Should You Really Avoid The First Model Year?

With concerns over price, reliability and the fear of missing out on future updates, buying a first model year car seems like a bad idea. Today we'll discuss some of my personal experiences with owning a first model year car and what has happened in the past for people that have bought the latest and greatest.
Thank you, Royal South Mazda for letting me test drive this mazda cx-90 and many others to make videos like this possible.
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[@0HOON0]

Waiting a couple years also allows buyers to consider long term user reviews and insurance rates rather than just whatever C&D had to say on the first drive. Sadly, and boringly, a car purchase is a make or break financial decision these days.

[@SLOK20C2]

As a Mazda service advisor, I’d most definitely tell you to avoid the first year of the CX90, nothing but problems, usually annoying, hard to diagnose ones.

[@893263007]

But the interior looks so nice

[@David_Journey]

Let’s be frank: most of problems are addressable with a software update by TSB-s that have been out for 4+ months (CX-90)

[@GXKid06]

I bought a brand new 2022 model 3. 6 years in to the production run. It has a leaking trunk. After 5 visits they just siliconed the hinge. When I complained about this the service guy actually told me “well this car only can out in 2017 so its a really new design” excuse me what? What are you comparing it to, the 15 year run of the Toyota 4runner? Its being lemon lawed now.

[@WaylonDog]

I got burned buying the 2012 Camry with the torque converter shudder. I bought it used and decided to save a few grand and get a 2012 instead of a 2013 or 2014, but in the long run I had to dump 3k into the transmission. I can’t be too mad though, because the issue started to present itself when the car was 11 years old and had 155k miles and it hadn’t had the easiest life in the rust belt.

[@genzigzag]

It's in our nature now after 50yrs of refining how to market to people and make them ravenous consumers that if there is any hesitancy to buy the latest and greatest automotive marvel is only held by a relative small number of informed buyers.

[@scarboy6693]

Another factor that’s relevant now. Financing rates, waiting for a car to be a few years in or near the end of the lifecycle usually makes them introduce incentive rates to help inventory such as the 2.9 for 72 on the outgoing forester. Sometimes it can play a role in making up for a minor price increase compared to the launch year too

[@ericchang5217]

The flip side of the argument (which I posed when I was looking at the CX-9): Should you get the last model before a new generation or, get the new model?

[@Realistick]

That could be a good idea to explore for a video down the road! Especially now since next gens seem to be demanding much higher prices these days.

[@jeremynachbar3205]

I ordered a 2025 CX70 Turbo S on 4/1. The dealer let me know that it’s already on a boat heading to Tacoma WA. Even though it’s a first year of production vehicle, I’m not too worried, because it’s basically a 2nd year of production CX90. The vehicle hits the sweet spot for me. I wanted a straight 6, but with Japanese reliability. I didn’t want a 3rd row.

[@1Springloaded]

Spot on. Sound advice. I was thinking Honda may drop the 1.5 T for the new hybrid Civic. Interesting to see what happens there.

[@Realistick]

That wouldn’t be a bad move for them! I’m thinking it would be the ideal Prius competitor in HB form.

[@B-rad1]

Although somewhat financially inefficient, I think leasing the first model year and buying the mid-cycle refresh can be a good plan. Any reliability issues are fixed under warranty and the car that's actually purchased can be spec'd perfectly based on years of ownership experience.

[@David_Journey]

Just because you lease does not mean you will have a loaner car whenever the car is in the shop. You still have inconvenience of no access to your car, just as if you owned outright. Plus there are contractual penalties if you want to offload it earlier than lease term.

[@RedPanda_______]

Great video! However I will stick to buying used cars unless I get rich somehow.

[@alengreen589]

everybody knows that it´s not good to buy a Car in his first year but they are many many millions people out there, they see the Car and then they want the Car as quickly as possible. You can´t explain it with logic 😅

[@finfitology]

Curious. Does this apply to the 2024 grand highlander too?

[@axx8326]

Toyota is still catching up on their Highlander and their GH hybrid that are very hard to find and dealers ask top dollars for. Maybe is not quite related to what you describing but the new Tundras are flooding the lots and they don't seem to be flying off the shelves. Waiting forward to see how the new 4Runner will fare. Expecting crazy markups for the first orders. And of course a crazy wait time

[@Realistick]

Yeah they will DEFINITELY mark them up until inventory is stable😪

[@gottagofest1610]

As of this time, Honda Santa Maria has a SI for the competitive price of 40k.

[@Realistick]

Might want to invest in a plane ticket😰

[@YankeeMav]

idk how to say it in tiktok but v. nice 👕 Tyler👍

[@nighthawkvc25a]

2:16 - Umm, so you had experience waking up on a ceiling before?

[@Realistick]

We don’t talk about it☠️

[@normaninsandiego7061]

As long as the vehicle is a Toyota, I think the first year of a new generation would be fine. 😊

[@AngryMountainMan]

Subaru does NOT punish dealers. We have two here in town and one did it constantly during covid.

[@Realistick]

Ouch, sorry to hear that but they can and will push dealers down in their allocation list (give it a google). That might not be enough to sway every shady dealer but I used to work for a Subaru store, the brand watches retailers closely!

[@roundabout1419]

Car commentators don't let their fathers replace a Toyota with a Ford product ...

[@Realistick]

He knows it’s not a Toyota. Almost 3 years later and he’s still loving it🤠

[@janoycresnova9156]

Car reviewer. There is no such thing as a car commentator.

[@mountainhobo]

"don't let their fathers replace a Toyota with a Ford product" -- Spoken like someone who has too much KZbin car experience. I've owned many Toyotas in my life, and also a couple of Fords, and an occasional Kia and Hyundai. Three cars stood out in terms of reliability and fun to drive: '81 Toyota Celica GT RWD, '93 Ford Probe, and a Kia Sephia (I forget the year). All were reliable (the first two were perfect, nothing to do), all were simple, and all were stick shift. I wish I could get a simple car like that today. If I absolutely had to choose just one, it would have been the Ford Probe. I drove it in snow storms, through Death Valley in crazy heat (many times), in the mountains. Never a hiccup, never even overheated, and it cornered like cat on velcro. Today's cars have way too much crap on them, ALL of them, not just Ford, Honda, or whatever else, and none of them in decent price range have good stick shifts.

[@stephendufresne9239]

I had a 94 Probe GT and was a great little car. Albeit it was just a Mazda.

[@mountainhobo]

@@stephendufresne9239 '92 was a reskinned Mazda 6. Beginning with '93 (second generation), Ford started making some changes. Quoting from wiki: "the second generation Probe is 60% Mazda and 40% Ford". BTW, I like Mazda, too. They care more about driver's experience than other Japanese mass market makers (in my limited experience, of course).