Deciding when to buy a car - how do you decide?

[ohgillian]

I'm driving an '06 CR-V with maybe 130k miles on it. I had been envisioning myself driving it maybe another 5-10 years because, why not. Lately, though, I've been wanting a new car. I think there's something to be said for getting something more environmentally friendly, like a hybrid, and that there's something to be said for cars with newer safety features (blind spot monitor; rearview camera; lane departure warning).  But ultimately, I don't know whether or not I want to. Money's not a factor in this case.  How do you make a decision about when to replace your cars? I know no one can decide for me, but I'm hoping that hearing about how you make decisions will help me weigh my choices. Thanks!

[scm1011]

I'm no help, because I'm in the same boat. I'm interested to hear the responses. We have an '07 VW Jetta with 48k miles on it (we live in a city and both commute by public transportation). I kind of always figured we'd keep it another 5-10 years, but its kind of crap in the snow and will be tight with 2 rear-facing car seats with a (so far fictional) 2nd child. I'm not sure if that outweighs the $$ or environmental aspects though.

[covergirl82]

I had planned to drive my last car to 150K miles (which would have been sometime in 2017), but then I found out that GM was completely re-doing the Acadia, so I quick went out and bought one before they changed it (I purchased my current car in June 2016). The biggest changes that impacted my decision were going from a standard V6 to 4-cylinder and reduction to the cargo space. You can now buy a V6 as an upgrade, but I thought that was silly to wait one year to pay more for something that was standard on the 2016.

Outside of that, DH and I usually look to get rid of something if it starts to need frequent maintenance or our needs change. The vehicles we have now we are planning to drive until each of the kids is of driving age. DS will get DH's truck and DD will get my Acadia. Each kid will have a car that is around 10 years old with 150K+ miles.

[mmmomof2]

I got my most recent new car it was because my transmission died and it was more expensive to fix then it was worth.

DH's truck seems to be going strong (knock on wood), so it will probably be the same situation.

[Susie]

I uncharacteristically bought two new cars in 2017.  I usually decide to replace when there's some confluence of the following factors:
- It needs some kind of repair that I don't want to pay for.
- I don't feel it's meeting my needs anymore.
- There's some specific safety or convenience feature that I want and it doesn't have.

That has looked different at different times.  

In August, I traded in a 2008 Subaru Forester with 101k miles because it needed several $k worth of work (unrelated emissions issue and steering column issue), its backseat accommodated Hobbes' car seat surprisingly badly, I never loved it, it had an annoying whistle that we couldn't get rid of, and it didn't have Bluetooth, which I consider an important safety issue (for phone), a backup camera, or any of that fancy stuff.  I didn't want to sink money into fixing a car I didn't really want to drive.

In November, I sold back a 2014 VW TDI Sportwagen with 41k miles.  It needed new tires and a cracked mirror fixed to pass inspection.  Normally I would consider those wear and tear and fix them, but I was going to be selling back the car to VW by summer no matter what due to the TDI emissions buyback program end date.  I didn't want to pay for those things to get only 6 months from them.  I still loved the car, but it had to go.  So I accelerated my sell-back date by 6 months and got a new SUV.

Past cars I've kept much longer - until 147k miles with a cracked serpentine belt, and 174k miles with electrical issues.  There's always SOME fix that it needs, that gives me the push to get rid of it.

[simpsongal]

I think there's something to be said for trading in or selling when you can get *something* for your used cars. So if you have the money and want a new car, go for it. I think money is the main reason for keeping a car forever (including car tax and insurance costs).  Also, there's peace of mind in having a reliable car.  You're probably on the precipice of things starting to break and frequently. 

We tend to drive cars into the ground. Though our 2012 Fusion only has 18,000 miles.

[edavis]

If you want to, and can easily afford it, I would do it. Your car is an ‘06, so you’ve driven it for 12 years. It’s had a good run.

The new safety features are a huge benefit. I have a 2013 CRV with a rear view camera. I have to back out of my driveway onto the street, and I live in a neighborhood with lots of little kids running around, riding bikes on the sidewalk, etc. It gives me huge peace of mind to have an easy, clear view of what’s behind my car every morning.

[bdubs419]

Back in Nov I traded in my 2008 Audi A4 for a new 2017 Honda CRV. My Audi only had about 80,000 miles I think? So probably had plenty of life left, but the thing was there were just random things that were going wrong here and there that were adding up. I was getting nervous about potentially having a bigger expense in the future. Also, I have 2 young boys (3 & 4) and wanted a bit more space.

So technically I didn't "need" a new car by any means, but I feel so much more comfortable and relaxed driving a newer, more reliable car. Not wondering about what could go wrong next.

Also, I know you mentioned you might be looking for a hybrid, but if you ever do consider another Honda CRV, I can't say enough good things about the new model. I absolutely love it.

[icedcoffee]

I bought a new car when my old one was having a lot of little issues and I needed to bring it in every 2-3 months. It got annoying and I didn't want to do it anymore. It also was not starting reliably anymore. That car was 10 years old.

Ditto @juno . The most environmentally friendly thing to do is drive your car into the ground (assuming it passes emissions tests).

My current car is 6 years old. It's a CRV. I love it and would drive it forever, but once we have a 2nd kid we may upgrade. We have a dog also so 2 kids plus dog won't work all that well for out of town trips unless we just don't bring him out of town anymore.

[keweenawlove]

I think if you really want a new car, you're more that justified in getting a new one.

I'm only on my second car in life. I sold my first one at around 140,000 miles because the rust was getting so bad the doors squeaked to open and the frame was getting to me not safe. Kind of a no brainer but I loved not having a car payment.

For me, I'd have to decide what I've have to give up to spend the money on a car payment. I think you'd have a hard time making up the cost of getting a new one based on more eco-friendly mileage alone. But if money's not an issue and it would make you happy, you have a right to do it!

[cosmowife]

I made a side trip to the Detroit auto show, hoping to find something that could be a possibility for my next car. I am also hoping to get much more life out of my ‘08 minivan. What I realized at the show is that there really aren’t many options for hybrids/electrics that would meet the needs of a minivan driver. So I hope that in 5 years or so there might be some improvement in the replacement options for me.

[waverly]

Ours is based on money. We've decided a house project is more important so we are holding off another 2-4 years.

[wildrice]

I almost posted something like this yesterday!

I honestly don't know. I've said for a while that once the cost of maintenance/repairs starts to outweigh the cost of a car payment, I'd get a new one, but that until then I want to keep the one I have. I love not having a car payment or carrying debt on a loan and buying a new one outright is not possible.

But my car had around $2200 in maintenance last August, and now the shop I take it to has quoted me close to 3k in new things that need maintaining. None of it is an emergency, but should be done within the next 12 months or so. So now I'm starting to wonder. I think 5k over 18-24 months is still much less than I'd be paying to drive a new car, but I mostly worry if there will be another 2-3k the following year. I don't want to keep dumping thousands of dollars into my car every year if it's not going to last more than another few years anyway. My car is only 7.5 years old, but has about 105k miles on it. I actually am NOT itching for a new car, I just want to do what makes the most sense financially.

I agree with @juno that keeping a car is more environmentally friendly than getting a new one, PERHAPS with an exception if you have a car that gets like 12 miles per gallon or something really terrible and want to upgrade to a hybrid. Even then I'm not sure.

[mcsangel2]

I have a 2004 toyota corolla, and like you, like driving it and would just as soon drive it forever. We have said if we had a three car garage, we'd keep it indefinitely as a spare vehicle. But we have a plan for cars that we are going to try to stick to going forward.

We save up so that we don't have to finance anymore (or at least save almost all the amount), starting with DH's new car in 2013 (and his previous car was 16 years old and had three major repairs within four months).

The plan is to save for seven years, and buy a new car for whoever's turn it is. In 2020 (maybe next year tho), DH's car will be seven years old and mine will be 16 and I will get a new one. Save for another seven years, and get DH a new one when his is 14, and so on.

The thing with new features was a nonissue for me until about 18 months ago. My car is basic. I run my iTouch with an adapter in my cassette deck! But even other than that, compared to cars that now have so many features that are standard, my car looks like an ANTIQUE. When you begin to feel that way, I think it's time to consider a new one.

[atarianna]

I tend to drive cars until they die. My last car was a 2001 Camry with 280k miles, which I sold when I purchased my 2014 highlander with all the safety features. I needed something bigger for my growing family and my Camry was no longer reliable. I was paying $1000-1500 each year for fixes to keep it road worthy and it just wasn’t worth it anymore.

For me, I wanted to be able to pay cash for the new car and it was important that I got exactly what I wanted without compromise. I’ve now had my highlander for 4 years and, again, plan to drive it another 10 or more.

[sadlebred]

1. I plan to upgrade cars about every 10 years regardless. I think the increase in safety features is worth it.
2. My 1996 Honda Civic was totaled when someone hit me, so I got a 2004 Honda CRV.
3. At 225,000 miles the transmission in the 2004 CRV died, so I got a 2015 Honda CRV.

I buy a new car, but I drive A LOT and run them into the ground (unless someone totals it for me).

[megstoo]

For us the decision to when the repairs start to become more than the car is worth. I had an 06 acura with 130k miles on it and I had no plans of getting rid of it until it was totaled. If it's a good and reliable car than I'd hold off for a little bit. If you wait towards the middle of this year the 2017 models will have some really good deals on them.

[keweenawlove]

wildrice I would definitely wait in your situation. I can't remember which cities exactly you're considering but are some of the areas ones you maybe wouldn't need a car? Or at least not regular use of one.

[steamboat185]

My car is a 2004 and has about 112k miles. While I like the idea of a new car I like the idea of no payments more. I guess when I no longer mind the payments I’ll get a new car.

[wildrice]

Jan 26, 2018 15:18:52 GMT -5 keweenawlove said:

wildrice I would definitely wait in your situation. I can't remember which cities exactly you're considering but are some of the areas ones you maybe wouldn't need a car? Or at least not regular use of one.

Possibly! Right now it looks like we will likely move to Salt Lake City, Baltimore, or Pullman WA for a year. If we go to Baltimore we'll probably stay there, but if we go to one of the others we'll move again, likely to Seattle, Denver, or LA. I'm hopeful that no matter where we end up, we can use public transit most of the time and just keep a car for errands, road trips, emergencies, etc. 

It's not a good time to commit to any new payments, for sure, so I think we're going to wait. I just hope it doesn't become a yearly thing to have this much maintenance!

[alleinesein]

If you want a new car and can afford it just get it.

I need a new car but I am not in a financial position to get one; no one is going to finance a vehicle for someone with no income. My car is 17 years old and had has over $4000 in work done to it in the past year just replacing original parts that have worn out (and new tires). It has all been wear and tear maintenance because shit just eventually wears out and needs to be replaced. The one upside of having all this work done is that I have been able to test drive 7 different BMW models for days at a time so I know exactly what I want when I finally get to replace my current little car. I am beginning to think that my service rep is telling the techs to take as long as they want to fix my car so I can cruise around town in a new car for a few extra days.

[kadams767]

We have kind of put an arbitrary timeline of 10 years for our ideal timeline of replacing cars. In our limited experience with our previous cars, the 10 year mark seems to be that sweet spot of when some of the costlier repairs start creeping up, when the body starts getting rusty and interior somewhat ragged, and when we notice we'd really like some of whatever newer features have come along in the past 10 years that aren't on the current car. But at the same time, the car still has *some* resale or trade in value.

Like I said, it is admittedly a little arbitrary, but my car is 10 years old now and I am just about ready to sell and get a new one. Even with low mileage, winters here have taken their toll on the car and it seems older/crankier than it is. Actually, that's just like me. Maybe I should keep her after all.

[msmerymac]

I'm hoping to drive my 2007 for a few more years - it just hit 140,000. We also just bought my husband a car that he hopes to have for 10+ years. Mechanically, it's been great (knock on wood). All it needed at inspection last year was new wiper blades. I've had the brakes worked on a few times and had the sway bars and rear struts done at one point (about 7 years old), but its been very reliable - much more so than my H's old car. The only rub is that it's technically a 2 door, though it has rear suicide doors to access the back seat, and only seats 4, which might get tight if we're able to have 2 kids in the next few years. Its not worth much at all now, so I prefer to keep it for environmental reasons and money-saving reasons, despite really wanting a shiny new toy. Catastrophic failure, $$$$ repairs, or not being able to conveniently travel with kids would make me get something new. My H's car is a subaru outback, though, so we have the carseat/cargo problem solved there.

[macmars45]

H and I are talking about replacing his first car. He bought it in 2007 and it was a year old at the time. It's definitely starting show its wear & tear. We hope to get 2-3 more years out of it mostly because we've only used it for H to commute to the park n ride M-F and very few other in town errands for the past two years. Previously to that it was our only car so it got a lot of use. Hopefully we can wait until we've paid off our other car before taking on another car loan. We won't replace it until we absolutely have to though.

[insominac]

Good question. My 07 Honda Accord has about 70,000 miles on it and I was depressed that at my current rate of driving, I'd be driving it until I was 60. Its primo technology feature was a 5 cd disc changer! :/ But during one work trip, Mr. Insom took my car to some place and outfitted it with bluetooth, new stereo, USB port for playing my smartphone, and a rear camera and I've been much happier.

But then my visor snapped off, and now I want a new car again. lol However, I plan to hold out until I can buy a car that drives itself and is cheaper than a Tesla. So maybe in 5 years?

[chimera]

We traded DH ‘05 Civic in with 308k on it the Fall Of ‘16 on a ‘17 Legacy. The original clutch went out at 298.5 k so we replaced it and he got through the summer. That was when he started looking. It developed an oil leak shortly after that. It was time.

Last time we did mine - my Explorer only had 120k on it, but it was a dang lemon of a transmission design. It had been replaced twice prior at Ford’s expense. I wasn’t paying for it. It needed tires before the winter, the brakes were due within 6 months. The rear differential was starting to leak again. So we traded it in and put the money we would have spent on repairs on a new car. My ‘11 Forester has now hit 125k with minor wear and tear items. Other than the engine oil usage that repair was covered by Subaru. I do want a new one I like the eyesight package in DH’s legacy. I’m trying to be good and wait for the next redesign

[VillainV]

We traded our 2009 Pilot in for a 2017 a few months ago. We’d been eyeing the new Pilots for a while and really liked the new features (Bluetooth, blind spot warning, lane departure, adaptive cruise control, etc) and knew we wanted to trade in the 2009 at some point. After the new body style came out in 2016 and as the 2009 approached 100k miles, we watched the value fall off pretty fast, so we traded it in while it still had decent value left.

[calico]

I drive my cars into the ground. I traded my 2001 Dodge Neon in for a 2013 Altima when the car started falling apart. Literally. I had to have the engine mounts replaced because they were almost rusted through. Then a few months later, I had to replace the 3rd brake light housing because the plastic disintegrated and it fell into the trunk. I probably could have gotten another year or so out of it, but when I went out to start narrowing down what I wanted and test driving, I was able to get 0% financing and was able to negotiate the dealership down to a fantastic price. I had not intended on driving a new car home that night, but it worked out and I love my Altima. It will be paid off in October and I plan on keeping it until it starts to die.

[starlily]

We drive our cars pretty much until they die. Between paid-off cars and hand-me-downs from my parents, neither one of us has had a car payment since the late 90s and are really reluctant to have one unless we absolutely have to. I'm currently driving a 2004 Camry with 120k miles and am hoping to get at least another 2-3 years out of it. I don't want a new car until my youngest stops being messy with snacks and such in the car.

[AJL]

I have a 2007 CR-V. It has just over 153,000 miles on it. It's runs well, is fuel efficient, meets our transportation needs, and so far (knock on wood) has been reliable. I plan to stay in it for the next 2-3 year until I can pay at least 50% of the cost for a new car (that's one of my financial goals.)

I think the time to get a new car is when the amount of money you're putting into your current car exceeds the monthly payment you would need to have a new, more reliable car. If you want a new car, have the means, and can afford the payments without sacrificing your financial goals, buy the car. Personally, I don't think people need a new car just because their car is old, though.