"You have to get a new, reliable car before the old car nickels and dimes you to death!" It is a term often used to justify the huge outlay of money, usually in combination with the entry into long-term financial commitments. But is it really necessary? With the cost of "ordinary" vehicles running from $ 20,000 - $ 30,000, many find it just too late to have overextended themselves simply by bending the conventional wisdom that new is automatically better match. This decision may be influenced by the great social pressures that suggest only "losers" will drive an old car, because they are unable to afford a new one.
Practical experience shows something very different. I have driven old cars my whole life, and specify the data to the vehicle cost spreadsheets. These data, including the mileage at which they were needed repairs, the type and cost of repairs, and the average cost per mile, month and year indicate that the old car is actually far cheaper and more economical to run than purchasing a new car. Of course it must be emphasized that regular vehicle maintenance is the key to longevity, and thus the spreadsheet can also serve as a log required maintenance intervals. It also seems that some models are more capable of accumulating less troublesome, high miles.
My first car was a 1964 Dodge "440", which is similar to Polar. This car was purchased for $ 125 at auction in 1986 zajednice.Automobil drove well, with 225 cid "Slant-6" and 3-speed manual gearbox mounted on the steering column. I had to replace the speedometer cable and thermostat, which is my only maintenance except oil changes. I drove the car from Wisconsin to California, and owned it for about two years, logging about 10,000 miles for an average ownership / operating cost of 1.2 cents per mile.
My next cheap car is a 1967 Chrysler Newport, which I bought from someone who thinks the car is junk, and undoubtedly believed that he was putting one on me. I paid $ 150 for it, but before it is drivable, I had to pay $ 25 to have the radiator cap neck brazed on the radiator, had to fix a short circuit in the lights and begins to circle, and had to rebuild the carburetor and give the engine a thorough tune-up. I bought the car in the summer of 1990, and drove more than a year, a few 250 km (one way) journey between the university and home, and drove him to work every day. I put about 7,000 miles on the car, priced at $ 450, for an average ownership / operating cost of 6.5 cents per mile. However, I sold the car for $ 200 when I no longer needed transportation, so it's not got all the life out of it.
These cheaper cars represent an extreme end member of automotive financial philosophy. Also I have two of its long-term daily driver. I bought my 1973 Dodge Charger in 1987 for $ 750, even though he was in poor condition and barely qualified for a daily driver at that time. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to pursue automotive technology as a hobby, and was able to overhaul the engine and get it drivable. By 2000, I put just under 30,000 miles on the car in for repair (plus purchase) cost of about $ 3,300 for the average cost per mile from 11.3 cents. This means that the average monthly price of $ 21 more than 13 years that I have owned. Since 2000, I moved an additional 30,000 miles for a current total of 59,000 kilometers and a total ownership / operating cost of about $ 7,500, the average price of 12.7 cents / km.
My other vehicle is a long drive 1985 Dodge Ramcharger, which was purchased for $ 2,500 in 1996 with 163,000 miles on it. During the first 40,000 miles of ownership of the truck did not need repair, provide an average operating cost of 1.5 cents per mile (not including the initial purchase price). I drove this between Wisconsin and Colorado several times, experiencing no problems. After turning, 200.000 km, few repairs were needed, although the engine, transfer case and transmission have never needed repair. This car remains my daily program with 241,000 miles on the repair cost $ 5500, the average operating cost of 6.9 cents per mile or $ 46/month.
to the above examples show that older cars can be driven successfully if you can accept that the repair will occasionally be required. However, the occasional expenditure of several hundred dollars in repair bills clearly does not represent a "nickel-and-Dimeda to death" because they are performed repairs is actually much cheaper than the monthly outlay required rental payments. In the case of 1985 Dodge Ramcharger, running up to 78,000 km in 10 years is easy to compare with the service requirements of many new cars to their original owners. But keep in mind Ramcharger ownership / operating cost of only $ 8,000 ($ 2,500 + $ 5,500) on average over 10 years of ownership for the "monthly payment" of $ 67. Even the very cheapest new cars in the $ 13,000 range will represent almost double the monthly cost as compared to the same 10-year period simply averaging out the purchase price. Furthermore, based on the opinions of the cars, it seems highly unlikely that there will be 10 years of age without the need for additional repairs, thus driving the monthly average costs.
So, a used car or even a "beater" should represent a very attractive, financially viable alternative for those who may choose to invest money to spend on their car payments to the pension program, the mortgage principle, or paying off credit card debt. You May have to endure some ridicule from the masses who remained under the influence of advertising tycoon and loan officers, but it'll be a laughing all the way to the bank.
