Why would people buy older foreign cars instead of brand new American cars?

I see it all the time, people driving 7-8 year old Mercedes or BMWs that they paid probably paid around $20,000.

They could of easily gone out and bought a brand new Ford or Dodge, but they didn't. They bought a Mercedes with over 100k miles. All worn and torn on the inside. But aslong as they're shining on the outside I guess.

Because people would rather drive a Mercedes or a BMW even if it's older compared to a new American made car. At the end of the day they're driving a Mercedes or a BMW compared to a Ford, Dodge and other American makes.

There are a few things that I want to point out
1.) Just because a car has 100k miles doesn't mean it's a beater
2.) Not all of them have worn out interiors (like Robert and his Jag)
3.) People may not like American cars because they made garbage before 2009 and it is still stuck in people's minds up until today even tho they've improved their quality
4.) **Misuse of the term "foreign cars". Not all foreign cars are the same. Japanese and Korean cars are not as you described. They are as cheap as American cars. Volkswagen cars are cheap as well despite being German. This makes your question vague
5.) Some people hate the fact that new cars depreciate rapidly during the first years in it's life so they sticked with used cars

And why do people by older BMWs and Mercs over similarly priced new cars?
Simply because it makes them happy

Wouldn't we all rather drive an Audi A4 that's a couple years old instead of some POS ford focus?

I know I would.

.
status-mania.

In 2008, I bought a 2003 Jaguar for $13,500 with around 50,000 miles on it. For the money, if I had bought a new car it would have been a stripped down econobox with no options and no creature comforts.

By buying used, I got leather seats, wood paneling on the dashboard, all wheel drive, a 24 valve V6 with variable valve timing, 17" alloy wheels with high performance tires, 4-wheel independent suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes, and drop dead gorgeous styling. And the car still looked brand new, inside and out.

I put another 80,000 miles on that Jag before I sold it, and it still looked great inside and out.

New cars take the biggest hit on depreciation in the first 3-5 years of ownership, and the idea that a car is a beat up old clunker after 100,000 miles is simply not true. Modern cars can easily eclipse 250,000 miles and still run (and look) great. By buying used, you can get a lot nicer car for the money.

What would you rather drive, a Hyundai Elantra, or a Jaguar? I don't understand why anyone would buy a new car when you can get a clean, late model used car for a third of the price of a new one, letting you buy a lot nicer car than what you could get new.

Status symbol. Same reason some people will live in a shack and drive a big fancy car. Screwed up priorities.

They drive them because they "think" they are better.

No depreciation. Buy it for 20, sell it 5 years later for 18. If you buy the RIGHT car, you can sell it for more than you paid. Buy a new Chevy for 20k, sell it 3 years later for 4000