No spot is getting to be my sweet spot. I’m pretty much done with DIY unless absolutely necessary... in the words of BB King, “The Thrill Is Gone.”
It is great to be in that position. For some people, needs come before likes.A car I like.
Otherwise, DIY, or not, you’re paying for something you don’t like.
Are they necessarily mutually exclusive?It is great to be in that position. For some people, needs come before likes.
Not by default, but they often are.Are they necessarily mutually exclusive?
For most people, wants come before needs, which explains things like being upside down, seven year car loans, failure to save or invest.
Finding a car I like, in budget, has been a consistent theme for me.
Needs before wants. Budget met. And yes, a car I like.
Same here. I ordered my most recent tool box from Mellisa and Doug.No spot is getting to be my sweet spot. I’m pretty much done with DIY unless absolutely necessary... in the words of BB King, “The Thrill Is Gone.”
I always buy vehicles I like - there is such a variety out there that I can skip stuff that doesn't appeal to me. But I'm not picky; I like a lot of different types of vehicles.Are they necessarily mutually exclusive?
For most people, wants come before needs, which explains things like being upside down, seven year car loans, failure to save or invest.
Finding a car I like, in budget, has been a consistent theme for me.
Needs before wants. Budget met. And yes, a car I like.
Well the first Mercedes I got had under 50k and was in the 6 year range, under 20k in price. Haven't really heard of any major repairs besides the balance shaft that requires engine removal but that doesn't really apply to the year I bought. Mercedes does have a decenter number of dealers and there are several that discount 25-30%. Basically all the scan tools out there also work on Mercedes. I think if you need something specialized, then the dealer system is about $600-$800 which I don't think is too bad. But unless you're doing mods to the car, I haven't seen where having the MB Xentry system itself is required over something like Autel or iCarsoft.Start with something in the 5-7 years old/75-100K range, keep until 200K. Parts availability, at least quality stuff, tends to become a real issue once you pass the 15 yr mark.
Avoid any low-volume makes/models - those models tend to have parts availability issues before the volume sellers
Avoid any platforms where engine removal is required for moderate to major repairs (aka most transverse V6's except Honda)
Find a brand with a good dealer parts distribution supply chain (e.g. most Japanese import brands)
Find a brand where access to the dealer scan tool is readily available to the aftermarket (rules out Nissan, Hyundai/Kia, VAG, MB)
What gives to make Honda easier/better? I haven’t been too impressed with our CRV for basic things (PCV replacement, intake pulling, checking trans oil). The V6 models seemed to be plagued with glass transmissions, timing belts, valve adjustments, and VCM.Avoid any platforms where engine removal is required for moderate to major repairs (aka most transverse V6's except Honda)
Mid 2000s gm truck with an LS engine. Reliable and easy to work on most stuff. Just enough tech to make it convenient and easier to diagnose but without useless stuff.So everybody has his own idea of where the "sweet spot" for used car value is (or, maybe nowadays, if it even exists vs. buying new). It's affected by a lot of factors, including how old of a heap you're willing to drive, your ability to work on it yourself, how many miles you accumulate, how you value money vs. time etc. Usually, it's a 5-year-old car or something.
I was thinking about this. The first couple of cars I owned (beginning in the mid-90s) were late-80's cars that I bought with 70-80k miles and kept to 140-150k. Looking back, I could probably have kept both a lot longer. I've owned a lot of cars in the many years since then and I've trended more towards buying older cars with more miles.
I am coming to the conclusion that if I want to maximize value (reliable miles at a minimum total ownership cost), the sweet spot for me is:
10-20 years old
150k-175k miles
Popular model
No rust
Decent interior
Proven powertrain (engines and transmissions with reputations for reliability)
$3000-5000
I'm not sure brand really matters (you get what you pay for). I prefer to buy from individuals, not dealers, and normal people, not car flippers. I don't care for SUVs and prefer manual transmissions. I don't need maintenance receipts when I'm buying. I look for a lower-priced example, not the "best-in-breed", but avoid cars that give off a vibe of neglect or sketchy repairs. I've never owned a salvage title car, not really against the idea though.
For the vehicles that I've owned recently that fit these parameters, I've been able to rack up a lot of reliable miles just by keeping up with maintenance and repairs. Stuff breaks, but not at a frustratingly frequent rate and no getting stranded from breakdowns (yet!). I think cars bought with the criteria above can go 250-300k miles. I've also gone a little cheaper or compromised on some of the list above, and it hasn't gone so well.
Things in my favor:
Internet forums and Youtube to diagnose and show "how to"
Tools and garage space to do most work
I enjoy working on cars, usually
Enough vehicles to live with short "down time" when a car is being worked on
Live close to a couple of large self-service junkyards (I only started using these a few years ago and, wow, I should have done that sooner)
Non-severe driving conditions (mix of city and highway, lots of annual miles)
How about you? What's your sweet spot?