<prompt> Human: I bought my car in 2012 brand new, customized exactly how I wanted, and paid it off within 3 months. Four years later, its now worth barely 13 of what I paid for it. So buying new is a terrible investment, right? Buying used, you deal with the entire used car salesman experience, which has historically been agony. And there are tools to avoid potential lemons, but finding the right used car is still such a hassle. Would you buy a car online? There are plenty of online dealers, but Ive had plenty of people tell me theyd never buy a car online, because who knows if theyre telling the truth about the thing. What about eBay and craigslist? Are those options pure lunacy?Is there a RIGHT WAY to buy a car in 2016 or 2017, with the least headache, without feeling like youre getting ripped off, and with confidence in the vehicle history?  <response>: I bought my car in 2012 brand new, customized exactly how I wanted, and paid it off within 3 months. Four years later, its now worth barely 13 of what I paid for it. So buying new is a terrible investment, right?Investment - In my opinion cars should really be treated as an expensive disposable tool, since eventually they wear out and die and you replace them. The vast majority of cars depreciate very rapidly and buying them brand new is a luxury that should wait until youve built some initial wealth again, my opinion.Buying used, you deal with the entire used car salesman experience, which has historically been agony. And there are tools to avoid potential lemons, but finding the right used car is still such a hassle.You can also buy used from a private party, which tends to be cheaper anyway. Anymore cars are pretty reliable. While there are plenty of anecdotes of used cars exploding the minute someone drives away, for the most part you wont find a lemon. Get a mechanic to check the car out before purchase just to be safe. Also, keep an emergency fund on hand so you can repair the thing. Would you buy a car online? There are plenty of online dealers, but Ive had plenty of people tell me theyd never buy a car online, because who knows if theyre telling the truth about the thing. What about eBay and craigslist? Are those options pure lunacy?I wouldnt personally buy a car without checking it out in person first. If its an expensive item more than 7500 for my tolerance, you may decide different I also want a mechanic to check it out. So if buy online means I pay online and Im stuck with whatever it turns out to be, Im out. If its something I can arrange to purchase online and still have the option to back out if the car doesnt meet expectations Im in. Ive bought and sold a few cars through craigslist and havent run into any real trouble. Its normally my first go to place when searching for a used car. Cant comment on ebay, but also check out things like autotrader, cars.com, and whatever local enthusiast car forums you can they normally have for sale sections and the sellers are typically reasonable human beings... craiglist has a higher ratio of weirdos.confidence in the vehicle history?Carfax and ask for maintenance history if buying from a private party. Youd be surprised at how many people keep insanely detailed records of their car things. 