A new car's biggest cost is not its price, it's the value it loses in the first three years — which is exactly why a well-chosen three-year-old car is the sweet spot for most buyers.
Depreciation is the real price
Most cars lose a large share of their value in the first three years, and that loss is the single biggest line in the cost of owning a new one. Buying just after that drop lets someone else pay it while you still get a modern, low-mileage car.
The trade-off is that you inherit whatever the first owner did. That's what the checks are for: service history, an open-recall lookup by VIN, and an independent inspection.
Where new still wins
Safety technology moves fast. Automatic emergency braking, lane support and better structures have improved measurably in recent years, and crash-test protocols have got harder — a five-star car from several years ago would not necessarily score five today.
New also means a full warranty, no unknown history, and the exact specification you choose. If you keep cars for a decade, spreading the depreciation over ten years changes the maths in its favour.