These are thoughts only, not recommendations. Please don't
take these as an affront if you do things differently.
## Memories
Growing up, my single mother didn't have the money to buy
fancy vehicles. It was also before the days of easy-credit
and "what kind of monthly payment can you do?" car sales.
So, we drove vehicles that functioned and got us where we
needed to go. When something went wrong, my brothers and I
were the mechanics.
I was fairly young when I purchased my first car. My older
brother and my best friend were both RX-7 enthusiasts (and
when I say "enthusiast," I mean strip-the-car-to-the-frame
and tear-the-engine-apart-to-the-block type enthusiasts,) so
I opted for a used RX-7. I ended up getting a steal on an
'82, with no power steering and a manual choke. It handled
like you wouldn't believe; I used to blare through the
winding Oregon country roads on Sunday afternoons. I loved
that car.
## Practices
When I got married the cars got more practical. I kept the
habit of working on my own vehicles, mostly because I'm
stubborn and cheap (i.e. frugal.) I also somehow acquired
the habit of keeping cars until they died; what I mean is, I
tend to keep cars as long as they're functioning, and then I
give them away or sell them if there is any value left in
them. Through the years, I never did learn to trust a car
dealership enough to even set foot on a lot; I buy cars from
private sellers.
## Vehicles Owned
For the curious, here is a list of all the vehicles I have
owned (that I can recall,) and what I did with them:
1982 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE, Silver
- Gave to my brother
1989 Toyota Tercel, Blue
- Sold
1992 Buick Regal Custom, White
- Gave to a friend
1994 Buick Skylark, Burgundy
- Gave to my cousin
1995 Ford Taurus Wagon, White
- Donated to charity
1985 Chrysler 5th Ave, Silver
- Gave to my cousin
1989 Acura Integra Hatchback, black
- Sold
1998 Dodge Caravan, White
- Gave to a friend
2002 Honda Odyssey, Green
- Sold
2004 Cadillac Deville, Champagne
- Still kicking!
## Cost of Vehicles
The three costs I think about are: 1) sale price; 2)
maintenance/repair cost (in dollars and time); and, 3) fuel
cost (efficiency.) Other people may have to include costs
associated with missing work (which sometimes are not an
option), or vehicle requirements for work, as well as other
costs, but I've been blessed to only have to think about the
three above, which I'll talk about in more detail below.
### Sale Price
If the list above had purchase dates, you'd be able to see
that I never buy new or late-model cars. The sweet spot for
buying used cars, I think, is about 6-10 years; old enough
that an average mass-consumer thinks the vehicle is
worthless, but with 1-5 years of life left. My personal
experience has been that I have about a 50-60% chance of
spending very little and getting a vehicle that lasts 5+
years. In one or two cases, I've had vehicles that lasted
about a year. Regardless, the price-per-month, even on the
vehicles that last a year, is less than what I'd pay for a
car payment.
I've paid $500 to $4000 for private-party used cars; $4k was
the most recent one, and I've been driving it for 7 years
now with only 2 "major" repairs (brake booster and
radiator) and a few minor ones (blower fan, power windows.)
It should go without saying that cars in this price and age
range are not perfect, mechanically or in appearance. I
honestly don't care, as long as they are safe and
functional.
### Maintenance Costs
For maintenance, I compare my experience to that of a few
people who are close to me, who have purchased used vehicles
from lots. In all cases (well, most cases,) the owner is
responsible for the full burden of maintenance, whether you
buy new, used, private party, or from a dealer. New car
buyers have the added burden of increased insurance costs,
increased registration costs (in most states) and
requirements around maintenance methods; I lump all of these
in with maintenance costs.
My friends with car payments and newer vehicles run into
major repairs just as I do, but they don't have the option
(really) of just walking away. In some cases, they don't
have the option of doing their own repairs, which greatly
increases their costs.
Unless I can't do them myself (for lack of tools or time) I
tend to most of my repairs myself. I'm not a mechanic, but I
can usually get things done. I used to use Chilton/Haynes
manuals, but these days the internet usually has more
detail. I tend to prefer schematic-type visuals over videos,
though the videos can come in handy. I obtain parts from
Amazon, Autozone, and Rock Auto, or wherever. I probably
ought to factor in my hours, but the reality of life is that
I could sit and watch a movie or fiddle on the internet, or
I could repair my car; whereas, I can't tell my clients that
today they're just going to have to give me more work and
dollars so I can pay a mechanic. I have free time, so I
don't necessarily count my hours in the same terms as I
would during my workday.
### Fuel Costs
When shopping for used vehicles, you are competiting with a
large group of people, with an ever-increasing level of
awareness, thanks to the internet. They know which models
and makes and years are the most reliable, fuel-efficient,
and resellable. I have found more than once that I could
sacrifice fuel efficiency for lower miles, less years, and
better models.
My current car is huge and has a v8 engine. That's two ticks
against it in a low-end cost market. But, it's a pretty
decent v8 (mine used to get 27mpg when going from Show Low
to Flagstaff; it currently gets about 24mpg on the highway.)
Compare that to the rental I had to get on my last trip,
which was a brand new compact vehicle with a 4cyl engine...
it only got 35mpg average on my trip from OK to AZ, which is
mostly flat. Not an impressive difference, in my book,
especially when you factor in the size and power of the
vehicles.
Mostly, I *think* about fuel, but I don't base my decisions
on it entirely. If I can manage a higher mpg car, I will do
it, but I won't fork out double the cost to save a few bucks
over the year (just ran an online calculator, 27mpg vs 35mpg
is a difference of $15/mo.)
