I mean, I get it...used market means you're getting a used car - i.e. something not new with full warranty.
...that said, take a look at what you can get. Lightly used cars (1 yr) with 20,000km or less, the bulk of the manufacturer's warranty, you can always get an extended warranty, and then you save a couple grand off the MSRP and you also save freight/PDI (another nearly $2,000 on most cars these days).
The only argument I can accept for this is the "city car" thing, but we're not in old Europe. Perhaps Quebec City can appreciate the diminutive size, but Toronto is hardly "difficult" for a Corolla/Civic/Sentra/Elantra/Forte/Escalade/whatever to get around. And if you live in a Condo, a Chevy Cruze hatch will give you more space for similar money, but in a much safer, newer design with far more feature content while still fitting nicely into small spots. Look around your condo parking lot next time you're down there - does everyone drive a Smart, Mini, or Micra? Nah - still filled with Lexus ES/Civics/Rogues, etc. Nobody needs to downsize that much because they live in the city - and if you do live in the city and drive only so occasionally, then Car2Go and the like is still cheaper than paying $100+/month in insurance, the cost of the car, and then gas, etc.
...I really appreciated Jalopnik's review following the 2015 Corolla vs 1998 Corolla to show "how far" safety has come - solely because the focus of it was to on trying to avoid giving your kids sh!tty old cars because they're cheap.
I used to be all for buying teenagers total crap-heaps as their first cars. It builds character, after all. But then I watched this video of a 1998 Toyota Corolla crashing into a 2015 model, and now I think I’ve changed my mind.
http://jalopnik.com/this-crash-between-a-2015-and-a-1998-toyota-corolla-sho-1795220332The writer also quoted ANCAP's CEO in saying:
It is unfortunate we tend to see our most at-risk drivers – the young and inexperienced, as well as the elderly and more frail – in the most at-risk vehicles, and we hope this test promotes a conversation to encourage all motorists to consider the safety of their car.
So, sure, a 2017 Nissan Micra might be better than a 1998 Corolla, but a 1998 Corolla also isn't $9,998, plus all applicable taxes and fees (ahem, freight/PDI included) - at least $15,000 OTR. Hell, I'm not totally impressed with the 2015 Corolla's crash-test-worthiness there, but it's obviously much better than the 1998 (and rated as 5/5 by ANCAP, and a top safety pick+ from IIHS as of 2017).
The Nissan Micra hasn't been tested by the IIHS. It has been tested by ANCAP (4/5 stars):
http://www.euroncap.com/en/results/nissan/micra/26835From my perspective, the Micra represents an old-fashioned ideal of buying cheap for a cheap price for those who barely need their car to do anything. A great ideal, but totally outdated in the world of car-sharing, a massive used-car market, and modern safety standards.
