Back to Home11/17/2025, 10:07:59 PM

That feeling when the "smart" financial decision flips on its head

1 points
0 comments

Mood

thoughtful

Sentiment

neutral

Category

business

Key topics

used car market

automotive industry

consumer behavior

New data reveals that a 3-year-old used car now costs, on average, only about 10% less than a brand-new version. With that tiny gap, the old logic of buying used to save big money is crumbling.

A media outlet is diving into this for a story. If you've shopped for a car in the last year, we want to hear from you:

Did you end up buying new because a used car didn't make financial sense?

Or did you buy used and feel like you overpaid?

What was the most shocking price you saw on a used car lot?

Tell us your story in the comments. What was your breaking point?

NB: We may request your name and location if we decide to cite your story.

The price gap between new and used cars has narrowed to around 10%, challenging the conventional wisdom of buying used to save money, and prompting a discussion on changing consumer behavior.

Snapshot generated from the HN discussion

Discussion Activity

Light discussion

First comment

3m

Peak period

5

Hour 1

Avg / period

2.7

Comment distribution8 data points

Based on 8 loaded comments

Key moments

  1. 01Story posted

    11/17/2025, 10:07:59 PM

    23h ago

    Step 01
  2. 02First comment

    11/17/2025, 10:11:16 PM

    3m after posting

    Step 02
  3. 03Peak activity

    5 comments in Hour 1

    Hottest window of the conversation

    Step 03
  4. 04Latest activity

    11/18/2025, 5:51:35 AM

    16h ago

    Step 04

Generating AI Summary...

Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns

Discussion (0 comments)

Discussion hasn't started yet.

ID: 45958923Type: storyLast synced: 11/17/2025, 10:09:03 PM

Want the full context?

Jump to the original sources

Read the primary article or dive into the live Hacker News thread when you're ready.