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I don't know the real statistics, but typically buying a 10 year old Camry is rolling a 100-sided dice and unless you roll a 1 or a 2, you're fine. You just had

I don't know the real statistics, but typically buying a 10 year old Camry is rolling a 100-sided dice and unless you roll a 1 or a 2, you're fine. You just had a particularly unlucky roll. For most people, over a lifetime of buying cars (say 60 years) buying the $15k car (at today's prices) every 5 years vs $30k new car every 5 years will save them $180k. You can replace a lot of computer systems with the savings (ignoring even more savings with insurance, etc.)

baumandm 7y ago
I also don't know the real statistics, but I don't think it's fair to assume the used car will last the same as a new car. If new cars cost $30k and last 10 years, and used cars cost $15k and last 5 years, you break even. Alternately if you always trade-in your car after 5 years to buy a new car, you'll end up paying a lot less than $30k each time.
- neogodless 7y ago
  Yup, you got it. No assumption here that the car itself will only last 5 years. Just that people have their habits. If they weren't willing to buy a 5 year old car over their brand new car, they're also likely to want a new car when their current one is 5 years old. Of course, lots of people make better (in my opinion) decisions than that. But then they aren't the ones that need to understand where rationalizing spending money isn't actual logical.
- Spivak 7y ago
  I feel like I'm going mad in this thread. You buy a reliable used car with ~30k miles for half of the cost of buying new and then drive it until you hit 150k+ miles. Where are you buying cars where you're only getting a 50% discount from new with half of the cars useful life spent?
  - neogodless 7y ago
    Indeed! I got a car with ~8k miles for 30% less than new. And it's a budget hatchback, not a rapidly depreciating German luxury sedan.
- alphabettsy 7y ago
  Obviously because this is nonsense.
save_ferris 7y ago
> I don't know the real statistics, but typically buying a 10 year old Camry is rolling a 100-sided dice and unless you roll a 1 or a 2, you're fine. You just had a particularly unlucky roll. Without concrete data to support this, it's absurd to suggest that any vehicle has a mean failure rate of just 1-2% after 10 years on the road. Years of being subjected to the elements (extreme elements in certain parts of the country), normal wear, etc. constantly cause failures in older vehicles.
- neogodless 7y ago
  I'll say I partially agree with you. First, of course without data it's anecdotal at best, and feelings at worst! I certainly feel like Toyotas last forever. That is, of course, variable on a lot of factors. I've seen average miles per year range from 10,000 to 15,000. Assuming the high end, 10 years would take us to 150,000 miles. Well-maintained models would likely still be running, but maintenance would have increased beyond brakes, spark plugs, etc. to alternators, timing belts/chains, water pumps, exhaust, radiators... they add up. But more to my point, second - I'm talking about Big Failures like a very expensive CPU system or an engine or transmission. Those aren't likely to die before 150,000 in a reliable vehicle, and the Camry is one of the best.

baumandm 7y ago

I also don't know the real statistics, but I don't think it's fair to assume the used car will last the same as a new car. If new cars cost $30k and last 10 years, and used cars cost $15k and last 5 years, you break even. Alternately if you always trade-in your car after 5 years to buy a new car, you'll end up paying a lot less than $30k each time.

neogodless 7y ago
Yup, you got it. No assumption here that the car itself will only last 5 years. Just that people have their habits. If they weren't willing to buy a 5 year old car over their brand new car, they're also likely to want a new car when their current one is 5 years old. Of course, lots of people make better (in my opinion) decisions than that. But then they aren't the ones that need to understand where rationalizing spending money isn't actual logical.
Spivak 7y ago
I feel like I'm going mad in this thread. You buy a reliable used car with ~30k miles for half of the cost of buying new and then drive it until you hit 150k+ miles. Where are you buying cars where you're only getting a 50% discount from new with half of the cars useful life spent?
- neogodless 7y ago
  Indeed! I got a car with ~8k miles for 30% less than new. And it's a budget hatchback, not a rapidly depreciating German luxury sedan.
alphabettsy 7y ago
Obviously because this is nonsense.

save_ferris 7y ago

> I don't know the real statistics, but typically buying a 10 year old Camry is rolling a 100-sided dice and unless you roll a 1 or a 2, you're fine. You just had a particularly unlucky roll. Without concrete data to support this, it's absurd to suggest that any vehicle has a mean failure rate of just 1-2% after 10 years on the road. Years of being subjected to the elements (extreme elements in certain parts of the country), normal wear, etc. constantly cause failures in older vehicles.

neogodless 7y ago
I'll say I partially agree with you. First, of course without data it's anecdotal at best, and feelings at worst! I certainly feel like Toyotas last forever. That is, of course, variable on a lot of factors. I've seen average miles per year range from 10,000 to 15,000. Assuming the high end, 10 years would take us to 150,000 miles. Well-maintained models would likely still be running, but maintenance would have increased beyond brakes, spark plugs, etc. to alternators, timing belts/chains, water pumps, exhaust, radiators... they add up. But more to my point, second - I'm talking about Big Failures like a very expensive CPU system or an engine or transmission. Those aren't likely to die before 150,000 in a reliable vehicle, and the Camry is one of the best.