Keep driving my 92 Camry or get a new car?

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by smokingGun

I'm gonna say if you're in your mid-20's and have been at the same job for at least a yr and most importantly have enough saved up IN CASH to pay for a new/used car outright, go ahead! You freakin deserve it considering that many kids get new cars when they go to college or as soon as they get out & land their first real job.

Just be aware that while the engines on those '92~'96 Camry's are beyond reproach, the transmission can be hit or miss. An ex-gf with a '96 had her tranny fail at 145k and my cousin had a '93 where the over-drive went out.

Since I'm not willing to blow through all my savings, no, I can't afford to pay for a new car (models I mentioned in my first post) in cash right now. I can put down a reasonable downpayment and afford the money payments on a standard 5yr loan while still having plenty of breathing room in my budget. I've actually never had loans before for anything, not even college (went on a full ride scholarship). How does that change your advice then-- don't buy anything until a few more years?

The problem I'm finding is that cars in the $10-12k range seem to be very high miles (and my thinking is, why trade one high miles car for another high miles car?) and/or almost 10years old or older (I want to have something with all the modern safety features, airbags, ABS, traction control, etc-- also the cars built in the early-mid 2000's on up are bigger and have higher door panels, than the tin can low to the ground cars from the 90's and early 2000's)... seems like an awful lot of money to spend on something that may only be marginally better (or potentially worse) than what I already have. Most of the quality "certified" used '07-'10 Camrys out there with under 50k miles, at least at the dealer, are priced in the 17-20k range, whereas a brand new LE starts at around 24 on up. Seems like the rate of depreciation is so low on Camrys, Accords, & Japanese cars in general that buying new (or almost new) seems like a better value than buying used... I'd also be really skeptical of any "smoking deal" out there priced way below KBB.

[jazzlover]

I agree with the others who say to spend a few bucks and have a reputable mechanic render an opinion about it--if the major mechanicals (engine, transmission, etc.) are sound, then keep it. Think of it like this--even with a no interest loan (which you won't get on a used car), you would pay about $167 per month on a five year car loan for a $10K used car--that would pay for a lot of repairs to your current vehicle.

As for the broads, if all they are impressed by is you having a fancy new car, then getting mixed up with one with that mindset will just add something really "high-maintenance" to your life. And trading that in for a different model is really expensive.

[Tennesseestorm]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

The door was fine until the window regulator broke. I had an autoglass shop put in an aftermarket window regulator-- that's when the rattle started. The other doors are still fine. The car does have a very rough idle and when it gets really cold there's a "knocking" noise that sounds like it's coming from right behind the dashboard. I don't believe that had anything to do with engine knocking, but I could be wrong about that.

That's a shame to hear. What do you think about the '02-'06 generation Camry's and/or Lexus ES's-- are those better built?

I see. Could be something under the hood thats loose. Could also use motor mounts... maybe its vibrating something.

I think the '02-06 were not as bad, but did start to get more hard plastics. The Lexus maybe less-so hard plastics than the Camry however. The Lexus should have more padded panels, etc.

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by Tennesseestorm

I see. Could be something under the hood thats loose. Could also use motor mounts... maybe its vibrating something.

I think the '02-06 were not as bad, but did start to get more hard plastics. The Lexus maybe less-so hard plastics than the Camry however. The Lexus should have more padded panels, etc.

Is that just a Toyota thing-- or are all car manufacturers these days using tons of hard plastics?

[PokerMunkee]

Get a new car. Why? Life is too short to be driving a sh*tbox 20 year old car. Get yourself a new car that is more reliable, safer, and more fun to drive.

[jtur88]

Make two simple calculations:

1. How much will a new car cost?

2. What will you have to do, and how long, to replace that money?

[bmwguydc]

If you're talking used Lexus ES, that's a different story than a used Camry, since I find the materials in the Lexus to be top-notch for the class. I would suggest an IS, since it's a more youthful car, but in Denver, might not be the best as it's RWD, though there is an AWD model as well with the newer generation. It might not be as much a factor in Denver, itself, but if you drive in surrounding areas of the region that do experience more consistent heavier winter snows.

The Subaru will be an excellent performer in Colorado, and is a very secure vehicle, especially the later models with advanced safety features. I would look at the pre-owned market to see if you could find one that's not abused, perhaps CPO, especially if you like to drive to ski, etc. You could even get a versatile, and sporty, Impreza wagon that would not suffer the station wagon stigma of being the parent-mobile, though the Forester and Outback Legacy might tend to be a bit more to the family car.

A good paint job will cost a couple of thousand dollars, and if you're looking at another couple of thousand in repairs on an older car, it might make some sense to look towards something newer. I just checked on the east coast and found a couple of Impreza wagons with reasonable mileage for under $15k. It's not going to be as luxurious as a Lexus or even the Legacy limited Subarus, but it's a fun, versatile AWD car that's reliable, and would fit with a young adult lifestyle.