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Got a philosophical question for all you smart people out there. At what point do you decide to get a new car?
My 2003 has 180,000 miles on it. It still runs great. No major problems except it burns oil and it has a rear main seal leak. I just keep an eye on the oil consumption and decided that the rear main seal leak is too complex for me to fix. I have a $20 drip pan underneath my car to keep my garage floor clean from dripping oil. That is it.
I owned it since 2006 when it had 15,000 miles on it. The car looks very good because it has been kept in a garage. So far I did almost all of the maintenance on it myself. So it has been cheap to own.
Since the car is almost 20 years old, I do ask myself periodically….should I get a newer car? Thoughts?
If you’re happy with your ‘03, it’s dependable and you’re monthly costs are still low, then why would you want a new one?
I bought my ‘99 brand new in MAR 1999. Upon the expiration of the manufacturer’s warranty, I’ve done the vast majority of its maintenance, repairs and all of its upgrades.
I keep pretty complete records of work done and the associated costs.
Since my car was paid off in MAR of 2003, maintenance, repairs and including upgrades, my monthly cost has been right around $31/month. Not to mention, I enjoy taking care of my almost 24 year old car.
I, personally, don’t find that there’s anything a new car can offer that my old one doesn’t provide … I enjoy driving. I don’t need or want cameras on four corners, I have no desire to turn my coffee maker on from the comfort of my massaging driver’s seat and I’ll do my own parallel parking, thank you.
I have a saying …
”Any dumb-a** earning a paycheck can buy a new car. It takes a special person to keep an old one.”
if the car is in good shape it's actually more cost effective to not get into another car payment. check out below what you get for your money these days when it comes to Nissan. there may even be a dealer mark up as well as other added costs once you go to buy one..
if the car is in good shape it's actually more cost effective to not get into another car payment. check out below what you get for your money these days when it comes to Nissan. there may even be a dealer mark up as well as other added costs once you go to buy one..
sounds like it is unambiguous. Keep the old car. Besides, if I did not have my car to mess with, what else would I do with my free time?
They are known as COVID cars. Because of the supply chain shortage, untested parts are used to assemble them. I spent the price of a new car on my 2002 Maxima with no regrets.
Got a philosophical question for all you smart people out there. At what point do you decide to get a new car?
My 2003 has 180,000 miles on it. It still runs great. No major problems except it burns oil and it has a rear main seal leak. I just keep an eye on the oil consumption and decided that the rear main seal leak is too complex for me to fix. I have a $20 drip pan underneath my car to keep my garage floor clean from dripping oil. That is it.
I owned it since 2006 when it had 15,000 miles on it. The car looks very good because it has been kept in a garage. So far I did almost all of the maintenance on it myself. So it has been cheap to own.
Since the car is almost 20 years old, I do ask myself periodically….should I get a newer car? Thoughts?
Put a new car engine (2017 or later) in your old car. I traveled to NC to have it done by one of our sponsors, Nisformance. The bill was $7500. Trying to piecemeal repair an old engine will send you to the poor house. Bite the bullet and replace the engine.
Last edited by 2002SEMT; Dec 30, 2022 at 08:35 PM.
Any new car ain't gonna be around in 10 years. It's all $hit. The world is going to ****. Buy anything old that you can and restore it. The older the better. It will easily outlast anything new.
Any new car ain't gonna be around in 10 years. It's all $hit. The world is going to ****. Buy anything old that you can and restore it. The older the better. It will easily outlast anything new.
Any new car ain't gonna be around in 10 years. It's all $hit. The world is going to ****. Buy anything old that you can and restore it. The older the better. It will easily outlast anything new.
It didn't work out that way for me. Before my 2002 Maxima, I had a 1959 Chevy Impala. A power steering pump rebuild would last maybe 3 or 4 months, plus you had to have a special generator because the power steering pump bolted onto the back of a special model of generator. The original A/C system would last maybe 6 months. About 15 years ago, the supply of specialty parts dried up. Now you have to spend big bucks on specially fabricated parts. You can easily spend $100K restoring a 1959 Impala. I asked a late friend of mine about trading it for a Ford Model A. He asked me if I liked to stop. Driving a Model A (1927-1931) is a white knuckle experience. I presume a Model T would be similar. Things are not that simple. Do you homework or volunteer for a world of hurt.
It is amusing that people give me strange looks when I refer to a 2002 Maxima as a "modern" vehicle. I recommend 4th and 5th Gen Maximas because that have fewer toys that break. Ever since GM became "Government Motors", my new catchphrase is "If the VIN doesn't start with a J, then walk away". That means I wouldn't own a 6th Gen Maxima. USA environmental standards are why the early VQ35DE engines burn oil. Are the new VQ35DEs made in the USA or were the later VQ35DEs made in Japan with the car assembled in the USA?
Last edited by 2002SEMT; Dec 31, 2022 at 07:34 AM.
