As an auto enthusiast and editor at this magazine, I find it impossible to not get amped over an all-new generation of car -- e.g., "the 10th-gen Supermobile that delivers 100 plus horses, 10 extra mpg, and 1,000,000 more covetous stares than last year's ninth gen." What's not exciting about that? This passion is why we here at Motor Trend report on all-new cars, dedicating covers, comparisons, and features to them. They represent the cutting edge of autodom, the best in powertrains, chassis, aerodynamics, safety, and design.Naturally, both the nuts-and-bolts enthusiast and the time-to-buy-an-A-to-B-transporter consumer are drawn to all-new next-gen models. I am, too. I mean, fresh generations are just so new, alluring, advanced, and, well, new. Of course, a few annoying bugs can surface in year one of a next-gen -- reasons some believe it's best to buy in year two, when minor problems have been remedied -- but these tend not to be major flies in the ointment. Still, when asked, "When's the best time to buy?" I refrain from advising year one, fighting all the new-is-best impulses -- rational and irrational -- urging me otherwise. I don't even recommend buying in year two, despite bandages having been applied to all those small boo-boos. My advice? Wait for the mid-cycle refresh.

Debuting sometime between years three and five, the MCR is all about improvements, improvements, improvements. More power. Better fuel economy. Superior dynamics. Smarter styling. Quieter interior. And on and on. Automakers have implemented the features they missed and fixed the ones they got wrong. Further, these improvements generally come with a minimal price hike, if any at all. And let's not forget that the gotta-have-it demand of the initial years has waned, helping to subdue sticker shock.