Cars in Retirement

[FIYes]

My current car is 5.5 years old and reasonable mileage. The thing it does not have that I would like is a backup camera. Some of the features on newer cars may cause me to trade before this car is 10+ years old

 

[marko]

My current car is 5.5 years old and reasonable mileage. The thing it does not have that I would like is a backup camera. Some of the features on newer cars may cause me to trade before this car is 10+ years old

I love my backup camera and use it more than mirrors. With a bad back, I have a hard time twisting around like I used to.

Also when backing out of a nose-in parking spot and next to a van blocking your view, you have the benefit of seeing what's coming from 90 degrees.

Planning on a car with self-parking in the fall. Another concession to aging! But likely pretty helpful even though I'm really good at parallel parking. Test drove one last month and while really scary it did a great job.

 

[NW-Bound]

My wife's SUV is 2003, with only 27K miles on the odometer. It is in very good shape due to spending most of its time in the garage. Ever since my wife retired in 2005, we did not need a 2nd car much. It's big and bulky, so we prefer to drive a smaller car to run errands. Occasionally, I take it for a spin to "get things moving".

I had to replace 4 tires a year or so ago due to dry rot. Not looking to sell it, as we would not get much for it. The insurance, tax, and licensing fee are low enough to keep it as a 2nd car. Have loaned it out to my son a couple of times as his fancy-schmancy Audi failed and had to be in a shop for a couple of weeks at a time.

 

[Fedup]

My current car is 5.5 years old and reasonable mileage. The thing it does not have that I would like is a backup camera. Some of the features on newer cars may cause me to trade before this car is 10+ years old

Even as a family who buys a car and keeps it forever, but going forward we are going to get a new car every 10 years. Our philosophy is that we won't have that many years to enjoy it, so enjoy it while we can.

 

[travelover]

My current car is 5.5 years old and reasonable mileage. The thing it does not have that I would like is a backup camera. Some of the features on newer cars may cause me to trade before this car is 10+ years old

If you are handy, you can add a back up camera. They are not expensive. If your car does not have a display screen, you have to have a separate monitor to display the camera's image. I bought a new head unit with a touch screen which upgraded my entertainment options, at the same time.

How to Add a Backup Camera to Your Car - Consumer Reports

 

[Walt34]

... things I don't want or need- built-in GPS, backup cameras, a "black" box that Law Enforcement can tap if I get into an accident. No, thanks.

Bear in mind that the "black box" works both ways and can exonerate you as well. That depends on how one drives.

 

[harley]

Bear in mind that the "black box" works both ways and can exonerate you as well. That depends on how one drives.

Yeah, you hear about that happening all the time. Like all the emails that prove the politicians weren't messing around with the interns or taking bribes.

 

[Just_Steve]

New cars get more and more expensive because they're packed with things I don't want or need- built-in GPS, backup cameras, a "black" box that Law Enforcement can tap if I get into an accident. No, thanks.

Well, here is a list of cars you don't want to buy that have a black box.
1994-2014, Im guessing anything newer have them.

http://harristechnical.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/HTS_CDR_List.pdf

 

[MikeTN]

I never leased until I leased a new Lexus GS350 four years ago at the age of 70. I felt the car would last as long as I could drive safely. However, I like cars. I wanted another new car, or two! Lexus had a good lease deal so I did it. No problem. They took it back without dinging me for some minor scratches. Then at age 73 I bought my dream car: a very fast BMW M3. In this case I would have leased but the purchase discount was a better deal than the lease. I'll trade it in for something more sensible when I hit 75 or 76. I like cars and this all makes sense to me -- even though I'm an economist and know this is not the cheapest way to drive.

 

[Breedlove]

On the Meachem auction on TV , they said 85% of all Mercedes and BMW's are leased ..rented cars .

 

[Music Lover]

On the Meachem auction on TV , they said 85% of all Mercedes and BMW's are leased ..rented cars .

When researching cars last year I spent some time on the BMW forum and discovered that there are a lot of BMW enthusiasts who love the cars but will never own one due to the possibility of a big repair bill once it's off warranty. That fear also makes it hard to get a good price when selling. So, a lot of people simply lease them.

 

[travelover]

When researching cars last year I spent some time on the BMW forum and discovered that there are a lot of BMW enthusiasts who love the cars but will never own one due to the possibility of a big repair bill once it's off warranty. That fear also makes it hard to get a good price when selling. So, a lot of people simply lease them.

Wouldn't that imply that they have a poor residual value?

 

[aja8888]

Wouldn't that imply that they have a poor residual value?

Probably so, but how much IS a used BMW really worth to someone?

Around here, BMW is the local favorite of the soccer moms (SUV types) and high school girls (aka, "Daddy's girl), and we have a very large (and currently expanding) BMW dealership in town. There are many used BMW's for sale on the used car lots and the local Craigslist and with attractive pricing. Many are just over 60 K in miles or near 100 K and can be bought at substantial discounts to KBB pricing.

Unless you have a favorite independent mechanic to fix these over the warranty time bombs, bringing one into a dealership for repairs/service is typically going to result in a shockingly large invoice.

 

[Breedlove]

I am looking at small cars to run the backroads ( paved ) and last week we took a Fiat Abarth out ..........wow was that fun like driving a hopped up Go Cart . I now believe that little car will do 130 MPH

Might get rid of the bikes and move on to an Abarth .

 

[athena53]

Well, here is a list of cars you don't want to buy that have a black box.
1994-2014, I'm guessing anything newer have them.

http://harristechnical.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/HTS_CDR_List.pdf

I know it's almost inevitable in the next car I buy since my current car is a 2014 and I hope it's got many good years left. While I'm not ready to return to the 2017 equivalent of a stripped VW Beetle (I like A/C, power windows and air bags), IMO too darn many things have been loaded on, either through regulation or because the manufacturers want to make fatter profits by selling cars with more gadgets, all of which can fail and need repair. They all make cars far more expensive (in 2017 dollars) than they used to be and we have few choices.

 

[Ronstar]

My truck is 8 years old, DW's car is 5 years old. She'll be due for a new car in 5 years. I'm thinking of getting a new truck now to provide some spacing between purchases.

 

[Danmar]

I like to drive, sporty fairly expensive cars. I do t care what others think. I do it because I enjoy driving and want a sporty ride. Don't lease.

 

[Walt34]

Bear in mind that the "black box" works both ways and can exonerate you as well. That depends on how one drives.

Yeah, you hear about that happening all the time. Like all the emails that prove the politicians weren't messing around with the interns or taking bribes.

I know of several instances where that happened. It doesn't get any press because the headlines are boring and there are no perceived privacy or constitutional issues.

 

[FIYes]

I did check out aftermarket backup cameras a couple of years ago and decided not to do that. Maybe time for a second look.

 

[bradaz2488]

Timely topic for me.. Yesterday traded my 2001 Porsche Boxster S with 80K miles for a 2009 Boxster S with 17K miles. I owed the first one for 8 years. Was not planning on upgrading for a couple more years. That what I get for looking in Autotrader every week . Great cars and very reliable, but extremely expensive to maintain & repair if you take them to a mechanic/dealer. I was able do all my own maintenance and repairs (thank you internet!). Was lucky to not have to take it to the shop once. My LBYM side fought hard not to spend the cash to upgrade, but my "kid" side won out this time... ...

 

[Music Lover]

I'm also looking for a new "used" vehicle...probably something around 3-4 years old where someone else has taken the big depreciation hit. I've always owned basic, no frills vehicles for my entire life but am going to treat myself to something a little nicer this time.

I'm in no hurry so am doing tons of research, reading reviews, and finding out when changes were made to the model line...for example, a 2013 model year car can be almost exactly the same car as a 2009, while a 2014 model can be entirely different.

 

[kgtest]

One and only reason to lease...you are moving to an island or different continent do not want to pay the vehicle shipping to and fro and know you will be leaving within >3years

 

[Big_Hitter]

when I retire I'm going to have about 8 cars and a golf cart - got 4 now and a golf cart

 

[Kwirk]

I recently replaced my 2012 Camry XLE (110,000 miles) with an Avalon Limited Hybrid. I expect that the Camry will be good for years and normally I would keep it for at least 10 years, but the technology upgrades and slightly increased size were the deciding factors. We're getting older and really like the brighter xenon lights, cross traffic alerts, blind spot monitors, backup camera, auto high beams, collision avoidance, etc. We're getting about 38 mpg around town.

Maybe we should have leased so that we could easily get even more technology upgrades in a few years.

 

[harley]

Yesterday traded my 2001 Porsche Boxster S with 80K miles for a 2009 Boxster S with 17K miles. I owed the first one for 8 years.

That's what you call a Freudian typo.