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I find modern cars are very expensive to fix and I have no interest in learning how to do it myself. I bought a car over a few years with the intention that whe

I find modern cars are very expensive to fix and I have no interest in learning how to do it myself. I bought a car over a few years with the intention that when it is paid for I would enjoy a few more years for free. But the maintenance costs went up and it would breakdown. Frequently simple repairs would be $1-$2k because of the cost of labour to get to the broken parts and replace them. Maybe I was unlucky but I prefer to lease a modest vehicle so I'm always driving a newish one and I don't have to worry about breaking down or expensive repairs.

mikestew 11y ago
Quit buying BMWs (or whatever). Our Scion xB, basically a Toyota Echo and long since paid off, after 80K miles needs gas and the occasional oil change. Seeing as how it's a Toyota, I don't expect that to change in the next 50-100K miles. Might have to throw a clutch in it at some point, it is hilly around Seattle. Not that I'm blindly hating on BMWs. Love their cars, and I have two of their motorcycles in the garage (one for me, one for the wife). I'll say upfront that my R1200GS is probably the finest motorcycle I've ever owned. But cheap to run it ain't (for example, it apparently needs a $100 set of rear brake pads every 5K miles; no, I didn't drop a zero). If I wanted cheap-to-run, I'd have bought another Honda. "Luxury brand" means it will continue to be a luxury to own even after the initial price is paid off.
- justinhj 11y ago
  It was no BMW, just a Dodge. If I do buy a car again I'll definitely do more research on reliability repair and service costs. Or buy a $1000 car and consider it disposable.
  - mikestew 11y ago
    A little late on the reply, but then again, so were you. :-) Disappointing that it was a Dodge. Back in the original Dart days, at least one comedian commented, "in the event of nuclear war, two things will be left: cockroaches and Dodge Darts", nodding to their near-indestructability. (Though rust appeared to be their Kryptonite.) If I do buy a car again I'll definitely do more research on reliability repair and service costs. I'll save you the trouble: Toyota. Boring as hell, and with "boring" come reliability and low maintenance. I seriously worry sometimes that I'm forgetting something on our Scion (a rebadged Toyota Echo) because it so rarely requires attention. And Toyotas have been known for reliability for decades. The old SR22 engine is the stuff of legend. Assuming Hondas are as good as they were 30 years ago when I last owned one, and are as reliable as their modern motorcycles, they would probably be a good bet as well.
Spooky23 11y ago
You have to do what makes sense. I've been really lucky with my car (Honda Pilot). I probably have about $1k in annual costs, mostly due to wear items. My goal for cars is to average $2,000/yr in vehicle cost over its lifetime. I hit a home run with my car, but my wife's minivan will miss the mark. (Because the sliding doors break annually)
FireBeyond 11y ago
When I bought my first "luxury" vehicle (a mid level Audi), I was able to roll into the financing for about $5K more a "service" and "care" package that for the first 6 years covers of course all the usual scheduled maintenance and service, but basically "as long as you didn't break it yourself, everything will be fixed with no out of pocket". That seemed a worthwhile investment to me.

mikestew 11y ago

Quit buying BMWs (or whatever). Our Scion xB, basically a Toyota Echo and long since paid off, after 80K miles needs gas and the occasional oil change. Seeing as how it's a Toyota, I don't expect that to change in the next 50-100K miles. Might have to throw a clutch in it at some point, it is hilly around Seattle. Not that I'm blindly hating on BMWs. Love their cars, and I have two of their motorcycles in the garage (one for me, one for the wife). I'll say upfront that my R1200GS is probably the finest motorcycle I've ever owned. But cheap to run it ain't (for example, it apparently needs a $100 set of rear brake pads every 5K miles; no, I didn't drop a zero). If I wanted cheap-to-run, I'd have bought another Honda. "Luxury brand" means it will continue to be a luxury to own even after the initial price is paid off.

justinhj 11y ago
It was no BMW, just a Dodge. If I do buy a car again I'll definitely do more research on reliability repair and service costs. Or buy a $1000 car and consider it disposable.
- mikestew 11y ago
  A little late on the reply, but then again, so were you. :-) Disappointing that it was a Dodge. Back in the original Dart days, at least one comedian commented, "in the event of nuclear war, two things will be left: cockroaches and Dodge Darts", nodding to their near-indestructability. (Though rust appeared to be their Kryptonite.) If I do buy a car again I'll definitely do more research on reliability repair and service costs. I'll save you the trouble: Toyota. Boring as hell, and with "boring" come reliability and low maintenance. I seriously worry sometimes that I'm forgetting something on our Scion (a rebadged Toyota Echo) because it so rarely requires attention. And Toyotas have been known for reliability for decades. The old SR22 engine is the stuff of legend. Assuming Hondas are as good as they were 30 years ago when I last owned one, and are as reliable as their modern motorcycles, they would probably be a good bet as well.

Spooky23 11y ago

You have to do what makes sense. I've been really lucky with my car (Honda Pilot). I probably have about $1k in annual costs, mostly due to wear items. My goal for cars is to average $2,000/yr in vehicle cost over its lifetime. I hit a home run with my car, but my wife's minivan will miss the mark. (Because the sliding doors break annually)

FireBeyond 11y ago

When I bought my first "luxury" vehicle (a mid level Audi), I was able to roll into the financing for about $5K more a "service" and "care" package that for the first 6 years covers of course all the usual scheduled maintenance and service, but basically "as long as you didn't break it yourself, everything will be fixed with no out of pocket". That seemed a worthwhile investment to me.