A new 2015 or a new 2016? It all depends…

When fall rolls along, many buyers are all of a sudden stricken with the thought of changing their vehicle. That leads to a visit to the dealership which in turn leads to a surprising realization. There are two variants of the model you want inside the dealership, a 2015 and a 2016.

Which one should you choose? It basically depends on the type of car buyer you are and the type of consumer you plan to be.

Firstly, it should be noted that according to Consumer Reports, vehicle reliability increases dramatically with each passing year that follows a given model’s release date. So, if the 2016 is significantly changed compared to the 2015, there is a chance that reliability will not be as high, especially if there are important technological or mechanical modifications. That said, most new cars have vastly improved their reliability, so it shouldn’t be a huge factor in your decision making process.

So, 2015 or 2016?

If you’re the kind of owner that will pamper their car for years and plans to keep for a long time, go for the 2015. Why? Because the main disadvantage of buying a 2015 model when 2016s are available will not really apply to you. That disadvantage is lower resale value. If you think about it, buyers today can get either a 2015 or a 2016. Imagine you are going for the 2015 while the person next to you in the dealership is buying a 2016. In four years (2019), his car will be only three years old while yours will be four years old, even if you bought it on the same day.

However, in 10 years, the difference in resale value will be minimal. So, go for the 2015 if you plan to keep your car for a long time. In doing so, you will be able to get a better discount on the car given that dealerships want to make way for 2016 models. They are therefore more inclined to negotiate.

On the other hand, 2016 models often get tweaks and improvements that although minimal, are still noteworthy. You will not be able to negotiate is much with a 2016, but you get better short term resale value and all of the latest gizmos.

So, 2015 or 2016 … it depends on your personality!

Thanks to Performance Mazda for their help with this article!