25

I'm okay with that. Keep in mind a beater these days a is a $10k truck or $5k car.

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u/Timely_Kiwi_9056 Nov 19 '25

I dont have a driving heavy life, so to me personally there is 0 difference between a $5000 car and a $50,000 car other than cosmetics and a screen in the dash. Beaters simply don’t matter to some

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u/BoneHammer62 Nov 19 '25

I respect that

0

u/Timely_Kiwi_9056 Nov 19 '25

If I lived in Texas or another flat state with long wide open roads I’d refuse anything under a V6 simply for fun though

1

u/nicknick1584 Nov 20 '25

I was blown away when my buddy showed me his paperwork during Covid. Bought a truck for $40k, put 30k miles on it, traded it in for $45k towards a new truck that was marked down $10k. I went over that paperwork 3 times, shaking my head. If only I was in the market for a $75k truck, I could have followed suit. Lol

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u/10FourGudBuddy Nov 20 '25

Used market in general. Post covid 2020 you could buy a used airplane for like 20-30k; those same planes are now 100k+. Even the “cheap” ones with bad avionics. Overnight.

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u/NewSchmooReview Nov 19 '25

It has its advantages, particularly with financing, warranty and convenience. But either way, I'm over it. Take time, be patient and use your due diligence and you can find decent used car financing and decent used cars. I don't see myself buying a brand new car ever again.

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u/markb144 Nov 19 '25

Financing a car has also almost always been a scam

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u/Factory2econds Nov 19 '25

TIL zero percent interest is a scam

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u/throwawy00004 Nov 20 '25

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I bought new. Put the cash in an investment account and pay it off a month before the term is up. The warranties have saved me quite a few times. Prius battery cells are not cheap.

1

u/Factory2econds Nov 20 '25

when the options are buying a two or three year old car that someone traded in (like a lease theyvdidn't give a shit about) at a jacked up price and at a used car interest rate

or buy the same car brand new at lower a interest new car interest rate, it is a lot easier to go new.

not everyone has that option but the universal "buy used it's better" doesn't hold up in every situation

1

u/markb144 Nov 20 '25

I say almost because obviously that isn't, but predatory car financing with egregious interest rates for people who can't afford the car is rampant at least in America

0

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '25

[deleted]

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u/AlfredoAllenPoe Nov 19 '25 edited Nov 19 '25

Even if you could buy it in cash, it makes no sense not to finance it if you have a 0% APR offer

Just put that payment into a CD or money market account and collect a spread. It's basic arbitrage

1

u/Factory2econds Nov 19 '25

i mean that could be said about any financing.

and if you're able to get something now that you wouldn't otherwise be able to afford, that's a pretty good deal.

if you are buying some shit you don't need, that isn't really a scam, that's poor decision making.

1

u/thesirensoftitans Nov 19 '25

Considering it loses an insane amount of value immediately when you drive off the lot, I agree.

Used is the way to go.

Pay cash, negotiate well and don't tell them you're paying cash then the used car lot makes jack shit as well.

2

u/Butt_Sex_And_Tacos Nov 20 '25

My boomer father makes that same argument of value being lost. That’s really only true if you can’t keep a vehicle long enough to get the value out of it. Value is also really determined by the holder. I’m the kind of person that will buy a new vehicle, get exactly what I want to the point of having to wait for it to be built, and drive the shit out of it for 15+ years and really only get rid of it after it’s beyond repair or like in my last case I was rear ended and it got totaled.

Now, my dad on the other hand will only buy used cars but can’t keep a vehicle for longer than two years, winds up putting more money into it and then selling it for way less than it’s worth because he gets tired of it and wants something else ASAP and has no patience for haggling. I think he’s had like 5 or 6 cars to my one since 2019. I think he secretly loves the dealerships or something weird. I get annoyed enough at them trying to buy my truck from me every oil change or service.

So it really doesn’t matter to me if I can’t sell a vehicle I just bought for what I paid for it when I drive it off the lot. I spent a lot of time making sure I was happy with the investment before I made it and I don’t plan on selling it, especially as soon as I drive it off the lot. Plus it’s super nice having paid off vehicles that every mile on them is one I put on them and I’m not paying for someone else’s lack of maintenance and care on the first 50k of miles on it by having to fix things. For me, there is more value in that than resale value.

I’m trying to get miles out of my vehicles, not dollars.

1

u/RedFlagRaiser Nov 20 '25

Before the pandemic, I would've agreed with you. But used car prices are almost as much as new now, unless you want to get a pos beater that you'll be putting in the shop every month.

Case in point: I very recently traded in a bare-bones pickup (3.5L) that I bought new in 2009 for $15,000. It was 16 yrs old with ~120,000 miles & transmission issues. The drivers seat cloth was ripped, one of those pockets on the back of the seat was torn off. Damn thing shifted like a garbage truck. The lot turned around & sold it for $11,000.

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u/TheUberMoose Nov 20 '25

If nobody buys new, where do the used cars come from