Yaris: New or Used

[aTriangle]

My girlfriend wants to buy a Yaris. She has about 40k saved up, so she could buy a new car, but saving money on a used car is an attractive proposition. In a nutshell, we don't know whether to get a new or used car. Buying a used car seems like it could be a headache.

What do you recommend?

[Brian99]

CPO
Save yourself the initial deprecation off the lot.

[aTriangle]

Thank you for the replies.

We are going to get a used one. What is the difference between buying used from a toyota dealership, used car dealership, and a person? Specifically, is there a cost/connivence difference?

[RCGA]

Probably better off just buying it new. You're not going to save that much (if anything) once you factor in mileage, the fact that it's an older model, high demand for a used Yaris, 2nd owner, unknown how it was treated before you, shorter warranty, etc etc.

[thrifthunter]

The yaris loses very little value in the first few years. Compare the price to new, not much different!

I would argue that all things considered, on a 5 year ownership term the new would be just as cheap because when you sell it at 5 years it will be worth more than an 8 year old. Basically what you save on the front end buying used, you will lose it on the back end when it comes time to sell.

[Rehan]

The 2011+ Yaris has Traction Control and Stability Control standard, which could be very helpful for your gf. They were optional on the 2010 model. In the 2009 and older Yaris, even the side airbags and curtain airbags were not standard.

From http://news.consumerreports.org/cars...ntrol-101.html : "Consumer Reports believes that ESC (Electronic Stability Control) is the single most important safety advance since the development of the safety belt."

And http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=589 shows that the side airbags make a big difference in crash test results.

I think it's worthwhile for the vast majority of drivers to get a vehicle with these important safety features, if the funds are available -- which certainly seems to be the case here.

Edit: One more thing... If you end up focusing on used and are looking at 2011 and 2012 Yaris vehicles, keep in mind that they will most likely be former daily rentals and will probably have had a lot of abuse over their short life. And rental cars often don't have accidents listed on the CarProof report, so you will need to watch out for that too.

[world25]

Which Toyota Yaris?

If Yaris Hatchback...then get the new one because the dash is in front of you.

Old Yaris Hatchback...the dash is in the middle...which can be annoying.

[Halifax55]

I bought a new 2012 a month ago, I went with the liftback because everything was updated including more safety features as mentioned in other posts...I paid a bit more for going with the updated 2012 versus going with the sedan, but it is worth it to me. You can't beat the number of air bags, the esc and stability feature, etc.

I think you/she should buy new as she certainly does have the funds to support doing that. I have never had a new car until now, I don't regret it, as the margin between used and new is not great with most Toyota's.

Which Toyota Yaris?

If Yaris Hatchback...then get the new one because the dash is in front of you.

Old Yaris Hatchback...the dash is in the middle...which can be annoying.

[garyhudson]

Get the 2012 Yaris Hatchback. Toyota improved the safety cage of the new Yaris (not the 2012 Yaris Sedan, that is unchanged) massive so that it fares better against larger cars like a Toyota Camry

[gr33dy]

Me too, I initially thought buying used was better, but after looking at the price for most car, unless u go to 07-08 models, used and new were almost the same price. In theory, u take a huge hit on depreciation initially, but if u want to keep the car for a bit, might as well buy new!

[Halifax55]

I purchased the LE for air conditioning, cruise, etc. As I said previously, I love it. Yes, you could always buy the SE and get all bells and whistles, but I was not prepared to pay thousands of dollars more. I did not get a huge discount on buying the car but I figure for about 20,000 all in I am a happy campy. It is my first brand new vehicle, so I did some home work, but mostly about what type of car I could afford that was the safest and for 20,000 all in. While I could have purchased the sedan (not current in style, etc) for a lot less because there was cash incentives, 0 financing...I chose what I did and I can't wait to get in my vehicle every day to go to and from work. I especially love the blue tooth as the fact that I can plug in my mp3 or any usb stick and play my choice of music.

Now I am on the hunt for new winter tires that will do the job as I commute, definitely leaning toward michellin ice 12's or the new 13's. Good luck to you and your girlfriend in her choice.

May I ask what trim level you got, the LE, or the SE? Were you happy with the price or found that the dealer was not too flexible?