When do you replace your car?

[Wifezilla]

You got me all excited about the child mute button and now I find out its a joke. I am so depressed

 

[davaroo]

When do you replace your car?

When the wheels fall off.

 

[dragonlaurel]

I pay for oil changes but do most other repairs/ maintenance. Thank you Chiltons ! When the engine, transmission or computer goes, it's usually time for the scrapyard. I've driven 2 of them into the ground - the engine seized. I don't care what the car looks like- if it runs.

 

[lupinfarm]

When the cost of a new cars car payment for a few months is less than the expected cost of repairing the old car

 

[Better Half]

When do you replace your car?

When the wheels fall off.

You may still be able to repair a car after the wheels fall off. Who knows?

I've kept a couple of cars long after mechanics begged me to get rid of them. This time I'm getting rid of my car even though two mechanics told me that it a good car worth fixing. Now it can be a good car for someone else. I wanted AWD and now is such a good time to buy so buy I did. But when I see people driving 20-30 yr old cars I feel like such a wimp.

 

[lupinfarm]

IDK, some of those big old 20-30 year old cars are terrible for the environment, cost a fortune to run, and the like. I agree with preserving those big old 70's trucks, I'd love a big old chevy or ford, but the old sedans are just not worth the effort for me.

 

[davaroo]

When do you replace your car?

When the wheels fall off.

You may still be able to repair a car after the wheels fall off. Who knows?

I've kept a couple of cars long after mechanics begged me to get rid of them. This time I'm getting rid of my car even though two mechanics told me that it a good car worth fixing. Now it can be a good car for someone else. I wanted AWD and now is such a good time to buy so buy I did. But when I see people driving 20-30 yr old cars I feel like such a wimp.

I was speaking euphemistically, of course. The thing to do is NOT absorb yet another debt by purchasing a brand new car. They depreciate and in a year are worth far less than when you bought them. But your payment never decreases accordingly. By the time you've paid it off, you have a well used car that has been paid for - twice over.

"Drive a decent used car long enough, that you may save enough each month to pay cash for the next one." - - Dave Ramsey (attributed)

 

[Big Daddy]

I've purchased 4 new cars during my life. I regretted it every time. I found the best thing to do is purchase a 2 year old car with low mileage. They have lost 40 to 50% of their new value by then depending on make. Plenty of life left and an affordable payment. My last new car was a 2001 Suburban. 46k 650.00 a month. I sold it at a loss to get out from under it. I now drive a company Caravan and have a 1999 3/4 ton Suburban which we use for hauling horses or pulling a 16 ft trailer for supplies. I paid cash for it. We need larger capacity vehicle because of 5 kids. Otherwise I would get a smaller company car for environmental and mileage reasons.

I've always turned my own wrenches. If it's something I can't figure out I take it in for a diagnosis then turn the wrench myself. I don't do oil changes though. Easier to let a shop do that for as little as you save. Then you have to figure out where to take the oil.

 

[big brown horse]

I hate car payments!!!! So from the advice from my dear old dad, I paid for used cars with cash and socked (or tried to) away the equivilant of a "payment" monthly to use if the car needs to be fixed later down the road.

My dad also showed me (when I was still a teenage girl) how to do the minor maintance stuff an older car needs.

This works if you don't have a major commute or take too many long road trips, you might need a newer car for that.

Right now we all share one car, a Honda Civic. We plan on driving it until it turns over 400,000! We will see how that works out.

 

[Better Half]

Right now we all share one car, a Honda Civic. We plan on driving it until it turns over 400,000! We will see how that works out.

I had much much more modest goal of 200k on my Altima but didn't make it. I did get a pinto over 300k once. The door didn't open, the seat was propped up a piece of wood, it didn't go over 50 mph. I'm much too much of a wimp to deal with that now.

To buy new or not depends on so many things. My DH went through three cars and bought a fourth while the car I bought new was still going strong. He ended up spending more money on the purchases and repairs than I did in that time period. Plus he was driving cars not as nice and without the latest safety features.

Before I cared about safety features I bought cars that I could drive for a couple of years then sell for close to the purchase price. I did spend more money/time on repairs but didn't worry about depreciation. Not that I worry about depreciation. Its not depreciation only its also use. The car Im getting rid of I paid 14k for, drove for almost 14 yrs and its now worth about $1800. This car cost me just about $1000/yr not including repairs.

If I would of sold it before I spent the 2k this past year I would of done much better. That is why I wonder how do you know when to replace? I wanted to hang on to it since I put more money in it than it's worth but at some point it doesn't make financial sense anymore.