Yikes!
I told the shop I needed to figure out what I wanted to do and would call them back. A Google search for the phrase "Keep old car or buy new" offered about 2,360,000,000 results. I chose the article How to Decide Whether to Keep or Replace Your Car. After reading it I made a list of the pros and cons of keeping my current vehicle.
PROS
- The car has been very reliable. Other than routine maintenance I haven't had to put much money into it.
- I don't have a monthly payment, and it would be great to keep it that way.
- Because of the age of the car the insurance and personal property taxes are low.
- The body is still in pretty good shape. I'm not embarrassed to be seen in the car.
CONS
- On an older vehicle there's no guarantee something else won't go wrong.
- A newer model would probably get better gas mileage
- January is a horrible time to replace a vehicle. That would mean I would be obligated to renew the license plate right after the holidays for as long as I had it...and years from now might have to spend big bucks in repair work to get it to pass the required safety and emissions inspection our state requires.
I'm glad I decided to stick with my old reliable wheels, but if I get the chance I think I'll start researching what else is out there. That way I'll have the information available if I need it.
Five years ago today: Petite Predicament
Your plan is well thought out, good research and decision making.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteGood plan.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Glad you think so.
DeleteYou made a good choice. A thousand dollars is minor in the world of car repair. I wouldn't think about replacement until the third or fourth thousand dollar repair, several years out.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope it truly IS several years out.
DeleteMy 2005 subaru goes in next week for a $2000 head gasket job. I'm not planning to get rid of the car. It has been, and will continue to be, a good car with lots of safety features. I'm waiting until self-driving cars are on the market.
ReplyDeleteI hope your plan comes to fruition.
DeleteI would have called HeWho tows and told him the engine light was on. He would have told me to keep driving home and then he would have taken a look to see what the matter was. I am a kept woman as far as vehicles go. Sometimes the engine light will come on just because the water is low or the oil needs to be changed. I refuse to even consider a new car. I don't want payments and I am old and set in my ways!
ReplyDeleteI completely freak out when I see the Check Engine light go on! Even after the issue was diagnosed and I was waiting for my repair appointment (and had been given the OK to drive) I still had a second of terror every time I glanced at the dashboard and saw the glow.
Delete