The “biggest decrease of value” assumes that, to you, the value of the car is determined by what you could sell it for. But that’s not the case. To you, the value of the car is what you spent on it. You then amortize that value of the car over the years you operate it.

This. I just was able to buy my first ever "new" new car after years of every "new" car being at minimum 10 years old. I've got an '06 Forester with nearly 200k miles on it, and I'm hoping this new one will last as long (but I kind of doubt it).

Regardless, I'm not leasing, not planning on selling in 5 years. To me, the peace of mind of a new car warranty is worth it and it gets way better mileage than the old Forester.

Yeah, the mark down on used cars in the US now just isn't worth it. I looked at cars recently and a 2 year old car with 45k+ miles was like 4k below sticker for a new one across the street. And you didn't get to pick your color or add accessories you took what they had.

You used to save 30% plus. You still can on lease returns sometimes and the warranty should continue until the mileage or time runs out.

There are still some deals out there, but yeah a 1 year old car is going to be either too expensive or risky for mechanical or some other weird reason.

OK non-boomer