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I'm a 30-year-old woman. I know a lot of women. I agree that most women these days seem to drive cars that are 2010 or newer. I don't think most women drive brand new cars. Most of the women I know buy slightly used cars and drive them for several years, until their needs change or their cars start to become unreliable.
Even with a 4% interest rate, you can buy a $15,000 car with a $1,500 down payment and have a monthly car payment that's close to $200 a month. And there are plenty of cars that are only a couple of years old in that price range.
To me, it's worth it to spend $200-$250 a month for a car that isn't going to:
-leave me stranded
-require me to beg my husband to look at it
-cost me a lot of money in parts and labor for repairs
-leave me at risk of being screwed over by a mechanic who thinks women are dumb
Somehow, this thread turned into a "new car vs. used car" discussion with a side of bashing women.
Well I’m assuming that OP meant they drive a car a while and then buy a new one and drive it a while...so on a so forth. There are A LOT of new cars sold every year...someone is buying them. If you buy a 2 year old vehicle and drive it until it’s 6-7 years old...that means a new-to-you car every 4-5 years...dealers are going to make their money every time you trade.
So how do you define a car that’s “going to leave you stranded”? Is there a 70k mile threshold? Anything out of warranty? 100k? Over 150k?
Oh, the horror. Women try to hold on to their reliable vehicles (instead of "letting them go back," which I guess means a repossession? That will ruin your credit for 7 years?) and their safe homes. Moving into "the hood," wrecking your credit and buying an unreliable car and keeping aside money for "hobbies and such" is the more responsible thing to do, I guess.
the money for hobbies and stuff is for when things are going well and your not saddled with a car payment. and downsizing BEFORE you lose everything and run through your savings is a good way not to end up homeless.
And older does not always mean unreliable. the lady across the street(98 year old retired teacher) has had the same car for 24 years still looks new, drives it to church every Sunday and bingo on Wednesday(I used to think that was a lie salesmen told)
and they have been putting computers in cars since the 80's to test drive and scan them.
I own a scanner myself. anything going out it tells you usually a long time before it becomes a problem.
I have a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. I bought it when it was 2 years old and had 15k miles on it. I paid $12,000 for it.
I have to do a lot of road travel, so it now has 156,000 miles on it.
It has been a great car overall, but in the past year, I've had to replace a wheel bearing and the struts and shocks.
With the mileage on it, if another repair pops up that costs more than $500, I'm probably going to start looking for another car.
Driving nearly base model econo cars might be a case where you could always drive a car with low mileage for little money per month. For example, buy a new $15k econo car and trade it in (or sell it) every 5 years for another econo car near $15k (might owe $8k after trade). Car payment may be around $150/month for many years.
And older does not always mean unreliable. the lady across the street(98 year old retired teacher) has had the same car for 24 years still looks new, drives it to church every Sunday and bingo on Wednesday
Yes, and all of us women have similar needs in a vehicle, whether we're 28 or 98.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eddiehaskell
Driving nearly base model econo cars might be a case where you could always drive a car with low mileage for little money per month. For example, buy a new $15k econo car and trade it in (or sell it) every 5 years for another econo car near $15k (might owe $8k after trade). Car payment may be around $150/month for many years.
I have a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. I bought it when it was 2 years old and had 15k miles on it. I paid $12,000 for it.
I have to do a lot of road travel, so it now has 156,000 miles on it.
It has been a great car overall, but in the past year, I've had to replace a wheel bearing and the struts and shocks.
With the mileage on it, if another repair pops up that costs more than $500, I'm probably going to start looking for another car.
Thats about average of what I see in my neighborhood among the single women 2010-2014ish and note I live in a lower income part of town(not the hood but hood adjacent), the guys tend to have beaters or older cars that LOOK new, and many who have nicer looking older cars also will have an old beat up single cab pickup also that they do their side hustle (Child support) jobs in. most of the Newer cars owned by guys are retired older guys.
Thats about average of what I see in my neighborhood among the single women 2010-2014ish and note I live in a lower income part of town(not the hood but hood adjacent), the guys tend to have beaters or older cars that LOOK new, and many who have nicer looking older cars also will have an old beat up single cab pickup also that they do their side hustle (Child support) jobs in. most of the Newer cars owned by guys are retired older guys.
If not for the excessive miles I have to put on my car for work-related travel reasons, the ownership costs on a car like mine are not very expensive.
My car payments are $185 a month.
The last time I bought a set of new tires for my car, I got them for $290 with free lifetime balance and rotation. I can get oil changes at Precision Tune for $20. It costs $30 to fill my car up, and I can go for 375+ miles.
I'm not sure that owning two separate older vehicles is much more economical than owning one vehicle that's like mine, even if the older vehicles are paid for.
Up until about a year ago (and again, I put a lot more miles on my vehicle than the average person), my maintenance/repair costs didn't go beyond oil changes, tires, windshield wiper blades, etc.
If not for the excessive miles I have to put on my car for work-related travel reasons, the ownership costs on a car like mine are not very expensive.
My car payments are $185 a month.
The last time I bought a set of new tires for my car, I got them for $290 with free lifetime balance and rotation. I can get oil changes at Precision Tune for $20. It costs $30 to fill my car up, and I can go for 375+ miles.
I'm not sure that owning two separate older vehicles is much more economical than owning one vehicle that's like mine, even if the older vehicles are paid for.
Up until about a year ago (and again, I put a lot more miles on my vehicle than the average person), my maintenance/repair costs didn't go beyond oil changes, tires, windshield wiper blades, etc.
Well on a paid for car you only have to get liability insurance, and my insurance is $54 a month for 1 car but $32 a month for 2 so a 2nd car would cost me a whole $10 extra dollars in the only locked in monthly car expense I have. here in Texas any car with a lean on it(including car payments) has to have full coverage,
Well on a paid for car you only have to get liability insurance, and my insurance is $54 a month for 1 car but $32 a month for 2 so a 2nd car would cost me a whole $10 extra dollars in the only locked in monthly car expense I have. here in Texas any car with a lean on it(including car payments) has to have full coverage,
It's not just in Texas that you have to have full coverage on your car if you have a lien (not a lean) on your car. My full coverage insurance is $97 a month and includes towing, rental car coverage and roadside assistance.
It's not just in Texas that you have to have full coverage on your car if you have a lien (not a lean) on your car. My full coverage insurance is $97 a month and includes towing, rental car coverage and roadside assistance.
Sorry, using speech2text didn't catch that one, but anyway all those perks are hardly ever used and certainly not every month. it would feel like burning money.
It seems based on responses here and in the facebook group I posted the question in.
It seems my answer is.
A. women feel more secure with the "just in case" safety net of a warranty.
B. Difference between what men and women consider "Being able to afford something".
C. Men are more likely to not feel ownership unless something is theirs free and clear(about a 3rd of the guys who answered on facebook).
D. Most of jobs that are going away are typically male-centric jobs(manufacturing, low level IT, warehouse work etc etc..) so more men don't feel secure in saddling themselves to car payments in case of layoffs.
E. there is a larger number of men willing to buy the parts and fix it themselves(I know some tomboys who do that too but they are much fewer in number)saving 100's a month, and older cars(pre mid-late 90's) are easier to work on yourself.
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