Cars You Should Only Buy Used To Save Thousands Of Dollars

Anyone who has bought a car before will have at least a passing understanding of the value that the used market offers. There's a time to buy a new vehicle, but also plenty of reasons to shop used or perhaps even choose to lease your next car. A lot of this comes down to the financial circumstances you're experiencing, alongside your family dynamics and other life features that push you toward one kind of vehicle or another. You may be looking at larger SUVs to support an itch for road tripping and seating for a few young children, or you may be in the market for something sleeker.

All this comes together to suggest a set of car models that can suit your particular needs the best. Once you've narrowed down your search parameters, many buyers might head off to the dealership to begin exploring the available inventory. This is actually a mistake, and there's another step that should be placed here instead. All vehicles depreciate, and often very quickly in the first few years. But some lose value like a sinking stone while others gradually shrink in trade-in viability. If you're in the market for one of these three cars in particular, buying new should never be a real option on your radar. They lose value faster than any other model around, and so getting a great bargain on a used vehicle instead should always be your approach.

Jaguar has long been a name synonymous with performance. The classy British automaker exudes style, and the cars it's put out into the world are often icons of the road. The I-Pace is a bit different, though. Featuring all the great looks and feels of a classic Jaguar, the I-Pace is an electric SUV that features a similar range to the Tesla Model X, but hit the market at a significantly cheaper price. The I-Pace has fallen out of production, so it may not be a model that's easy to repair on the cheap, but finding a used one will almost certainly come with a price tag heavily pivoted in your favor as a buyer. These vehicles are some of the biggest value losers over the first five year period after their release on the market, shedding just over 72% of their value in this time. With a starting price a little north of $73,000 for a 2024 model, this makes used I-Paces worth roughly $52,000 less than their original cost.

The SUV fits right at home for drivers who enjoy the niceties and unique presence that a Jaguar brings to the driving experience. However, a buyer seeking a consummate commuter vehicle won't want to splurge on a new(er) I-Pace. The price just isn't right for what you're getting unless you know that Jaguars are your bread and butter — and you have the cash to splash. An EPA estimated range of 246 miles and a notable performance gap in consistent breaking make this one to consider at a steep discount, but not as a new model.

BMWs are perennial value shedders. It's well-known that large sedans in the luxury category don't keep their value well as they age, but BMWs are among the worst in this arena. Losing about 67% of their value in the first five years on the road, a 7 Series sheds just over $65,000. This makes them a tough pill to swallow for buyers in the new market, and a great option for someone hoping to drive a stunning, spacious sedan that's a few years old. However, it should be noted that maintenance issues are frequently found within the 7 Series catalog, and so an aging BMW of this ilk should be purchased as a certified preowned model rather than among the rank and file of used autos that don't feature warranty coverage.

7 Series BMWs are great for drivers who spend a lot of time on the road. They're not the bulky SUV that lumbers down the highway, but they also don't exactly fit the mold of an aggressive navigator, either. A large interior meets powerful under hood performance, and for anyone who frequents the highway, opting for a diesel build can help you save even more with improved fuel efficiency on long trips.

The most established modern vehicle in the Tesla catalog, the Model S is a fixture on roadways all across the country. These cars haven't experienced any major redesigns in the decade-plus they've been in production, though, and a 2012 Model S is largely the same car as a new 2025 offering. A few stylistic changes and the natural improvements that take place in engine characteristics and software are really where the updates have stayed.

The visual similarity across model years is perhaps a big player in the depreciation curve, but whatever the case may be, Tesla Model S's lose roughly 71% of their value after five years and exhibit a resale value of roughly $26,000 when they hit this age. A used Model S may still feature the 8 years of warranty coverage on the battery, and going any older than this will also bring you into pre-2016 territory, when users note the car was less comfortable and featured a few key battery issues when compared to newer options. If you are in the market for a new Tesla, though, 2025 might just be the year of the low-cost Tesla that's been promised for so long. The introduction of a vehicle like the proposed "Model 2" could make buying a new Tesla similar in price to an older example of a different variant, adding an important decision into the mix for those in the market for these iconic EVs.