End of Model year purchase... buy last years or this years?

[Devedander]

I am in an odd situation where at the end of the model year both current and next years models will be the same price.

In my mind it's best to get the new model year as that means during trade ins and resale you can get more $$$

But my friend says that it's best to get the last model year as it will make your miles look lower (ie an 08 driven the same distance will look like less average miles than an 09 bought the day after the 08).

What's the feeling on which model year to go for assuming price is the same and no incentives exhist on either?

['97ventureowner]

If the prices are in the same range, I'd opt for the newer model. There are other reasons to consider a newer model such as enhanced safety features or options that may not be available on the previous year's model.
Also, from my experience the newer model would be worth more at trade in time if you tend to not put a whole lot of miles on the vehicle per year. Most people who assess trade in values tend to go with model year first , then mileage of the vehicle, and I believe the mileage would have to be quite high before they start deducting values. Especially since people tend to hold onto vehicles a little longer nowadays, thus accumulating more miles.
One other drawback of selecting a '09 over an '08 is your insurance premium might be a bit higher, but it shouldn't be that much more noticeable to have a serious effect on your decision. You can enjoy your '09 longer without the worry of a large depreciation hit ,because it's still 2008 .