5 ms·

Atleast they could've sold the Mercedes and bought a cheaper, but just as reliable car.

• Jtsummers 12y ago
  But the Mercedes was a known quantity. A cheap, used car is not a known quantity. You're talking about trading a known, slightly expensive upkeep, but reliable vehicle for an unknown, cheaper upkeep, but questionable reliability vehicle.
• HeyLaughingBoy 12y ago
  You've had a car for 10 years. You know it's history. You sell it and buy another car for 3/4 the price on Craigslist. How do you know the car you just bought is reliable?
• prostoalex 12y ago
  "cheaper, but just as reliable car" are rarely available upfront in used car market (and we're talking 10+ year old cars). While you can dig up the reliability ratings and Consumer Reports reviews for a brand new vehicle, each used car has its own story and a host of potential problems to surface. The economic details of the transaction are such that if you need to unload a used car, you're unlikely to get a very good deal for it, but of course when you buy one, you are expected to pay dealer's repair and upkeep costs as well as markup. Plus sales tax to the state. A few hundred dollars lost on accepting suboptimal offer when selling, a few hundred dollars overpaid to drive another used car off the dealer's lot, a few hundred dollars to the state, and we start talking about some real money wasted.