S/O sort of regarding first car

I was 30 when I bought my first brand new car - a very practical Kia Sedona. It was just after DD was born, and the 2 door Ford ZX2 I was driving wasn't great for her car seat.

The ZX2 was purchased from my brother for the price of the remaining payments, so it was new to him but slightly used to me.

Never. About 8yrs ago I bought a VW bug that was about 7yrs old with only 28k miles on it. It was like a brand new car and the closest I've ever come to it. In 2006 I bought a 2003 Toyota corolla that was 3yrs old with 36k miles on it. Likely a lease prior to the sale. I still have both of those cars. I don't buy brand new cars.

I think I was 21. I was working a lot while going to college and my parents wanted me to have something more reliable. We were looking at reasonable cars, like a Sentra or civic. I was bummed, because I really like the look of the Acura integra. My dad asked, which car do you really want. I told him, and he said, you’re going to pay for this, so get what you want. And I did. My parents paid cash and I paid them monthly payments. I was very happy. I kept that car from 1991 to 2003.

I had a Celica convertible when DS was born. Since I'm single and didn't want to have to deal with car issues, I bought a new Kia Sonata for us. I needed the full warranty, etc. Now he has his own car and I'm back to used cars. I miss my Celica.

Oh, and I was 36.

I don't drive but DH has never bought a NEW car - always preowned.

When I was in outside sales, the company provided the vehicle and I could select from GM products. The first new vehicle that we paid for was when I was about 37. It was a Ford station wagon. We had a child by then and I wanted to be able to haul his sports things around.

Between Dh and I we have had 3 brand new cars.

2001 Subaru WRX- sold it after 10+ yrs as it was starting to not be reliable.

2004 Honda Pilot- sold it to my SIL cuz her car died a few years ago and it is still trugging along. (I got a used 2014 Honda Odyssey.)

2023 Polestar 2-DH's electric car. He loves it. Had a used Audi before that always gave him little troubles.

We keep cars along time and feel that buying new gives us the best longevity and reliability for our family. When I'm done with my van I'll be looking for a brand new car to drive for the next 15ish yrs.

I bought a new Mercury Lynx when I was 23 YO. I was starting law school and couldn’t get to class without a car. My dad must have co-signed because there is no way I would have qualified on my own, but the old Ford Fairmont I had been driving died and I needed a replacement ASAP. I do know the Lynx was affordable, and I had no problems with the p 36 payments I had to make.

I ended up trading it for a new Chrysler LeBaron convertible 4 years later. I LOVED that car but traded it for a Subaru wagon when DD#1 was born.

I was 26, had 2 kids and was driving a truck that DH originally bought for himself, he was driving my Ford Tauruscar I got from my aunt. It had 3 doors and we live an hour from the city. So after a couple of months of 2 car seats and 2 cases of diapers and all the groceries and things I said I need something better. We sold the car, he got his truck back and I got a new van a Toyota Sienna.

I used to drive my dad's Chevy Cavalier.

For your son, definitely price both. When I was shopping for a small SUV for DD, I was ready to pull the trigger on a Kia Soul that was 2 years old with low mileage with some warranty left, but at the last minute I checked the price of new ones. I was able to get her a new one for about $1K more. 

My first brand new car was a 1997 Chevy Cavalier, which would have made me about 30 years old when I got it. I needed a different vehicle and DH went looking and came home with a new Chevy truck. I was like, “Oh HELL no!” I don’t do well with bigger vehicles like that so he kept it for himself and took our other vehicle in and traded it in on the Cavalier for me. I drove it for seven years until it was totaled in a hit and run accident while he was driving it home from the casino with friends one night when I was out of town. 😢 With the insurance money all we could get was a used Malibu that I didn’t love too much. Sold that to my brother when I got my 2013 Escape which had about 1200 miles on it. Traded that one in for my current Escape in 2017.

We used to be drive it until it dies people, but we’ve come to the understanding that it’s much better to turn over a vehicle while it still has some value, especially if a really good deal pops up on something to replace it with. There’s a tipping point in there when the vehicle starts needing things replaced and things start going wrong, and paying to fix those things doesn’t increase the value of the vehicle. To us it’s better to offload it before it hits that tipping point.

My first new car purchase was a 1995 Jeep Wrangler. I know there are lots of Jeep fans, but for me? Never again! Least reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Traded that in and got an Acura Integra

I’m 36 and have never bought a brand new car. My first car was a hand me down from my grandma after she got too sick to drive. My current car was used when we bought it. And the car my husband drives was also used. I’m not sure we will ever buy a brand new car. I prefer to let someone else drive it off the lot then buy used but I know the used car market is insane now too. We haven’t bought a car in almost 12 years.

Same. 

I will never have a new car -- thats not to say I will have an old car, but brand spanking new isn't going to ever happen. For instance, I drive a BMW right now, and when we bought it, it had 230 miles on it. So it wasn't old, but not also not brand new.