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i didn't read anything in the OP's post that sounds like 'extensive work'. all the items he listed (including the front and rear end work which likely just means he's up for new shocks/struts) is routine maintenance.
i can understand your logic to get rid of a car that's 'nickel-and-dime'-ing you to death with breakdowns, but maintenance is maintenance. that's like buying new underwear rather than doing the laundry.
Mike
i suppose you're right. the front / rear end stuff gave me pause for thought. and new ac, etc
its gonna be a dependable car for some time with all the maintenance being done. i too had a hard time deciding to buy a new car. i don't like a car payment myself. but now that i have lived with it a year (parked next to my beloved Volvo) i am so glad i did it
so i guess that is just my perspective. and as you may have noted....i still have my old 740
so, its all good. and i wish OP 100,000 more trouble free miles
I've always driven a car until the wheels fell off...or until the annual maintenance and repairs costs begin to equal what I'd be paying annually in car payments.
Let's say you get a new car, and you get a real deal and are now making $300 monthly payments. That means you're laying out $3,600 a year in just payments, not including the necessary maintenance for you new car and your new car insurance costs. ($400 month=$4,800 a year, $500=$6,000 a year, etc.)
You can perform a lot of maintenance on a car for that kind of money. To me if the car is still reliable, safe, and doesn't make your eyes bleed with ugliness (Unless it's a pickup, then it's called "character"), driving a used car makes so much more sense.
My 2 cents is keep your car as everyone else has said, and figure out what your car payments would be for the car you want. Take that money each month and put it into a CD or some other investment that's fairly low risk. This way when you are ready to buy you can either pay cash or put a large down payment down. Earning interest is far better than paying it. Do it right and every 6 - 8 years you can pay cash for a new car depending on your requirements/desires.
Remember that it is not JUST the payments. You ALSO have to pay the SALES TAX, the titling fees, and the higher insurance costs.
My husband bought a Grand Prix right before we married. It brought every baby home, was awesome in the snow and my only complaint was the constant need for brakes. We paid half the price of what the sticker as because it was his first car and he was a college graduate. Fourteen and a half years later, we finally had to give her up when the engine caught fire..literally. We replaced the car with two new cars, with two huge payments (which we hadn't had in years) and hunks of junk. So ride it until you can't ride it anymore and taking some preventative maintence is worth the huge monthly bill you'll get if you trade it in.
I've always driven a car until the wheels fell off...or until the annual maintenance and repairs costs begin to equal what I'd be paying annually in car payments.
Let's say you get a new car, and you get a real deal and are now making $300 monthly payments. That means you're laying out $3,600 a year in just payments, not including the necessary maintenance for you new car and your new car insurance costs. ($400 month=$4,800 a year, $500=$6,000 a year, etc.)
You can perform a lot of maintenance on a car for that kind of money. To me if the car is still reliable, safe, and doesn't make your eyes bleed with ugliness (Unless it's a pickup, then it's called "character"), driving a used car makes so much more sense.
plus there are lots of cool used cars and trucks out there for great prices a 05-09 mustang GT is pretty well priced same with a toyota tacoma with a TRD pkg
Here is my formula for getting real value in driver miles from any used car. You need to get 1000 miles for every 100 bucks you invest. Regular service and things like brakes ,wiper blades dont count. If you buy a used car for 2000 you need to have reason to believe that you can get 20 k more miles from it. I bought an 04 ford 2 years ago for 6k. It had 87k on it. My break even point will be when the car reaches 147 k which is well within the milage that most taurus will go.
Breaking news: My mechanic looked over my Corrrrrola throughly and says there is nothing wrong mechanically regarding the front/rear end issues. He checked all the suspension components, steering, front end, rear end etc... Everything looks fine. He thinks the tires I bought back in September are faulty, that's why the car feels unstable in snow, so I'll be off to Discount Tire this afternoon to see what they say about these tires. While there, he did a major tuneup (120K service), but I will wait till spring to do the timing belt/water pump. Thanks for all the different perspectives! I've enjoyed reading all the responses. Cheers!
Problem resolved at Discount Tire. So, there is no suspension issue, it was just the tires. The 120K service/tune up has been done and the car runs awesome! I will be replacing the timing belt and water pump in a couple of months and that's pretty much all the maintenance it needed. I'm very happy with my decision, the car feels very solid now!
Strongly suggest you put in new radiator hoses, at the very least the top one, when you do the TB/WP work. Best bet is the Toyota (red) antifreeze mixed with distilled water, IMHO. Do these, and you are probably good to go for a long time.
Strongly suggest you put in new radiator hoses, at the very least the top one, when you do the TB/WP work. Best bet is the Toyota (red) antifreeze mixed with distilled water, IMHO. Do these, and you are probably good to go for a long time.
I'm one step ahead of you! I changed all the radiator hoses myself this past summer! I will switch to Toyota red antifreeze when I do the TB/WP work. Right now, I have the typical green coolant they put in when the radiator was changed. I hope they used distilled water but not 100% sure.
For whatever reason, most "pro" mechanics will use whatver anti-freeze they can get for cheap, usually Peak, and tap water.
Maybe this is related to the inability of most pro mechanics to solder a wire. Scotch Lok all the way...
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We replaced the car with two new cars, with two huge payments (which we hadn't had in years) and hunks of junk. So ride it until you can't ride it anymore and taking some preventative maintence is worth the huge monthly bill you'll get if you trade it in.
