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AnalogMan · 01-01-2021, 12:33 PM

Almost every time I've bought the first model year of a car, it's bitten me in the a$$ and I regretted not waiting. Even with some Japanese cars (a 1988 Honda CRX Si and a 1990 Mazda Miata were exceptions; those were first model years and were absolutely wonderful, my only regrets with them were selling them too soon).

My experiences with first model year American cars have been especially instructive for me and have reminded me to avoid them (like my love/hate relationship with my 2015 Ford Mustang GT). The American car companies often seem to leave quality control and de-bugging up to the buyers of first model years. The Japanese companies seem much better in that regard, though problems can still slip through (Honda del Sol), and subsequent model years often also have more options and features.

With the BRZ, I rationalize that 1) it's not really a totally new car, it's basically the same platform that's been made for a while, and 2) I'm not getting any younger. Being 60-something, at this point in my life, a year is a significant fraction of the time I have left (or at least of the time I have left where I might be able to still climb into a BRZ and able to drive a stick).

I hope to test drive both the second gen BRZ and new Nissan 400Z back to back. If either of them speak to me more loudly than my current BRZ, I don't think I'd hold back because of their being first model years (mostly because of my limited remaining time to be able to enjoy driving a stick).

But it will probably work out that I'll end up waiting for for the second model year anyway. First model years of 'hot' cars tend to mean usurious pricing, ADM's, and other sleazy games by greedy rapacious dealers (especially Nissan dealers, which in my experiences have been the absolute worst). As much as I'm sensitive to remaining time, I'm more bothered by being humiliated and taken advantage of by an unethical dealer, and just won't do it. After all, these are cars. They're discretionary toys, not COVID-19 cures. Life doesn't depend on getting a new car, and if it comes down to it, I'd rather just keep driving my current BRZ than get screwed over by a dealer.

YMMV.

01-01-2021, 12:33 PM	#17
AnalogMan Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2018 Drives: 2019 BRZ Limited 6 speed Red Location: New England Posts: 513 Thanks: 742 Thanked 1,036 Times in 344 Posts Mentioned: 7 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Almost every time I've bought the first model year of a car, it's bitten me in the a$$ and I regretted not waiting. Even with some Japanese cars (a 1988 Honda CRX Si and a 1990 Mazda Miata were exceptions; those were first model years and were absolutely wonderful, my only regrets with them were selling them too soon). My experiences with first model year American cars have been especially instructive for me and have reminded me to avoid them (like my love/hate relationship with my 2015 Ford Mustang GT). The American car companies often seem to leave quality control and de-bugging up to the buyers of first model years. The Japanese companies seem much better in that regard, though problems can still slip through (Honda del Sol), and subsequent model years often also have more options and features. With the BRZ, I rationalize that 1) it's not really a totally new car, it's basically the same platform that's been made for a while, and 2) I'm not getting any younger. Being 60-something, at this point in my life, a year is a significant fraction of the time I have left (or at least of the time I have left where I might be able to still climb into a BRZ and able to drive a stick). I hope to test drive both the second gen BRZ and new Nissan 400Z back to back. If either of them speak to me more loudly than my current BRZ, I don't think I'd hold back because of their being first model years (mostly because of my limited remaining time to be able to enjoy driving a stick). But it will probably work out that I'll end up waiting for for the second model year anyway. First model years of 'hot' cars tend to mean usurious pricing, ADM's, and other sleazy games by greedy rapacious dealers (especially Nissan dealers, which in my experiences have been the absolute worst). As much as I'm sensitive to remaining time, I'm more bothered by being humiliated and taken advantage of by an unethical dealer, and just won't do it. After all, these are cars. They're discretionary toys, not COVID-19 cures. Life doesn't depend on getting a new car, and if it comes down to it, I'd rather just keep driving my current BRZ than get screwed over by a dealer. YMMV.