Many people believe that the best car is a new car. It feels fresh and pristine, the interior untouched, and a true new-car aroma lingers. All systems run smoothly, and there are no unwelcome surprises along the way. Yet the idea of what constitutes a “new” car varies for different readers.
Most readers are practical and logical about the definition. The majority settle on new as a car fresh from a dealership, the clear choice for about 65 percent. Those who take a more pragmatic view include cars with mileage up to 30,000 km and up to a year old, which together account for about 15 percent and 10 percent respectively. Another segment votes that a car under three years old or with mileage no greater than 60,000 km still fits the definition of new, totaling around 10 percent.
Expert Commentary
New cars are commonly described as vehicles recently purchased from a dealer with minimal wear. But what does “recently bought” mean and what is considered “minimal mileage”? If a car left the showroom within the past year and has spent its time in a dry garage, it can be regarded as new. Even if it has traveled 30,000 km or more, it may still be seen as relatively new, though it might also be set aside to the point where its condition becomes worse than a truly new one. There are plenty of examples illustrating this nuance.
There are vehicles that, many years after their release, feel and drive as if they are new. They are rare, and of course the official records do not label them as new.
Officially, in Russia a car is considered new if it is less than three years old from the date of issue, counted inclusively. This interpretation was established in the first half of the 1990s by an order from the State Customs Committee. It remains part of the legal framework in the Russian Federation, even if some may disagree.
Reference
“New vehicles are those from the moment of release for which less than 3 years have passed, inclusive, regardless of mileage.” This definition comes from the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation, Order No. 416, On approval of the general rules for the movement of vehicles across the customs border of the Russian Federation by individuals, paragraph 1, point 1.4.