My car is paid off, mechanically in good shape, and nice. The dealer service department can't even find anything wrong enough with it to recommend any service.

But MAN, do I want to buy a new car for some reason.

Thinking of a Toyota Venza: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYNeWjjS6g

With trade-in I'd have to drop 26k. Or I could service my car for the next 15 years with that 26k.

You ever get like this? When will it pass??

It's more a crossover now though....
https://www.toyota.com/venza/?addisclaimer=epa_2021_venza&srchid=sea:Model_Venza:GOOGLE:EVG_Venza_General_EXACT::&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqfz6BRD8ARIsAIXQCf3qXWQCwyCNHPvcxX_SfKdkwuUAD7f5u6nedry8B6gX4fEBf6B5W2QaAjSKEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Not sure I really like this one.

I bought an 05 Camry in 2009 and drove it for the last 10 years. I'd occasionally rent newer cars when I traveled and, after the initial euphoria of driving something new wore off, I realized the only thing I consistently lusted after was Blueooth.

So I just got a new head unit like 4 years ago and kept driving that car until very recently.

If you've got a paid for car that meets your needs and is in good shape, I'd just keep riding it out.

Just stay on top of the maintenance and keep it looking good because it'll be tempting to just "throw it away" if it starts looking like crap. I let that happen to my Camry over the last year so it was hard to justify fixing it back up when it was worth so little.

2008 VWs in the driveway......
I know what they can and can't do...and I know what at least one of them has been through and had repaired already....
I hate it when I gotta put money into more repairs...but even a $1500 repair works out to way less than a car note would.
And I can't see cutting a $30K check for a whip just to say I paid for it up front......

What's better on cars now:

1)Hybrid mileage. It would save me about $1k a year. (But still take a long time to recoup for sure.)

2)Safety features:
Forward collision breaking /Automatic Emergency Braking - My car doesn't have this.

Turn signal monitors - Show what in your blind spot when you turn right (and some left too.)

But you're right, my car has a rear camera, anti-lock brakes - and plenty of airbags.

Bad:Low MPG, braking is not great.


In no world does it make financial sense to get a new car - that's why it's a "fever."

>What's better on cars now:
>
>1)Hybrid mileage. It would save me about $1k a year. (But
>still take a long time to recoup for sure.)
>
>2)Safety features:
>Forward collision breaking /Automatic Emergency Braking - My
>car doesn't have this.
>
>Turn signal monitors - Show what in your blind spot when you
>turn right (and some left too.)
>
>But you're right, my car has a rear camera, anti-lock brakes -
>and plenty of airbags.
>
>Bad:Low MPG, braking is not great.
>
>
>In no world does it make financial sense to get a new car -
>that's why it's a "fever."


Nah, I get you. We're fighting the urge to upgrade the family car and the safety features are hard to ignore. The current one isn't exactly a Corvair but kids will have you second guessing everything.

Luckily, we really DON'T have anywhere to be so we take our time looking.

Never had a new car, so used vehicles fill that role for me. Renting a truck from UHaul every few months only costs me a few hundred a year, so it would be losing money to buy one. And those UHaul vans are perfect for moving plywood. Still, I just want to be able to haul shit whenever.

Something like this: https://www.ford-trucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/s-l1600-2-3.jpg

90s w/ simpler layout that I can take a wrench to. Gonna look for one down south (south of Virginia) so that I can hopefully find one that's not all rusted out from the winter salt.

at this point....
yeah, you could opt for the Work Truck version...but you'll be missing a TON of features

When did trucks become so fucking expensive? Got me looking at SUVs and just buying a trailer. I can't justify passing $37k for a used silverado, tacoma, or f-150, especially with them being gas guzzlers.

I want one bad though!

kev

I sold it soon as I changed jobs and didn't need to be on construction sites frequently anymore.



"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

Two years ago, my Explorer laid down on me. Funds were a little tight at the time, so I bought what I could comfortably afford to make payments on at the time, a 2018 Jeep Patriot.

It's been a good sturdy, back and forth to work car, but now my money is a lot better, so I want to get something I really want. Can't justify it though since the Patriot is inexpensive, and giving me no problems.

ive traded in my last 2 cars before paying them off. it seems to have worked out money wise which doesnt make sense.

i read that buying a new car is bad for the environment. if you have a good old car it is better to use until the wheels fall off than buying a new electric one.

im hoping to keep my current one as long as i can. i could see myself buying an old "cool" car but im not full blown mid-life crisis yet.

I only replace a car just before my previous one is breaking down.

to have it.

I just got a new-to-me car, but its a 2009. Paid cash so I'm finally on debt free on both my cars which makes me feel slightly less guilty.

..it must be programed in humans

I get a new car once I finally get fed up enough with shit breaking and having to pay for it.

In 22 years of driving, I’ve had 4 cars - and the first one was a car on its last legs that I only had for a year. My current car is a 2014 - hoping to keep it until like 2027 or so.

but I'm pretty good about not moving on it. I kept my last car for 9 years before I got another car in 2018.

I've more so wanted to tweak mine. like getting upgraded rims or getting a better sound system. both would be a waste of cash.

>but I'm pretty good about not moving on it. I kept my last
>car for 9 years before I got another car in 2018.

Yeah, I was totally fine until year 7 - I think my temperature was rising. Now in year 8 it's an outright fever.

I took my car on 120 mile trip yesterday just to see if there was any valid excuse to get a new car. Only possible thing is I think my left front rotor has a small hot spot that causes a little shake when hard breaking at freeway speed - but to fix that would be just doing a brake job - which is like $300. I had the dealership check - my front breaks are still like 70% intact and they don't see any bad hotspots - they didn't recommend a brake job.

So 99% cheaper than a new car.

I should just get my car a deep detailing job and k.i.m.

keep talking yourself back from the ledge. its so tempting to dive in.

I had mine for 9 years, but it was a 12 yr old. I didn't really want to get a note, but the heater core went out. I just felt like things were gonna start happening more frequently and become more expensive. so I sold it to my cousin for a couple grand. now I'm hurriedly trying to pay off this note.

It's a 2012 Crosstour - it never entered my mind that I could make it look better.

I can't even put a subwoofer in it because of the active noise cancellation system that it has. I'd have to disable it and then the road noise would become more pronounced.

I have a car I purchased last year but it was kind of with my dad in mind as he often used it for business errands (he worked with my business) and my mom's myriad appointments (she no longer drives). I was going to get an SUV but being older and more traditional I knew he wouldn't like that, so we opted for a sedan. It was a hybrid and memorably he said "I got the last car I'm going to drive. It's a hybrid, so I feel part of the future." My wife and I really got a kick out of that, such a sweet dad thing to say.

Almost a year to the day after we bought it, he died very suddenly. As some of the OKS guys know, that was really devastating for us.

Now we have the car and it's almost paid off; we are on a fairly aggressive payment schedule. There's nothing wrong with it at all, it's a Ford Fusion hybrid with low mileage, but I'd like something that sits higher and is more plush. So I guess my plan is to give the car to my wife--she is learning how to drive as there was no need in the places we lived previously--and then buy an SUV.

I'd love to hear thoughts. I have driven quite a few. Looking for something I can buy with low mileage in the 15K to 25K range, not a new car. So far I like the Kia Sorrento (AWD V6 version) and the Nissan Murano (kind of wimpy but very comfy). Maybe a Telluride if those start hitting the market off leases. I also drove various Jeeps (didn't like any of them to own), a Hyundai Santa Fe (kind of boxy), a Renault SUV (VERY boxy) we rented in Aruba, a Volvo S60 and S90 (great but not in price range and $$$ to own), a Subaru Forester (also pretty nice), a Toyota Rav4 (wasn't a fan) and a Honda Pilot (not bad but nothing all that attractive about it). I'm definitely open to experiences and suggestions.

with no more payments and many miles left is the warmest feeling for me. cars themselves just don't move me; I like them reliable and not hideous, but performance is irrelevant aside from MPG.

to me, chasing new cars is like chasing a new house -- it may be an upgrade, but eventually you're gonna have all the same problems, plus some new ones you never had before. a car is a car and a house is a house.

houses and cars are the biggest purchases most of us make (besides education)