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and then later in their life they become impossible to fix at a reasonable price. somebody might sell you a mostly okay running older BMW 7 series for $4500, f

and then later in their life they become impossible to fix at a reasonable price. somebody might sell you a mostly okay running older BMW 7 series for $4500, fully loaded with all the options but take a look at the parts and labor cost to fix something on it.... you might as well throw away the whole car.

ghaff 5y ago
While I've driven them (on a track) and appreciate the attraction of the German sports luxury brands, what I've always heard is that if you want to keep them past their warranty period you need a trusted independent foreign car mechanic--and it can still get pricey. Just has never been a sufficient priority for me.
- sonofhans 5y ago
  You’re spot on. I’ve done exactly this for the last 20 years with several old Mercedes. It only works because I have a great local independent mechanic, and I don’t mind spending $2k/year in maintenance.
  - chihuahua 5y ago
    If that $2k/year gets you a car that runs fairly reliably, that's a pretty good deal compared to the depreciation of a newer car. I assume your cars are depreciated to the point where there's no further depreciation?
    - sonofhans 5y ago
      Yes, the maintenance is mostly preventative, with the goal of the car being in functionally new condition. Putting the second 100,000 miles on a well-maintained, reliably luxury car is the best deal going, I think, aside from not driving at all. E.g, in 2011 paid $16,000 for a 2003 E320 wagon in perfect condition. It was $70,000 brand new, so the original depreciation is eye-watering. Since then I’ve probably put $2,000/year * 10 years into it, so less than half the depreciation. It’s still functionally new, with a fair share of small aesthetic issues. I once bought a car with negative value, in that I spent more on deferred maintenance in the first month than I paid for it. That was a magnificent vehicle, though, once I fixed it up; identical to this — https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1987-mercedes-benz-300sdl-14/ https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1987-mercedes-benz-300sdl-...
      - chihuahua 5y ago
        I'd love to do this with a W126 (1979-1991 S-Class) because I think they're the most beautiful Mercedes. Very few electronics compared to modern cars, so I assume it would be possible to keep it running and in good condition. But in reality, I don't have the energy for dealing with this sort of thing. In fact, sometimes I have a bad dream that I bought some high-maintenance older car and am stuck with it.
        sonofhans 5y ago
        Oh, I agree with you about the W126. I sold ours to a friend, replacing it with the W210. The most compelling difference was safety — the W210 wagon has 11 airbags, while the W126 has only 1. Other than that, though, damn, it’s a magnificent-looking vehicle, and was a real joy to drive.

ghaff 5y ago

While I've driven them (on a track) and appreciate the attraction of the German sports luxury brands, what I've always heard is that if you want to keep them past their warranty period you need a trusted independent foreign car mechanic--and it can still get pricey. Just has never been a sufficient priority for me.

sonofhans 5y ago
You’re spot on. I’ve done exactly this for the last 20 years with several old Mercedes. It only works because I have a great local independent mechanic, and I don’t mind spending $2k/year in maintenance.
- chihuahua 5y ago
  If that $2k/year gets you a car that runs fairly reliably, that's a pretty good deal compared to the depreciation of a newer car. I assume your cars are depreciated to the point where there's no further depreciation?
  - sonofhans 5y ago
    Yes, the maintenance is mostly preventative, with the goal of the car being in functionally new condition. Putting the second 100,000 miles on a well-maintained, reliably luxury car is the best deal going, I think, aside from not driving at all. E.g, in 2011 paid $16,000 for a 2003 E320 wagon in perfect condition. It was $70,000 brand new, so the original depreciation is eye-watering. Since then I’ve probably put $2,000/year * 10 years into it, so less than half the depreciation. It’s still functionally new, with a fair share of small aesthetic issues. I once bought a car with negative value, in that I spent more on deferred maintenance in the first month than I paid for it. That was a magnificent vehicle, though, once I fixed it up; identical to this — https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1987-mercedes-benz-300sdl-14/ https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1987-mercedes-benz-300sdl-...
    - chihuahua 5y ago
      I'd love to do this with a W126 (1979-1991 S-Class) because I think they're the most beautiful Mercedes. Very few electronics compared to modern cars, so I assume it would be possible to keep it running and in good condition. But in reality, I don't have the energy for dealing with this sort of thing. In fact, sometimes I have a bad dream that I bought some high-maintenance older car and am stuck with it.
      - sonofhans 5y ago
        Oh, I agree with you about the W126. I sold ours to a friend, replacing it with the W210. The most compelling difference was safety — the W210 wagon has 11 airbags, while the W126 has only 1. Other than that, though, damn, it’s a magnificent-looking vehicle, and was a real joy to drive.