Replacing a perfectly good vehicle

[rationull]

As is evident from plenty of my posts here, I'm constantly tempted to replace my car even though it's in perfectly good shape and has lots of life left in it. The problem is, while my Civic is a reasonably good drive for its class and is a great commuter, when I bought it FE was my primary concern and I thought I'd be keeping my previous daily driver which was an older RWD sports car and, while not very fast, was at least fun to drive. Plans changed and I no longer have the RWD car, though. If I'd known that at the time I would've bought something with a little more power.

So I've been tempted on and off to replace this car since about a year after I got it. I'd like to think I'm generally a practical person and fiscally conservative most of the time. I've got plenty of savings and technically I could "afford" to replace it but for lack of a better way to explain it, I think I'd feel "bad" for "wasting" the money. I'm trying to excuse that feeling by using the utility argument for upgrading to a hatch in the WRX thread I posted recently but in truth the Civic is still perfectly adequate, just not ideal.

Many people in the BITOG community are older and wiser than myself and have been through many more cars (I'm only on my third). What are your thoughts on when it's "OK" to splurge a little and replace a perfectly good vehicle with something more fun and/or more suited to small changes is lifestyle*?


* I realize this is a question each person must answer for themselves, I'm just trying to get an idea how other people feel about the question, in their own lives.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

Do what you feel is best if you can afford it. Different ballgame if you can't afford the car change, over the long term. I am not one to splurge, but recognize that circumstances change when it comes to vehicles. At least the Civic can be sold/traded for a good price.

 

[Ausfahrt]

Simple. Get a motorcycle.

That way you get the best of both worlds. You can still be the responsible practical guy while feeding your wild streak.

 

[sciphi]

If you want more "fun", there's modding your current car. It's a Civic and you're in California, so parts availability will be a non-issue. Things like better tires, polyurethane suspension bushings, and better brake pads/rotors will make a car more "fun to drive" while not breaking the bank, or being noticeable to prospective buyers when you want to sell.

The Buick in my sig has good tires, poly endlinks, and excellent brakes. It drives totally differently than when I bought it. That difference is enough to keep me wanting to drive it for another few years until something major goes on it. I upgraded when the original parts wore out.

My advice: take some money and do some minor updates. Maybe even a set of summer tires and wheels in +1 sizing, or look for the Mugen wheels. That will make it feel like a different car, while not breaking the bank.

 

[Steve S]

The price of gas is going up if you haven't noticed!!!!. Economy is my major concern as money is hard to make and easy to spend.

 

[dparm]

I did what you are describing a few years ago. Had a perfectly good Mazdaspeed3 GT and traded it for an S2000. It was a lot of fun but I later realized it was a bad idea and sold the S2000, and got into an S4.

The way I see it, the thing to do is have a decent daily driver (like a Civic) and get a second car for fun/weekends/track days. I think in the next few years I will get another S2000 or maybe even a 911, and keep the S4 as a DD. Or sell it to get something cheaper as a DD/winter car.

The lesson learned was not to be impulsive...the MS3 was perfectly fine and I didn't really need the S2000. I think I lost a few grand on that whole switcheroo.

 

[The_Jeff]

I like the MC idea. Not much space, good on gas, sporty, backup vehicle, cheap on insurance and plates.

If your only car were something that was expensive per mile, it might hinder you from jumping in it for a quart of milk or even a drive to nowhere. Why should a car HURT your freedom like that? It's there to help you.

 

[silverrat]

If I didn't have to worry about snow, I would go RWD

 

[Al]

As pointed out gas is going up. And as a MC rider..itsd a dangerous and not a gas saving issue. It sounds better on paper than it really is.

The smart money is on keeping the car.But it depends on your plans, aspirations, and overall financial situation etc.

Example.I'm 65..totally secure. I own a 2001 Nissan Sentra with 113K miles on it and 2008 Subaru Forester (N/A) Replacing the Sentra is really (for me-a no-nevermind) but it just makes no sense. I'm a practical person. And that's why I am where I am.

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

Heh, I'm on the other side of the fence (kinda) I've got a fun, sporty sedan (2002 Maxima) that I've owned since new. Problem is, it gets about 22 MPG on average with premium gas. The car is in outstanding shape inside and out, but the mileage is starting to bother me as gas prices creep up.

I'm trying to stay in it for 2 more years and get a 2012 - 2013 Ford Focus for fun and mileage.

 

[ls1mike]

Thats why I have the Trans Am and the Buick.
The Buick is pretty practical and dosen't do to bad on the gas.
The Trans Am does what I ask when I need it too and it isn't putting around.

Both are paid for. Both are low mileage.
I always have the itch to sell the Trans Am to get something else, not sure what, but the wife always knocks some sense into me.

You have got to decide where you want to be in 5,10 or even 15 years.

Also if you keep the Civic, do tasteful modifications CORRECTLY.
After all it is your daily driver.

 

[CBR.worm]

Keeping the civic would probably be the wise choice.

I would replace it with something that is more fun and still functional, like a G37 Sedan. Just kidding I'm biased. You would not like the gas mileage after driving a civic.

I am a big fan of driving something practical that you also enjoy, which for me has been a string of Nissan Maxima's followed by the current Infiniti with some other random vehicles thrown in for fun.

I have a motorcycle for when I need to fulfill my need for speed or manage to find some winding mountain roads.

 

[rationull]

Thanks, lots of good input.

I don't want to add another vehicle to my household (we already have 3 -- daily driver for me and the wife, and a suburban we use to tow a trailer occasionally) and I don't really have room for another. Also not interested in a motorcycle mainly for safety reasons. It's pretty much keep this car or replace it.

On utility, our suburban certainly is the "ultimate hatchback" for hauling stuff around town but doesn't help our ability to conveniently take bikes, dog etc on long trips (not gonna go on a 700 mile trip in the truck since it's got high miles and with the help of its big block gets ~12 mpg). I wouldn't go through with replacing my car unless I got an upgrade in utility in addition to sportiness -- and it's not all that hard to upgrade utility from a 2 door Civic.

CBR: The G37 is actually a good suggestion and one I've thought about. However, it's hard to find them around here with stick shifts (I see you have a 6MT G35 - nice) and I'd really like to have a hatchback/wagon anyway.

sciphi: I actually do have one minor suspension upgrade (bigger rear sway bar) and better tires (but not really awesome ones or anything) on the car already. Better brakes and some better dampers would probably help but I think the car's limit with respect to my driving patterns is really its power more than its chassis at this point, and I'm not about to get a turbo kit for it because I don't know how well it'd hold up. You have given me something to think about though.

dparm: Just wanted to point out that while I can see your argument, the MS3->S2000 is much more of a cross-grade in terms of power and speed than what I'm considering (Civic to MS3/WRX) and an S4 is a heck of a performant DD! Point taken, though -- and my issue here is that I know logically that the Civic is perfectly adequate for me. But I love cars and driving and I'm regularly bored with how soft and pedestrian the car is. To be fair I don't know how much of this is specifically because of its characteristics and how much of it is just "the grass is greener on the other side."

I do realize that the smart money is always on keeping the car and that gas prices are going up. Part of me says to stick with that but the other half says "you're only young once".

 

[crinkles]

considering the same - if only my current car had side airbags and VSC I wouldn't be worried but having 3 kids and a wife I'd like the safety... but I am such a cheapskate.

 

[refaller]

I get the new car itch- I roll around in a 2000 CRV with 140,000 miles. Love the utility, but it is not great on gas and the might 2.0 pounds out 140hp to four wheels. Regardless, my conservative fiscal self wins out the debate every time. In addition, I think I will cry when I say good-bye to the CRV. Always makes sense to keep, but our emotions still run things.

ref

 

[Scienceman]

Why don't you get something to replace the Chevy? That would make me happy.....

 

[97tbird]

I couldn't get rid of the Tbird when i got the BMW. So i kept it - and I still amaze at what a go-anywhere tough car it is, a real workhorse and still fun to drive...and it's VERY low maintenance, and it's useful to have an "extra" set of wheels when one of our cars has a problem...

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: rationull
but the other half says "you're only young once".
. Not saying this is you"

But most younger folks use that line to buy something they can not afford at the time (I want it now). What the [censored] does it have to with being young? Ans: Nothing. Its about (to me) buying something you can appreciate because you can afford it.

I bought a Ninja MC when I was 56 and I still ride it now that I'm 66. See where I am coming from??

 

[FL-400S]

The practical side of me asks...

Is your house paid off?

Are you maxing out your retirement accounts?

Kids college is already prepaid?

If yes to all, do whatever you want with cars. If not, drive what you have til it's shot or totaled. yeah, it could be a while with a civic

Then there's the argument "you cant take it with you".

 

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: refaller
I get the new car itch- I roll around in a 2000 CRV with 140,000 miles. Love the utility, but it is not great on gas and the might 2.0 pounds out 140hp to four wheels. Regardless, my conservative fiscal self wins out the debate every time. In addition, I think I will cry when I say good-bye to the CRV. Always makes sense to keep, but our emotions still run things.


That's actually almost exactly how I feel about the situation to a T.

Originally Posted By: DT466E_bus
Why don't you get something to replace the Chevy? That would make me happy.....


Heh, we've considered it. But, neither one of us wants to daily drive a pickup or large SUV and I don't want to spend the money replacing something that's perfectly serviceable that won't be used frequently.

Originally Posted By: Al
Not saying this is you"

But most younger folks use that line to buy something they can not afford at the time (I want it now). What the [censored] does it have to with being young? Ans: Nothing. Its about (to me) buying something you can appreciate because you can afford it.

I bought a Ninja MC when I was 56 and I still ride it now that I'm 66. See where I am coming from??


Yes, I understand, and I actually didn't mean that the way it sounded. What I meant was closer to, as FL-400S mentioned, "you can't take it with you." Point taken though.

Originally Posted By: FL-400S
The practical side of me asks...
Is your house paid off?
Are you maxing out your retirement accounts?
Kids college is already prepaid?


Good questions. I'm maxing my retirement contributions, yes. No kids and I plan to stay that way (obviously can't say for sure). The house won't be paid off for quite a while but the mortgage is quite affordable. I have no debt other than the house though and will not be taking out a loan to buy a car.