Rhode Island mechanic buys his first ever brand new car at the age of 72 after insisting for years on only buying used

Scotty Kilmer, a YouTuber and Rhode Island mechanic famed for his stance of never buying new cars, has broken his own golden rule to purchase a 2026 Toyota Camry Hybrid, citing three main reasons why.

Buying a fresh car always comes with a lot of excitement, and that new car smell is up there with the best dopamine hits you can find.

But there are a lot of flaws behind getting a brand-new car, especially financially.

After 50 years of advising his customers to always opt for second-hand, 72-year-old Scotty Kilmer has now reneged on his golden rule, thanks to the affordability and reliability of one car.

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How a 2026 Toyota Camry Hybrid made a Rhode Island mechanic break his golden rule

Usually one to help find ‘dirt cheap’ alternatives to buying new cars, Scotty Kilmer has spent decades standing by his ethos of never buying a new car.

However, it turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks, as the popular Rhode Island mechanic has now bought a new Toyota straight off the assembly line.

Bullishly joking that he was an ‘official hypocrite’, the mechanic revealed that he had bought his lifelong partner a 2026 Toyota Camry Hybrid.

“She deserves a new car,” he said in an upload on his channel.

But, having seen a number of fresh-faced vehicles appear on his channel, what made him go for a Camry?

Well, he cited value, longevity, and practicality as the factors that drew him to this staple vehicle.

“The reason I chose a Toyota Camry hybrid is that they’ve been making them for quite some time,” he said. “This is proven technology.”

“This rides great, especially since it’s the SE. It’s got the sports-tuned suspension, and it really handles well.”

Noting that he bought it for $31,000, the car was cheap enough to afford without facing the wrath of severe depreciation, while getting a lot of performance from the electric motor and reliability in the brand.

The car will now become his wife’s daily driver, and he couldn’t be happier to hand over the keys to her new trusted steed.

Why does he profess that you shouldn’t buy new cars?

With so many different options for buying cars, it’s easy to just push some extra pennies towards buying a brand-new car; after all, it comes with the feeling that it’s yours and isn’t filled with another driver’s memories.

But buying outright isn’t always the best decision financially, even if you plan to keep it for life.

This is what Scotty Kilmer has been professing on his channel for years, as the Rhode Island mechanic has used his platform to help his viewers save money.

Typically, Toyota cars are some of the best in the industry when it comes to holding their value, too, which makes his choice of the affordable Camry even more understandable.

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