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The German cars he's talking about are going to be way worse than American or Japanese cars in my experience. It's especially aggregious if you can't do the work yourself, if you aren't mechanically inclined I wouldn't dream of owning a high mileage European luxury car.
That is my experience as well.
Japanese used cost more up front because they hold value... cost a little more than American to repair. However, they'll go far and visit repair shops less often.
American are way cheaper on the used market.... not expensive to repair.. but they'll visit the repair shop a little more than Japanese.
Three of my 4 vehicles are bargain basement finds on the used market from American brands.... so far, pretty solid until 100k. After that, they do spend some time getting repaired but its not that expensive. Since I have spare car for commuting its not a big deal.... lucky I have a reasonable mechanic nearby my home. If it weren't for that mechanic, I'd probably be leaning towards spending more up front and buying a Toyota or Honda.
Certainly, German cars are nice to drive and have nice interiors.... My last Germain car was Audi TT quattro... all that became a moot point once cost to keep them climbed very quickly and took away from the enjoyment.
I have had 2 Mercedes a C300 for 10 years was a great car only oil changes and a 2018 GLC 300 SUV another great vehicle.
I have also had great reliability from Ford SUV's and trucks.
American are way cheaper on the used market.... not expensive to repair.. but they'll visit the repair shop a little more than Japanese.
Three of my 4 vehicles are bargain basement finds on the used market from American brands.... so far, pretty solid until 100k. After that, they do spend some time getting repaired but its not that expensive. Since I have spare car for commuting its not a big deal.... lucky I have a reasonable mechanic nearby my home. If it weren't for that mechanic, I'd probably be leaning towards spending more up front and buying a Toyota or Honda.
I've had three older Cadillacs, they don't scare me.
The excellent indy mechanic that works on my Merkur will fix any GM car at reasonable prices.
So, my luxury cars going forward... Cadillac and Lexus.
The co-worker that owns the Lexus I want is very anal, so it'll be very nice.
He'll sell it in a few years (I told him to let me know when he's ready to move on) and it'll be old enough to be inexpensive.
I have seen a lot of older (> 5 years) Audi and BMW owners say they're averaging $5K (or more) per year in repairs and maintenance. That's more than I want to spend, it's almost like car payments.
Lol, that's just a joke. I spend $50 on an oil change once a year to keep my almost 16 year old LS430 on the road. Still drives like a new car. I've never repaired anything other than worn rubber suspension control arm bushings a couple years ago.
No offense to anyone, but lots of people who own German cars that cost an absolute fortune to maintain and repair, I've definitely noticed a trend-- they find reasons and ways to justify the insane costs which is laughable.
My buddy has a 2000 328i and I swear he's sunk 15k into keeping it on the road over the last few years. He has replaced basically every part, and justifies it "well, parts wear out." I'm like "okie dokie." I don't have the heart to tell him it's a $500 car at most if he traded it in. It just makes no sense to me.
." I don't have the heart to tell him it's a $500 car at most if he traded it in. It just makes no sense to me.
I'm sure he knows that. But sometimes it does make sense to fix a car you already own, even if it ends up costing more than the trade-in value. As long as the engine and transmission are good and there's little or no rust, then there aren't that many other big-ticket expenses. And once you've replaced a part, then it should be a long time before you have to replace that part again.
I'm sure he knows that. But sometimes it does make sense to fix a car you already own, even if it ends up costing more than the trade-in value. As long as the engine and transmission are good and there's little or no rust, then there aren't that many other big-ticket expenses. And once you've replaced a part, then it should be a long time before you have to replace that part again.
His parents gave him the car so it's paid for...that another reason he thinks it's okay-- if it's paid for so what.
It has over 200k miles on it, I know he has replaced the entire cooling system twice (bc BMW uses crappy plastic parts), the whole suspension, window regulators, about a million CEL fixes, basically everything. I guarantee he's sunk well over TEN GRAND into that car, if not more. I totally get what you're saying about "fixing a car" rather than trading it in, but in this case he's just an idiot.
Whatever, it's his life and his money but it's a complete joke to me.
His parents gave him the car so it's paid for...that another reason he thinks it's okay-- if it's paid for so what.
It has over 200k miles on it, I know he has replaced the entire cooling system twice (bc BMW uses crappy plastic parts), the whole suspension, window regulators, about a million CEL fixes, basically everything. I guarantee he's sunk well over TEN GRAND into that car, if not more. I totally get what you're saying about "fixing a car" rather than trading it in, but in this case he's just an idiot.
Whatever, it's his life and his money but it's a complete joke to me.
Well, he could buy a new car that would lose $10k in value in just a few years, even if maintenance and repairs are mostly covered by a warranty.
Well, he could buy a new car that would lose $10k in value in just a few years, even if maintenance and repairs are mostly covered by a warranty.
Excellent point. $10k is typically lost in depreciation on a new German car the first year. I'm sure this guy is paying someone to do all that work, which is the big problem - he could have probably done it all himself for like $2k in parts. But if he lacks the knowledge, tools and/or time, he has no choice but to bend over at the repair facility.
I'm sure he knows that. But sometimes it does make sense to fix a car you already own, even if it ends up costing more than the trade-in value. As long as the engine and transmission are good and there's little or no rust, then there aren't that many other big-ticket expenses. And once you've replaced a part, then it should be a long time before you have to replace that part again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by J Baustian
Well, he could buy a new car that would lose $10k in value in just a few years, even if maintenance and repairs are mostly covered by a warranty.
Of course everyone has their own priorities....
But $10k-$15k is the range I stay in when I am shopping for a used vehicle with less than 50k miles on the clock. So the amount they sunk into a car would simply buy another used one.
So, my luxury cars going forward... Cadillac and Lexus.
How are later/recent Cadillacs? Don't know much about them relative the cost of getting a German car to 200k.
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