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Crap cars are also expensive as hell to keep running nowadays. Buying new or nearly new, if you need the transportation for your job, can be more economical. Th

Crap cars are also expensive as hell to keep running nowadays. Buying new or nearly new, if you need the transportation for your job, can be more economical. That wasn’t the case 40 years ago. That labor that his mom presumably put in is also not without monetary value - two working parents cost a fortune in childcare, and many people need both salaries to make the equivalent of what just one used to.

MisterKent 9y ago
Crap cars are a poor tax. They can't afford the lump sum payment for a nice car, so they basically pay the same amount or more but spread out over the life of their crap car. It's not that they don't know it's a terrible financial move, they just don't have any other options besides high interest loans or not owning a car (which likely means not being able to get to
rayiner 9y ago
That's a falsehood people tell themselves to justify buying a new car. One of my parents' cars is a 2003 Acura. It's never needed anything but oil changes since we got it. Cars these days are much cheaper to operate than they used to be.
- flatline 9y ago
  Hondas are notoriously reliable, but at a certain age things can start going wrong and if you need that car you can easily pay more than it’s worth to keep it running a few more months. It’s happened to me before, it just happened to my friend’s CRV. The problem is that they are a gamble.
- RickJWag 9y ago
  Totally true. Just about every reputable financial advisor says to drive used cars and run them 'till the wheels fall off. Today's used cars are fantastically reliable, historically. (At least if you stick with 'Best Buy' recommendations.)
ams6110 9y ago
Really, any "mainstream" car made in the last 15 years is going to be quite good. I'm talking about Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Ford, etc. My newest car is a 2004 Honda with 230,000 miles. I bought it used when it had about 80,000 miles. It's been very reliable. I've likewise had a good experience with a 2002 Ford. 40 years ago, 100,000 miles was considered the practical life of a car. If it hadn't rusted out by then it had probably had a major failure such as a transmission or engine. The only advantage they had was being mechanically simple and easier to repair, but they needed more repairs and more maintenance than a car made in this century.
- RickJWag 9y ago
  Agree, totally. We're living in an automotive 'golden age', where reliability, safety and performance are at all-time highs.

MisterKent 9y ago

Crap cars are a poor tax. They can't afford the lump sum payment for a nice car, so they basically pay the same amount or more but spread out over the life of their crap car. It's not that they don't know it's a terrible financial move, they just don't have any other options besides high interest loans or not owning a car (which likely means not being able to get to

rayiner 9y ago

That's a falsehood people tell themselves to justify buying a new car. One of my parents' cars is a 2003 Acura. It's never needed anything but oil changes since we got it. Cars these days are much cheaper to operate than they used to be.

flatline 9y ago
Hondas are notoriously reliable, but at a certain age things can start going wrong and if you need that car you can easily pay more than it’s worth to keep it running a few more months. It’s happened to me before, it just happened to my friend’s CRV. The problem is that they are a gamble.
RickJWag 9y ago
Totally true. Just about every reputable financial advisor says to drive used cars and run them 'till the wheels fall off. Today's used cars are fantastically reliable, historically. (At least if you stick with 'Best Buy' recommendations.)

ams6110 9y ago

Really, any "mainstream" car made in the last 15 years is going to be quite good. I'm talking about Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Ford, etc. My newest car is a 2004 Honda with 230,000 miles. I bought it used when it had about 80,000 miles. It's been very reliable. I've likewise had a good experience with a 2002 Ford. 40 years ago, 100,000 miles was considered the practical life of a car. If it hadn't rusted out by then it had probably had a major failure such as a transmission or engine. The only advantage they had was being mechanically simple and easier to repair, but they needed more repairs and more maintenance than a car made in this century.

RickJWag 9y ago
Agree, totally. We're living in an automotive 'golden age', where reliability, safety and performance are at all-time highs.