Should You Buy a New or Used Truck?

By: Mark Lichtenstein

5 Min Quiz

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

It's time to retire your truck, but you still need a new one. With Autotrader and the like, you have a wealth of buying options. The question is: should you go new or used?

Do you have to keep up with the Joneses?

Yes

No
A bit

Not even a bit

Are you transporting any live animals?

No

Yes
My dog maybe

A horse sometimes

Do you want a good diesel vehicle?

Yes

No
I do like that torque...

I do like the sound of a gas V8...

Do you care about resale?

Yes

No
A bit

Not really

How long do you plan to keep the truck for?

At least ten years

At least a year
At least seven years

At least three years

Do you want people to be jealous?

Oh yeah

Oh no
That'd be nice

I don't care

Do you care about brand recognition?

I care about model recognition

Yes
I like a vehicle with extras that are recognized as valuable

I care about classic, tested tech

Do you care about the ongoing maintenance costs?

Yes

No
They are annoying...

They are an opportunity to get under the hood and have some fun

Does it freak you out to imagine someone else’s DNA all over your car?

Yes

No
A bit

Not really

Do you care about the planet?

Yes

No
A bit

Maybe a little

Is everything vanity?

Yes

No
Not everything

Some things

Do you love to spend a lot of money for no particular reason?

That's my favorite thing!

No
Sometimes I do

Never

What’s your budget?

$80,000

$15,000
$50,000

$40,000

How much do you care about knowing your vehicle’s real history?

I care a lot

I care little
I care a bit

I don't care much

Do you want to lock in a great rate on your loan?

Yes!

No
That'd be good for me and my credit score

I don't really mind much

Do you feel sad to imagine your truck’s value dropping by a third the moment you drive it off the lot?

No

Yes!
Not much

It does bother me a bit

Do you think certified pre-owned vehicles are really certified?

Of course

I don't trust it
Most of the time

I don't know...

Do you live in the sort of area where your truck will definitely be stolen, meaning a new one is just an indulgence?

No

Yes
Probably not

Probably

Do you worry about how a used truck spends more time in the shop?

Yes!

No, I'm Mr. Fix It
It does niggle me

It doesn't bother me

Do you prioritize low APR and low maintenance, or lower depreciation?

Low APR and low maintenance

Low depreciation
Low APR and low maintenance give me peace of mind

Lower depreciation is at least predictable

Do you like a classic truck?

No

If it's running
If it has the new toys

If it's not in bad shape

What time of year do you plan to buy?

January

December
March

September

How important to you is mileage?

It's of paramount importance

It's not important to me
It's somewhat important

It's not a big deal

Do you need that new-truck smell?

I love that smell!

I prefer the smell of dog
I prefer no smell at all

I'm not a fan of that smell

Are you worried about registration fees?

No

Yes
Probably not

Probably

At what mileage do you expect your truck to give up and die?

100,000

I'll squeeze 500,000 out of it
150,000?

Probably around 300,000

Do you like a truck to have a little patina?

No

Patina is character
Patina lowers resale value

Patina shows I do stuff with it

Are you a good driver?

Yes

No
I'm pretty good

I'm not experienced

Do you like modern features like blind spot monitoring?

I crave those

No
If they are handy

I'm not a huge fan

Do you find a sat-nav screen just plain annoying?

No! It's so useful.

Yes, just give me an 8-track
The old ones were but the new ones are getting better

I prefer the one on my phone

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