It's somewhat hard to believe, and not often the norm. But is a used Honda Civic Coupe for sale a nicer buy then a new 2012 Honda Civic? The question appears to be a no-brainer, the 2012 after all, is all new and redesigned without an increase in new car prices.
But recent reviews of the new 2012 Honda Civic have been less than glowing. Complaints include ride quality, stopping distance, and most commonly the build quality for the totally redesigned model. This despite the new Civic included among 2012 sedans under 20000, and nearly reaching 40 MPG cars status with 39 MPG HWY.
Why should it matter to your used car search? Despite the price of both cars for sale being the same, the quality of the new Civic appears to be inferior. Yes the prices of the 2012 Civic sedans are under 20000, but so is the price of the 2011 Civic.
And using a used car search, if you're willing to take some miles on your car you can pay even less for a better car. The reviews seem to say that if you can find gently used Civic cars for sale, you can get more for your buck than a new Civic.
Now it should be noted that if you're hung up on 40 MPG cars, the used Civic only gets 36 MPG instead of 39 MPG on the highway the 2012 Civic gets. And any older model is going to have the older styling. But given the reviews that Honda Civic coupe for sale have had in the past, is that so bad?
If Honda had lowered the new car prices on the Civic, this discussion might not be taking place. Cheapness can be explained as thriftiness, cuts explained as savings. But when you charge people the same price for less, then maybe the used car is the better deal.