[Gen.Blather]

After selling my 2010 Jetta at a huge loss, I changed tact. I will only be buying used cars. I bought a 2001 Lincoln for $2300 with 154k miles. It has cold air, looks great and gets 21mpg average. For work I bought a 1992 Suburban for $2800. In both cases, I put a few hundred in parts into them and they are reliable, good transportation. Most importantly, I can work on them. Most new cars don’t even have a dipstick for the transmission. They are full of dealer only parts. Forget about diagnosing problems without buying lots of equipment. The ownership costs of new cars and the depreciation make them the worst deals going.

[US_MilitaryRules]

Why did you sell it?

[ChildOfThe60s]

Automobiles are a black hole. I have been indentured to them (and females) since I was 16. There is still hope on the transportation side, I’m looking at a bike I like now that I live in a small town.

[Impala64ssa]

They are full of dealer only parts.
Like the fan switch on my 07 Cobalt. It crapped out on me, just as it's starting to get hot as heck here in FL, naturally, and it's a dealer only part costing almost $300 because the console with the temp control and AC switch needs to replaced, pr so THEY say. I found out that the switch itself can be removed, it's held by 2 clutch head screws. Go to any Advance, NAPA, etc and ask for a blower motor switch for a 1997-1999 Corvette, it's the same exact part costing less than $30. But this is OUR secret nobody heard this from me ;)

[strider44]

Agreed man. Buying a new car is nuts. Currently driving a 15 year-old Tacoma, runs great. Bought a 2013 Honda Pilot recently, saved about 12k off a new one. I’ll never buy new again unless I win the lottery...