2015 or 2016: which new car should you choose?

Since the mid-30s, new cars have generally been put on sale in the fall. This tradition was simply to ensure strong sales numbers as the year ended as well as to preserve jobs during winter in order to meet demand.

Today, even if new vehicle launches are dispersed throughout the year, most new models arrive when the leaves start to turn.

Dealerships will therefore be getting new 2016 models in the next few weeks which will sit next to 2015 variants. The consumer wishing to replace their current vehicle will therefore have an interesting choice in front of them: opt for a 2016 model, or go with a 2015.

As always, there are advantages and disadvantages to each alternative. How you choose will ultimately depend on how you plan to use the vehicle, and which aspects are important to you.

When it comes to 2015 models, the biggest advantage is without question pricing. Since the dealer wants to get rid of 2015s in order to make room for 2016s, there is usually more room for negotiation. Moreover, automakers also want to make room, and they will often create incentives and cash rebates in order to accelerate the liquidation of previous-year vehicles.

That said, you have to remember that 2015 vehicles will suffer from more depreciation than 2016 models when bought today. The best way to think about it is to look ahead. Imagine that you are buying a 2015 today while the person next to you is buying a 2016. In three years, you decide to sell your vehicle. Your model will be three years old while their vehicle will only be two years old, even if they were bought on the same day.

This means that you want to base your choice on how long you plan to keep your vehicle. If you only plan to keep it 3 or 4 years, go with the 2016 because the rebates you get on the 2015 will be cancelled by the fact that you get an extra year of depreciation. On the other hand, if you plan to keep your vehicle more than five or six years, take the extra rebates on the 2015.

Of course, if the 2016 model has changed significantly, you need to determine if these changes are significant enough based on your needs and expectations.

Thank you to Kentville Nissan for helping with this article.