They Told Me To Buy A new Car !!!???

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Went to get my car inspected here in PA today and they advised me to get a new car !! The nerve !! Can't belive it !! It needs a few things done to it to pass, new brakes, under the floor boards fixed and an oil leak. Never seem to lose oil or transmission fluid either. I told them it was worth me to pay to have it fixed instead of buying newer car and making car payment. They said probably over $300 for all the repairs...still said it's cheaper than a car payment. My husband will do the work and I'll get it on the road again. Only has 203,000 miles on it..hardly broke the motor in yet !! Only 16 years old !! All of our cars and the truck are older. What do you all do about cars and trucks...buy new or keep the old ones running !! Rather keep my money for something I need and use on the homestead than a fancy new truck !!! Interested in your thoughts !! Hand someone say to me one time that the cheapest car I would ever drive is the one I'm driving today. What are your thoughts on this. Thanks !!!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), October 31, 2001

Answers

Response to They Tols Me To Buy A new Car !!!???

Poor thing , how dare they say that ! Must have been a man {hehe} .Some old ones are worth there weight in gold even to fix.If you like it and want to keep it fix it .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), October 31, 2001.

Response to They Tols Me To Buy A new Car !!!???

Hi Helena my goodness i dont have but one think with under 100 000 miles except my boat and it dont have odometer. really i have a 1982 mercedes diesel with 250000 and a 1988 isuzu pick up with 150000 glad i dont live where you do.sounds like you cant be poor there. Bob se,ks.

-- Bobco (bobco@kans.com), October 31, 2001.

Response to They Tols Me To Buy A new Car !!!???

I hate those states with vehicle inspections, then they nail you for an oil leak, when every city, abd state truck leaks like a seive. Just another way to get a buck from ya

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), October 31, 2001.

Response to They Tols Me To Buy A new Car !!!???

Just smile and say "thank you." Why get twisted off about a suggestion you don't plant to follow?

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), October 31, 2001.

Response to They Tols Me To Buy A new Car !!!???

Since when are oil leaks part of the PA inspection? All the years I lived in PA I just found a friendly mechanic to slap the stickers on. The whole thing is kind of scammish and quite a few garages take advantage of people over it.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), October 31, 2001.


Response to They Tols Me To Buy A new Car !!!???

Boy, we would be in trouble with our trucks/cars! We drive them until "the wheels roll off"! :) One has 200,000+ miles, the other has 190,000+. We have never purchased a used car but we have never traded one in! 300$ is alot better than $20,000+.

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), October 31, 2001.

Response to They Tols Me To Buy A new Car !!!???

Things such as brakes, steering, exhaust and safety items should be repaired and inspected regularly regardless of state inspections. Part of being responsible is realizing that we're not the only ones on the road. Be safe.

-- Jake (Jake@home.com), October 31, 2001.

Response to They Tols Me To Buy A new Car !!!???

Helena, I would have to have laughed at this guy. We drive a 1990 Olds with 320,000 miles on it..No Kidding..Original motor...Until last week it ran like a brand new car. We drive all over with it including a 200 mile trip TWICE a week. It just started making this "clacking" noise in the motor last week. We still drive it. When the motor dies we will put another one in it. Yes, the cheapest car is the one you currently have. Our olds isn't real current looking but we don't care. We try to take good care of it like with regular maintenance. We had it recently re-painted and had the head-liner repaired.We also have an 82 chevy S10 with 110,000 miles that we will also keep til forever I guess. Our theory is that we couldn't possibly sell then for anything much because of the high milage, so we just as soon continue driving it. My advice: "Keep" your car...and "keep away" from car payments..

-- Ria in Ky (MinMin45@aol.com), October 31, 2001.

Response to They Tols Me To Buy A new Car !!!???

First let me fully disclose that I am a truck dealer by trade. I put bread on the table by selling vehicles to people. That having been said, I'll tell you that my advice would be spend the $300 and keep what you have for now if you're happy with it. Odds are $300 might cover most of you're first month's payment on a loan for a newer car. You may well be spending $300 to maintain a $300 car, but it's your car and your decision. I'm sure if you know enough to not spend $1,000 or more on an engine or transmission on that old of a vehicle. At that point it becomes time to retire the old one and look for something else.

Personally, I'm generally not a fan of buying new cars (or new in about anything else, for that matter) because of the depreciation over the first year or two. With the rebates and finance subsidies being offered right now I'd probably look very strongly at new in the current vehicle market, though. They're really a good deal right now.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), October 31, 2001.


Response to They Tols Me To Buy A new Car !!!???

BTW, I have 283,000 miles on my Toyota Previa van. Original engine, muffler, transmission. Yes, amazing, isn't it??? Knocking on wood here.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), October 31, 2001.


I knew I was running with the right crowd here! I have a 1991 Ford Explorer that when I bought it 3 years ago it had 160,000 miles on it. We've replaced the battery, had the brakes done, new windshield, changed the oil regularly, new gas tank, new tires, etc........I'd much rather put a bit of money into it here and there than go out and pay far more on another vehicle!

-- Nancy in Maine (paintme61@yahoo.com), November 01, 2001.

I lived in NJ - I hate inspection stations. In 1992 they failed my 1979 F250 because even though it passed the emissions test, it didn't have a catalytic converter. And they dinged me on the same truck because it didn't have the restricter for the gas tank so you could only put an "unleaded" nozzle in. Asked the guy where was I gonna buy "leaded" gas that it would make a difference??!! Took my truck to a mechanic and paid him the $25 he wanted to "inspect" it.

Keep the old car and fix it. I now have a 1977 F100 with 123000 miles on it (original motor and trans), a 1995 Saturn with 110000 miles on it, and a 1990 Volvo station wagon we just bought with 275000 miles on it. They're all paid for and have a clear title. They all run. They all have their share of nicks, dings, bangs, clunks, and thunks, but they get us from point A to point B every day. The wife and I would like a new truck, but that would co$t almo$t HALF of what we paid for our house!! There is NO way we're going to spend that kind of money, and go into debt, for a vehicle that can depreciate to a fraction of what we paid for it, be stolen, wrecked, set on fire, crushed by a falling tree, etc. etc. Just no way. We were foolish once upon a time and have bought 2 cars on credit (the above mentioned Saturn and a 1993 Escort that went through 2 clutches and a head gasket before it was paid off), and will never do that again.

-- Eric in TN (eric_m_stone@yahoo.com), November 01, 2001.


I think a lot depends on whether or not you end up with a good used car or one that has a lot of mechanical problems. If you are constantly putting money into the car way beyond it's market value, you may be better served to get a new one. As I mentioned on an earlier thread, I bought my last new car three years ago for 0 interest. That meant I was only paying for the price of the car not the interest. I did not get ripped off on the price of the car either as I was very careful about that (bought it for 2k less than the sticker price) since it was a leftover model year. The mini-van I got rid of before buying this car was one that I bought used. Within the first year it blew an engine. It cost me $3k to rebuild the engine but I had no choice because I had to get to work and I couldn't afford a new car. $3k would have covered quite a few payments on a new car but I was still paying off the payments on the used car. I swore at that point that I would never again buy a used car. To me it is too big a risk unless you buy a really old one and are only plunking down $500 or something. I now will only buy new cars and will keep them until I run them into the ground. I don't mind owning old cars, that I know were taken care of by me, but I won't buy into someone else's problems. Once my payments are over, I just keep putting that money into a fund to pay for the next one. That way I have a nest egg if I really had an emergency but I also will have lower payments on the next car or may be able to buy it outright depending on how long my last car lasts. I think sometimes you can have good luck in buying a good used car but there is nothing I can't stand more than having a car that has car trouble when I need to use it. Living in the Washington, DC area, getting stranded at night with a broken car is not my idea of fun.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), November 01, 2001.

I have never bought a truck with less than 80,000 miles on it; I have only owned two; the first lasted 346,000 before selling, the other going strong at 271,000. I wouldn't buy new; like Gary said, depreciation is not worth the new car smell.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), November 01, 2001.

I've always driven old cars & trucks - never bought new in my life - I'm always trying to find ways to "beat the establishment". Right now I have a 1983 Ford pick-up that I bought for $400, and a 1984 Mercury Grand Marquis that I bought at an auction for $500 (that's my "back-up" car"), and a 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis bought for $1,500 that I drive every day - and I work in real estate! Never had a customer tell me that they wouldn't buy from me because I drove an old beater. Love those Grand Marquis! Big old boats, and I always get over 200,000 miles out of them. Gas mileage about 20 mpg in the summer, so that's not too bad. All the vehicles had over 100,000 miles on them when I bought them. My daughter just bought a 1987 Ford conversion van with lots of goodies in great condition for $500. The guy had paid almost $20,000 new! IMHO brand-new vehhicles are the worst investment ever.

-- Bonnie (chilton@stateline-isp.com), November 01, 2001.


In 1995, we bought a Chevy Celebrity station wagon with 105,000 miles on it, for $900. Since then, we have put around $2,500 worth of repairs into this car. It is still one of the better looking cars on the road IMHO, runs great and is very versatile.

So let's do a calculation - $3,400 for purchase and repair of the car, approximately 72 months driving, that makes, what, about $50 per month. Pretty low car payment, I'd say. So, as for not paying more to repair the car than the car is worth, I say, if you like the car, it would be more reasonable to consider not paying more to repair the car than you would be paying for a new car. A pretty strong argument for repairing the trusty older car, wouldn't you say?

-- Laura Jensen (lauraj@seedlaw.com), November 01, 2001.


Keep it! Last vehicle I sold had (Mazda) 408 000 kilometres on it. Had it for 10 years. I also have a ford f150 4x4 pickup with 220 000 kilometres. We purchased 3 years ago a volkswagon diesel Jetta with 75 000 kilometres to replace the mazda. It presently has 266 000 kilometres - expect it to go to 500 000 or 650 000 kilometres befor trading in.

-- Lloyd (lnauss@bwr.eastlink.ca), November 01, 2001.

Life is so much easier without car payments. The last truck I had, DH couldn't wait to get rid of. It was in great shape and only 150,000 miles on it. Still a lot of life. Would have run it into the ground, except a 100' pine tree fell on it. Crushed it and bent the frame. DH want exdcited, got his new truck. Now that we have this one paid off he's at it again. I suggested getting another tree to fall on it (HAHAHA). Keep the car and get a new place to do the inspection.

-- jennifer (schwabauer@aol.com), November 01, 2001.

Keep it. We just purchased a 1993 Saturn with 305,000 miles on it for $2000 put another $1000 in repairs into it and now have a really nice car. Thought about buying new (cash) but after buying my van new that it no guarantee of a vehicle running well. My van had the rear end go out at 38,000 miles and the transmission go out at 60,000 miles and other various things - and I take care of my vehicle.

-- anita (anitaholton@mindspring.com), November 01, 2001.

My opinion is that your best economic option is to buy an older vehicle (or already have one) and watch costs for it. Maintenance costs can be WAY less than payments on a replacement vehicle, or not. It definitely can reach the stage where a vehicle starts costing more to maintain than it would cost to buy a replacement. Some lemons, this doesn't have to be a terribly old vehicle either. My rule of thumb is that if I'm faced with any regularly recurring cost (not including a reconditioned engine) that is more than a year's payments on a replacement vehicle (or these days, I'll pay cash, so say more than half the cash cost of the replacement), bail out and buy the replacement vehicle instead. By observation, the longest-lived commonly available vehicles (in Australia) tend to be Toyotas. Also by observation, the longest-lived engines tend to be diesels.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), November 02, 2001.

Hmmmm..I drive a 1994 Ford Aerostar van with 84,000 miles on it. (And that's with 6 trips from South Florida to South Carolina.) Living in the city, everything is close....work, schools, bank, grocery stores. The farthest thing out is the Walmart - about 6 miles!!!

Anyhow, those people have their nerve. We drive our vehicles til they won't drive no more! Last vehicle we purchased new (before our van) was a 1984 Ford Thunderbird (turbo). I loved that car. When I was pregnant with baby #3 in 1994, it kept breaking down and stranding me on the side of the road. It was time for a new vehicle. Oppted for the van since the family was growing and have never regretted it. Even though it's usually only the little guy and me (on a daily basis) in the van (hubby has his 1999 GMC Sierra Z71, and the girls both have their own cars now), I wouldn't trade my van. When we go to South Carolina or out to dinner with family and friends, we can all take one vehicle and spend more time together. It's great for grocery, holiday and other shopping - especially with the way I shop!!! She's a tried and true friend. I say power to the old vehicles!!! They are part of our family, our history and have character!

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), November 02, 2001.


I have 5 vehicles, the newest a 1987 Buick with 28,000 miles on it (a whole 'nother story). Two Toyotas, a truck and a Corolla. An'86 Ford F150, and my "show car", a '70 Impala Convertible 95% restored. In my humble opinion (NOT!) a brand new car is the possession of the stupid or overly wealthy. Trick is to be careful, and above all, PATIENT when buying a "new" car. If you are buying from a dealership, and can pay cash, I will tell you that my daughter bought a $10,000 car for $7,000 on 31 December, but it was CASH! Still, a nice discount! You MUST have a trusted and competent mechanic. If you do, go and dicker. If you don't like to dicker, call me - I LOVE to dicker! Anyway, GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), November 03, 2001.

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