Doug Miller wrote:
In article , wrote:
Have you factored in maintenance?
Yes.
The maintenance costs for a used
car can go up exponentially; particularly if it has a timing belt
instead of a chain.
Which is one *major* reason I bought the Saturn... g
However, given the scenario posed by Chris (buy new, drive it till it drops)
you're going to pay for a timing belt eventually anyway.
With most new cars requiring _no_ significant
maintenance (aside from oil changes, rubber & radiator fluid at 50k),
until about 120k; the maint charges after 120k add up quickly.
Do the math. You can pay for a lot of maintenance and repairs with the money
you save on the purchase price by buying a used car, in good condition, on
which someone else has already eaten the depreciation.
My secrets a
1) Buy used cars from new-car dealers -- the vast majority of new-car dealers
cherry-pick their trade-ins; the crap goes to the auto auction, and the good
ones go to the dealer's used-car lot. So far, I'm 5-for-5 with this approach.
2) Know the value of what you're buying, and don't pay a penny more for it. Be
prepared to walk away.
That's a fine attitude to have. But if in the end you have to pay a
couple hundred more than you hoped, and you found the car you wanted,
you probably still have a good deal. Shopping for cars is a pain
because the salespeople seem to assume at the onset that you're an
idiot who hasn't a clue--and they probably make thousands (extra) by
working that way. I recently bought a used car from a dealer too,
"walked out" and got a phone call the next morning... Here around
Indianapolis, there are two companies that are trending to own almost
every used car dealership, and they seem to want to control the
pricing... Bad trend for the consumer.
Bill
3) I keep my maintenance and repair costs down by doing most of the work
myself.