Purchasing a demo car

Would you or wouldn't you?

Depending on mileage and condition(of course, I would need to personally look at it and bring it to a trusted mechanic), but in most cases yes. You don't get hit by the first big depreciation of a new car, when it rolls out of the dealer parking lot :p

Originally Posted by chilicat

Would you or wouldn't you?

I'd consider any car under 10-15k as new.(Provided that it's in good shape without any cosmetic defects) Why not?

Originally Posted by chilicat

Would you or wouldn't you?

Yep. If the price was right. Usually demos are fully loaded too

Yes if I'm leasing, no if I'm keeping it for long.

Honestly, I beat the car when I take it on a demo. I'm sure other would've done the same thing. Ie. gun the car and hit the brake hard and turn in fast. So yea, if you are leasing it, do it, if you are keeping it, not really a good idea.

IMHO, I wouldn't because whenever I demo cars at dealerships I pretty much beat them up and push their limits. So if everyone else did that...... but yeah your choice.

Not on your life. After working at a Nissan dealership, I know exactly how demos are treated. The motors don't even get broken in properly or anything. It's high reving, beat down style driving from the very first day usually. Even if the employee who the demo has been given to is gentle on it, the customers who test drive it and the employees who drive it for errands throughout the day are not nice to the car at all.

I bought a car after a 1 year lease with 2 accidents (minor, ~$200 each). Never had a single issue with it except some cosmetic stuff....sold it a couple months back. However, it was a family oriented SUV under warranty the whole time, so YMMV.

Originally Posted by skidz88

Not on your life. After working at a Nissan dealership, I know exactly how demos are treated. The motors don't even get broken in properly or anything. It's high reving, beat down style driving from the very first day usually. Even if the employee who the demo has been given to is gentle on it, the customers who test drive it and the employees who drive it for errands throughout the day are not nice to the car at all.

Very good points made. My parents once bought a demo and never will again. It had 16k on it (salesman's company car used as a demo) and a number of interior blemishes. They saved a couple thousand but those first 16k were the best 16k of the car's life.

You have to ask yourself if it is worth it. Sure you save a little but it has that much more wear and tear on every part of it (which you will evetually pay for in repairs/maintenance sooner than on a new car) and it was most likely driven with the usual "not my car" attitude by many different drivers, before it had a chance to be properly broken in.