It's been decades since we've purchased 'brand new'. We've been buying 2-3yo, off lease, low mileage vehicles. They tend to be nice, loaded with all the bells and whistles and well taken care of because they were 'leased'. We haven't looked lately in these crazy last few years though.

If you can pay cash that's/was the best way to go. If someone has to finance at least in the past, sometimes you can get a really good deal on a new with zero financing vs a higher rate for a used car, that's what my SIL did still before pandemic. Somehow I think those days may be gone now?