You’ve probably heard the advice a hundred times: never buy new, because the moment you drive off the lot, the car loses value. That idea has some truth behind it, and it’s why a lot of money-savvy shoppers focus on used cars first. A vehicle is a depreciating asset, and new cars usually lose value faster in the early years than later on. But “used is always better” is a little too simple for a market that changes year to year.