Comment by bigstrat2003
2 days ago
> Cars are not buy it for life items.
No, but they certainly can be "buy it for the life of the car". I prefer that myself. New cars are nice, but I'm not going to trade up to a new car every few years. I will buy new (or new-ish), and then drive it until it dies 15 years later. Much more cost effective.
I'm on my 16th year with my Jetta, bought new. For appearances I should probably buy a new car (it's totaled), but I'm pretty sure it will last another 16 years and will only be replaced out of necessity (were I to have a family) or vanity (were I to have a midlife crisis). I've worked from home or commuted by bicycle most of the time I've owned it so I've averaged < 8,000 miles per year.
If you buy new and drive for live you are a minority and so manufacturers (and banks via loans) won't make that type of thing that sell you but don't have perceived resale. If you buy newish used and keep for life you are stuck with what they think you will buy.