I feel you, im in undergrad right now as well this is my last year at the u of a and I bought mine new for 28 with 11 down and the rest financed and my payments are about double to triple an electric bill. its tough but its do-able so dont cut yourself short if you think you cant do it brotha.

I have owned two BRZs, one new (2014 Limited) and one used (2015 Series.blue). I think I paid $26,500 for the new with maybe 10 miles on it and $21k for the used with 1500 miles on it. I have always bought new cars because I "worried" about the abuse a used car might have taken, but the depreciation of a new car isn't worth it IMO. I saved $5500 and ended up with a practically brand new BRZ that was barely used by the previous owner. Just do your homework on the used and save a ton of $$

I'm in early 20's, attending college and work a part-time job at the moment. If I was live with my parents, I would've bought brand new BRZ because I know they would help me pay my car. Since I live with my friends in an apartment and paying all the bills including car by myself I had no choice but to buy used one. But really whether it's used or new, BRZ/FR-S is good car regardless because it's reliable and just so much fun to drive. I just can't wait to graduate college so once I get myself a decent job I can finally afford brand new BRZ lol.

I bought new, a 2015 FRS.

Now with 51,400 miles on it...zero problems so far. Nothing to take it to the dealership under warranty so far.

Since this seems to be an incredibly reliable car, I'd say buy used.

Do not buy a 2013 model year...mostly as those had problems with squeaks and rattle in their interiors.

As others have suggested, have a car thoroughly checked out before buying...and buy one with some of the 5 year 60k warranty remaining for piece of mind should there be any major repair needed within that time frame.

Agree, I bought used 2013 and had an absolutely no issues so far though mileage is only 30000 at the moment. The squeaks and rattles don't bother me at all and are barely occur/noticeable anyway. Correct me If I'm wrong but I thought up to 16 BRZ/FR-S have same squeaks and rattles as 13 model? Not sure about new 17 one though.

I usually buy used, but went new on this one. My main concern with used was that this car has a higher percentage of owners adding FI than almost any other car, and I didn't want to risk buying one that had been run hard with FI+E85, etc. Between the new tech on the '17 and getting to roll it new off the lot I'm satisfied with having paid the extra ~$10k.

Go with a lightly used example and let someone else eat the depreciation. Also, check the history report and keep an eye out for cars that spent their time in areas where they use salt on the roads in the winter. Not a deal breaker but in that case you'll want to check the underbody for corrosion.

Is it ironic that "ironically" was used instead of "coincidentally" above? Cause I would definitely expect "coincidentally" in that sentence. ;)

I have to recommend staying away from a widebody kit unless you really know what you are doing and have another car. In simplified terms, it F's up your suspension. It may look good (subjectively) on show cars, and might be somewhat useful for racecars (with $20k+ of suspension r&d and a yachtload more power), but might be problematic for a DD street car, which I am assuming this will be.

Makes sense for sure thansk for the feedback!

Oops 😬Hahahah but yeah I get where your coming from I'm friends with the dude that owns it's super cool he's a great guy and yeah it's not his daily and would actually most likely not be mine either I have a cobalt for my daily at the moment. Brz would def be my project car and like weekend driver type car.

Yeah the depreciation is something I don't wanna deal with. That's why I'm def leaning more towards a used one instead. And yeah will do I'm very meticulous about cars that I check out so I'll be sure to check for anything that looks rusty or corroded.

Yeah understandable concern to have. I've actually not thought of that. Most of the used ones I've looked at have always been bone stock maybe besides like different tires. But like you said I have no idea maybe they had different parts on it and switched it back to stock.

I buy new cars. But that is me.

If money is your biggest concern and you only keep a car for 3 years or so. Clean used is the way to go. If you are buying one to race, build engine, modify a ton. Used is the best also.

For me My life cycle on cars is 10+ years generaly. At that time frame depreciation does affect total cost that much. My cheapest transportation ever I am driving still. 2005 Chevrolet Colorado 4dr 5cyl, Bought new for $20k 165K miles on it now. Knock on wood, no major issues just general maintenance and modifications. Still going strong.

The key is to buy a car you can afford, New or used.

These cars depreciate fast and a lot of people buy them thinking they will like them and wind up hating them....its easy to find a used one at a great deal.


Unfortunately this also means a lot of turnover in the cars and it isn't uncommon to see 3+ owners on a car that is only a few years old (model wise).


Do some research, find a low mile used one that has a clean record and enjoy. JMO, but unless you can find some dealer willing to make a crazy deal the car isn't "worth" the initial depreciation hit.