“Should I buy new or used?” is the first question a lot of my customers ask, and the honest answer is: it depends on how you’ll use the vehicle, how long you’ll keep it, and what you value most — peace of mind or price. I sell both, so I have no stake in steering you one way. Here’s how I’d think it through.
What new does better
Warranty. A new vehicle comes with the full factory warranty from day one. On a new Mitsubishi, that’s a 5-year/100,000 km new vehicle limited warranty and a 10-year/160,000 km powertrain limited warranty — among the longest coverage you can get in Canada. If you’ll keep the vehicle a long time, that decade of powertrain coverage has real value.
Known history. You’re the first owner. No mystery maintenance, no previous accidents, no wondering how it was treated. For a lot of people, that certainty alone is worth paying for.
Financing and choice. Manufacturers regularly support new vehicles with promotional interest rates you won’t see on used ones — sometimes low enough that the total cost gap between new and used narrows a lot. You also get to pick your exact trim and colour instead of waiting for the right used one to turn up.
The latest safety and tech. Driver-assistance features, connectivity, and efficiency improve every model cycle. If those matter to you, new is where they live.
What used does better
Somebody else paid for the steepest depreciation. A new vehicle loses value fastest in its first few years — that’s simply how the market works. A vehicle that’s three or four years old has already taken that biggest hit, and from there its value falls more slowly. Buying at that point often means more vehicle — a higher trim, more features, a bigger model — for the same money.
Lower total cost of entry. The purchase price is lower, which usually means a smaller loan, and in BC your GST and PST are charged on that lower price too. Insurance is often cheaper as well.
The catch: a used vehicle’s history and remaining warranty vary car by car. That risk is manageable — a proper inspection, a history report, and buying from a licensed dealer (who has legal obligations about the vehicle’s condition and history that a private seller doesn’t) cover most of it. But you do need to do the homework, or buy from someone who has.
The questions that actually settle it
How long will you keep it? Keeping a vehicle eight to ten years? Buying new and holding it long spreads the depreciation out and uses the full warranty — often the cheapest per-year way to own. Swapping every three or four years? Used usually treats your wallet better.
How many kilometres do you drive? High-mileage drivers burn through warranty by kilometres, not years, and put wear on everything. Lower-mileage drivers get the full time value of a new vehicle’s warranty.
What’s the real monthly difference? Compare total cost, not just price: a used vehicle at a higher interest rate over a long term can end up closer to new than the stickers suggest. Run both through the numbers honestly.
How do you feel about repairs? If an unexpected repair bill would genuinely stress you, the known quantity of new — or a newer used vehicle with warranty remaining — is worth real money. If you have a good mechanic and a cushion, older used is fine.
My actual advice
There’s no universal right answer, and anyone who tells you “always buy used” or “never buy used” is selling you a slogan, not advice. Decide how long you’ll keep it, then compare the true total cost of a specific new vehicle against a specific used one — not categories, actual cars.
If it helps to see the payment side of both, try our payment calculator and run the same term and down payment against a new price and a used price. And if you want to compare actual vehicles side by side, I’m at Valley Mitsubishi in Kelowna, Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM — (778) 363-1453. My shop has also been named Best Used Car Dealer in Kelowna by the Quality Business Awards for 2024, 2025, and 2026, so whichever way you land, we’ll have the conversation honestly.
— Jayson Gazloff, Sales Consultant, Valley Mitsubishi
