XPost: alt.autos.toyota.camry, alt.autos.toyota, alt.autos.lexus   
   XPost: rec.autos.tech   
   From: Mikehunt2@lycos,com   
      
   Perhaps but my reference was to one who can afforded a new car, not one who   
   obviously can not afford a new car.   
      
   You have not calculated in all of your repair costs, lost time when the used   
   car is out of service, and the fact that you or your family could be in   
   jeopardy when you breakdown in an unsafe area.   
      
   That old saw the "there's this huge depreciation hit one takes on driving a   
   new car off the lot, is just crap.    Who sells a vehicle as soon as they   
   drive it home?   The average new vehicle buyer in the US replaces that   
   vehicle, with another new vehicle, in three to four years with 45,000 to   
   60,000 miles on the odometer.   
      
   I trade every two years and currently it only cost me around $2,500 to   
   $3,000 per year to replace my cars.   All I need to do for two years is   
   three oil changes and one annual inspection.  I haven't purchased so much as   
   a tire, in over thirty years.   
      
   If one buys a new car every ten years, he will average more than $2,500 to   
   $3,000 per year in deprecation, maintenance, parts and repairs, as well  as   
   well as an unknown amount of loss of use time.  In addition you will need   
   another $10,000 to cover the higher purchase price for the same type of car   
   at the time   
      
   I own a half dozen collector cars, I know what it costs to keep them in tip   
   top condition.   
      
   In 1980 the price of a midsize car was $8,000.   In 1990 the price of a   
   midsize car was $18,000   
   In 2010 the price of a midsize car was $28,000.   
      
    wrote in message   
   news:9hm3m51cjj51cjj7kf425lq1odps1mvkge@4ax.com...   
   > On Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:38:12 -0500, "Elmo P. Shagnasty"   
   >  wrote:   
   >   
   >>In article <4b60e744$0$22820$ce5e7886@news-radius.ptd.net>,   
   >> "Mike Hunter"  wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> No, not if that's all one can afford, but why would anyone want   
   >>> something   
   >>> that the previous owner(s) no longer wanted, if one could afford a new   
   >>> vehicle?   
   >>   
   >>Because one chooses not to spend his money on something that is   
   >>fundamentally priced and valued way, way differently in the market than   
   >>is a washer and dryer?   
   >>   
   >>Because there's this huge depreciation hit one takes on driving a new   
   >>car off the lot, at which point the TRUE value of the car becomes   
   >>apparent?   
   >>   
   >>Some people like chocolate, some don't.  Some people like to spend their   
   >>money on that depreciation hit, some don't.   
   >>   
   >>Used cars aren't necessarily something the previous owner no longer   
   >>wanted; many of them are repos, cars that idiots couldn't afford.  They   
   >>wanted to show off the lifestyle but couldn't afford to keep it up.   
   >>   
   >>I'd rather put my money into Hawaii vacations than into "look at me, I   
   >>got myself a new car!"   
   > And I'd rather buy a used car that was owned by someone who trades   
   > every few years for vanity's sake (and takes care of it) than a repo   
   > from someone who couldnt afford to take care of even the basics.   
   >   
   > Just my bias.   
   > I buy 5 year old cars for roughly 1/4 price (or less) and drive them   
   > another 10 or more years. If I get 10 years out of them, my   
   > depreciation coat is $500 per year, assuming I have to throw the car   
   > away when I'm done.   
   > Last $5500 car (was $35000 when it left the lot new) was still worth   
   > $1700 when I sold it 12 years later (at 18 years of age)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)