QOTD: Would You Buy a Car in Its First Model Year?
There are a large number of major new vehicle introductions happening in the United States in 2017.
The all-new 2018 Toyota Camry is arriving at dealers as we speak. The all-new 2018 Honda Accord is weeks away. Ford’s 2018 F-150 revamp is a thorough mid-cycle update. The Kia Niro, a unique Toyota Prius alternative, arrived early this year. Mazda brought a new bodystyle to the MX-5 Miata in RF trim. The Subaru Crosstrek, quickly becoming a mainstream compact car option, is new for 2018. The Alfa Romeo rebirth continues with the Giulia, still ramping up, and the arriving-now Stelvio. The all-electric Chevrolet Bolt arrived in late December, as did a new version of America’s historic best-selling utility vehicle, the Honda CR-V. The list goes on: Tesla Model 3, Jeep Compass, Ford Expedition, Land Rover Discovery, Lexus LC, Toyota C-HR, Volkswagen Atlas, Volvo XC60.
And, thank our lucky stars, we can’t forget the early summer arrival of Honda’s fifth-generation Odyssey.
New engines, new transmissions, new wiring harnesses, new technology, new roof-folding mechanisms, new Italians. Is it just too much… new everything? Would you buy any of these vehicles in 2017, or is it best to wait until the second model year?
Perhaps the rewards of early adoption cancel out the risks. For example, the 2018 Honda Odyssey’s 10-speed automatic transmission might be of concern — it’s the first-ever implementation of a 10-speed with front-wheel drive. But the same Odyssey is a leap forward from the 2017 model that’s sitting on the dealer lot without the side-to-side sliding second row, Cabin Watch, and intuitive infotainment.
Or what about the Alfa Romeo Giulia’s Italian flair? Although the consistency with which automotive journalists have suffered breakdowns causes a moment’s pause, you’ll be the first in town with a red Quadrifoglio.
Rather than putting faith in the famously reliable outgoing Camry, the 8 percent of July buyers who opted for a 2018 Camry left their Toyota dealers with a more powerful and more efficient car. The Mazda MX-5 RF’s retractable roof panel certainly carries with it a level of complexity not seen in regular softtop Miatas, but it’s a visually stunning car with greater all-weather appeal.
So, is first-off worst-off? Or in 2017, is it time for all of us to get over the fear of the first model year?
[Image: FCA]
Timothy Cain is a contributing analyst at The Truth About Cars and Autofocus.ca and the founder and former editor of GoodCarBadCar.net. Follow on Twitter @timcaincars.
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Let's see what I've owned, of first-year cars: 1985 Volkswagen Jetta (purchased used in 2005) 1988 Honda Civic (purchased used in 2006) 1999 Volkswagen Golf (purchased used in 2010) 2016 Toyota Prius (purchased new in 2016) The Jetta had some first-year quirks, but nothing showstopping, and all of the problems I had with it were age-related, not first-year-related. The Civic was a complete pile of shit, but it was a $500 beater. All of its problems were age-related as well, and I never encountered first-year quirks. The Golf had quite a few first-year quirks... but the worst one was buggy engine firmware (that had actually existed two years prior in the European market Audi A3 and Skoda Octavia TDIs, and weren't fixed until model year 2000). Most of the problems, though, were again, age-related. The Prius... the only actual first-year problem that's bothered me so far is that the high beams are aimed a bit too low relative to the low beams and Toyota aimed the lights too high from the factory to compensate (early in MY2017, they revised the headlight design to fix that). There's also an issue with early MY2016s (which mine is), in which the instrumentation is incapable of being changed from mph to km/h (and for Canadian cars, from km/h to mph), even though the manual says it should be... and Toyota is apparently not updating that firmware.
Were I in the market for a 4 door the Quadrifoglio would be at the top of my list because I like fun to drive sedans. Any issues should be covered under warranty but it might be the first car I would lease.