It's amazing to me that any adult with income enough to purchase a $40K+ automobile (the second most expensive thing most people will ever purchase in their lives) have no real idea about how depreciation of an automobile works. I wonder how many people buy crappily built houses in a high crime area on a flood plain in a horrible school district and complain that it doesn't appreciate in value like the mansion on the hill?

For the love of all that is holy, please educate yourselves about new car depreciation before making a car purchase. Or at least before you post. New cars take their biggest depreciation hit the moment you drive it off the lot and register it. So if you try to sell or trade it right away you are screwed.

And if you know a new model is coming and the old one will still be produced simultaneously for a while, doesn't it stand to reason that the outgoing model will lose value with the shiny new one parked beside it?

 

Wow Black Betty, you are so wise and all-knowing! I guess us uneducated common folk were not privileged enough to be given the info that Infiniti would continue the G Sedan for an additional 2 yrs after introducing the replacement for the actual car. Who said anything about not understanding depreciation? I think the point that the manufacturer lowered the msrp 5000 from 1 yr to the next is the real issue here. Any similar car from competitive manufacturers do not lose over 50% value in a 2 yr window. Did Lexus keep the old body style IS350 and lower the msrp 5k? I have never heard of Audi or BMW pulling this either.

 

It's not uncommon to equate financial means with good judgement when your point of view is as someone who'e earned both in their lifetime. However, lots of people fall azz-backwards into money, or inherited a lifestyle. However different, both of those groups will lease cars for the convenience. Then there's the people who assume a lifestyle beyond their means, and lease cars for the monthly budget. I think those are the adults you're amazed at.

 

I get what you're saying. But I was talking specifically about people who simply don't completely understand how new cars depreciate in general, not relative to financial means at all.

They'd be floored to drive off th Ferrari lot with a new $233K 458 Italia and arrive home 20 minutes later in a $200K used car.

 

That is a particular hard pill to swallow the first few times it happens. Even more so if you're the type of personality who keeps as perfect a car as possible. The car might even be in better condition than the day you drove it off the lot, but its depreciated value is still an irrefutable fact.

Facts suck sometimes.

I think car enthusiasts are best served by choosing one of these 3 mutually exclusive rules:

1. Focus on the driving, and don't get too attached to any one particular car. Or...
2. Expect to keep the car for a long, long time. In which case, buy it. Or...
3. Plan on upgrading every few years, in which case, lease it.

 

Obviously, the solution is to hold on to the car until it becomes a classic XD

 

You can really save buying a 2yr old, low mileage CPO. Wait at least 18 months from the *first "in service" date. That usually means date of sale, transfer of ownership to the first owner. Known fact... Some call it a secret

 

. You were in the smart kids class, weren't you? Let suckers like the guys who are lamenting fast depreciation take the hit, pick up a low mileage car that won't depreciate rapidly. But then you won't have the shiniest brand new model. But I get that you aren't worried about that.

 

I went a lil beyond this period but picked up a 09 (but not in service until May '10) from an Infiniti dealer with 43K miles with a 44K sticker for 23K. Plus it was CPO'd by the dealer.

It's the first time that I've done this relatively new used car thing but so far so good. There are a couple of things (some paint correction and the leather wrinkles) that are slightly annoying to my **** self, but I'm dealing with them. I was looking at buying a brand new Wrangler for 40K and couldn't wrap my head around that much for a "toy". I got a sweet car for half that and can still pick up a used Wrangler and fix it up my way.

 

I fully understand. I had to have my G37 coupe when it first came out. Ordered it with the exact options I wanted and waited for delivery from Japan. Paid about $2K under MSRP and a couple small extras thrown in. Knew it would depreciate and was prepared for it to drop in value. But I wanted what I wanted and knew what I was getting into.

My wife is more about value and fiscal practicality. Doesn't have to have a brand new car. Prefers to usually buy a nicer car slightly used and keep them a long time. Picked up her low mileage 09 sedan from a forum member looking to get out of his lease early. We took the car, he paid the last 5 of 6 payments, then we purchased it at residual value after it had taken the new car depreciation hit. 18 months later I can still sell it or trade it for more than I owe.

Huge difference between the transactions.

 

Not the sharpest, are we Black Berry. There's a difference between buying an outgoing model and anticipating the upcoming depreciation vs. buying them having the automobile manufacturer knock off $5k more & continue to sell the current model The company has sucked the value from the car & s#!t on anyone who's recently bought this model. Dam, you must have alot of free time on your hands.

 

TBL, so much for customer loyalty. After a stunt like this, it will be very hard to consider another infiniti (nissan) product. Whoever in management came up with this idea should be fired on the spot. In the long run, it just devalues the brand IMO.

According to KBB, my 2012 is worth just under $29K after 2 years. Roughly $9K lost in value. That's for private party sale. For trade in, ~$26K. Oh so sad!!!

 

Careful, man, there's a beverage here!

 

Yes, I'm kind of stupid and worthless. Sorry man.

 

I must admit that I too would probably be at least "disappointed" if not po'd if I had recently bought a g and found that 6-12 months later Infiniti dropped the msrp $5k. I get where thebiglubinski is coming from (great movie by the way).

In fact I ALWAYS buy slightly used vehicles, the last one being an Audi a4 with 14000 miles that I drove for 9 years. But I couldn't pass up the new pricing on the g for a brand new one. In this case the math - no matter how I sliced it or diced it - said the best value was to buy new! Our gain is other recent purchasers pain. So I hear ya lubinski. But dude, you just gotta abide! (See movie those of u that don't get that part).