‘Notorious for holding their value’: Mechanic warns against buying cars brand new—unless it’s these 2 brands

A mechanic is warning prospective buyers against buying brand new vehicles. Except, of course, for these two specific brands.

TikTok user Thomas (@carsrme) started his video by saying, "There's nothing worse than buying a car brand new. It's going to depreciate, it's going to lose money. You're going to be upside down right away."

The viral video accrued over 200,000 views on the platform. In it, he makes a strong argument against purchasing brand new vehicles.

His primary reason in urging folks not to go the new car route: Loss of value. He goes on to state that if buyers absolutely want a brand new vehicle, they should opt for brands with less depreciation.

Should you buy new cars?

Financial analysts have echoed the TikToker's sentiments. Wealthtender cited wealth analyst Ben Le Fort's advice against buying new, who says it's "a really bad idea." Le Fort's reasoning is in line with Thomas' post: It's because new car buyers are footing the bill for a big chunk of a vehicle's dropped value.

Ramsey Solutions also writes that buying used "is always the better choice financially." There are many pre-owned cars, for instance, that have been leased for three years. Presumably, because leasers don't want to be hit with dealership charges upon returning their cars, they're well maintained. As a result, buyers who opt for these cars, especially certified pre-owned vehicles, are left with a better buy.

The individual who leased the new vehicle has already covered the cost of its highest depreciation years. Which means that used buyers are ultimately getting a better value. However, it's a better investment to opt for a car brand known for long-term dependability. Furthermore, getting makes and models that aren't associated with costly services and repair costs makes more sense financially as well.

And Thomas has some recommendations as to which manufacturers folks should put at the top of their car buying lists.

Are these two brands the gold standard?

Continuing in his video, Thomas breaks down what he recommends consumers should buy if they want a brand new whip. He says that you won't necessarily lose value on "new car depreciation" if you opt for particular brands. "That notion's not true when you buy the correct car," he said.

And what are "correct" cars, according to Thomas? They're brands that mechanics have often gone out of their way to praise online. "Hondas and Toyotas are notorious for holding their value," he said, pointing to the odometer in the Toyota he's sitting in. "2019 Rav 4 and it has almost 70,000 miles on it right there."

"This thing's trade-in value...not private sale is still over $20,000," he said. "This car only cost $29,000 brand new, MSRP. Again, no one pays MSRP for cars. To put this in perspective on how good ... the depreciation [is]. My mom has a 2021 Audi Q3, and in three years it's lost half its value. Half its value. Where this in five years has lost maybe one third of its value."

Thomas swears by Toyota

Thomas says that when it comes to making smart monetary buys on new cars, you'll never go wrong with a Toyota or Honda. "So, again, always, in my opinion, buy Toyota or Honda new," he said.

He stated that if you're thinking of getting cars from popular Korean auto manufacturers, you can get good used deals on them. However, he also states he'd never get a Korean-made vehicle. "Buy Kia and Hyundai used," he said. "I also just wouldn't buy them."

Moreover, he said that sometimes when it comes to trucks, there are often sales incentives associated with these cars. According to Thomas, sometimes these deals could offset depreciation costs that often come with new car purchases.

"And then trucks, it's just going to depend on your need," he said. "But that's a give and a take. Sometimes the incentives are insane on the new trucks. To the point where you can just buy it new and be okay."

Viewers react to the advice

One person conceded that while they agreed with Thomas' advice, they still believe new cars are prohibitively expensive now. "Toyota and Honda are the best but everything is expensive," they wrote.

Another said that while they don't like buying new cars, sometimes getting used can be risky. "I dislike buying new, but I like knowing that all the maintenance has been taken care of," they wrote. "Who knows how well the previous owner has maintained it."

Someone else said that new sales incentives don't just apply to trucks, either. "This is why I bought a 2025 Camry LE new," the user wrote. "It was $28.3k after the dealer discount. 2023 Camry LEs were selling for the same price and more with 25k miles on them! Made no sense."

Another said that they only exclusively buy old Toyota vehicles. They then drive them 'till the wheels fall off. "I just buy 20-year-old Toyotas and drive them forever," they wrote.

One TikToker shared that they were able to sell their Toyota for barely less than they bought it. "I bought 2020 XLE Highlander four years ago for $36,000 brand new. Now 52k miles and sold for $33,000," they wrote

@carsrme Buying new Toyota is the best thing you can do #newcar #toyota #rav4 #car ♬ original sound - Thomas

The Daily Dot reached out to Toyota and Honda via email and Thomas via TikTok comment for further information.

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