To ask when you should just buy a new car

[OldLadyInPolyester]

My car is 10 years old and has been costing me loads of money in repairs over the last couple of years. Bits of it just need replacing because of age / mileage. I've also broken down a fair few times which is annoying.

I'm not bothered about having a new, flashy car but I don't want to keep paying out loads of money. I keep hearing people say that they're just going to run their current car into the ground. What does this mean? Keep replacing bits until you can't any more? Or once expensive bits need replacing they get a new car?

So I suppose I'm asking at what point does it become better to buy a new car rather than getting the old one repaired?

@housemaus
thank you ☺️

My car is 11 years old and I’m currently looking for a new one but I will be keeping my current one until he dies . In 2011 we bought the current car in March and my old car which was about 14 yrs old died in the September when his gearbox cracked ☹️Current car has actually cost very little in maintenance so far .

@Discovereads my 10-year old Diesel is euro 6 compliant. Which means it will hold more value in the London area at least. Even if the lab tests are meaningless.

Depends on the car and how useful you are with the oily bits. I was going to have to get rid of my 30-year-old land Rover Defender, which I've had from new, because of the ULEZ thing. In the end I replaced the engine ( or my husband did, over a weekend ). A new one would have cost £40k.

Saying diesel is the fuel with the highest percentage of oil in it is wrong though. They are all 100% made from oil.

Right now is a really bad time to replace a car. Due to shortages 2nd hand cars are way more than the normal value.

A diesel car is good for about 300k kms. A petrol less, but no idea about electric ones.

What did he have to say about “diesel petrol”?

It’s not wrong. It takes more than twice as much crude oil to make a litre of diesel than it does to make a litre of petrol.

In simple words, every 159 litre barrel of crude oil produces the following:
73 litres Petrol compared to 36 litres Diesel

Euro 6 dates from September 2015 so there is no possible way a 2012 car can meet it. Yours is likely euro 5 compliant.

Interesting thread, as I have been contemplating a new car.

I have a 12 year old Mazda with only 40k mileage. It has had very little done to it in the last few years, and I've only had it serviced 3-4 times (I know )

I could afford another second car (around £10k).

But is it worth it? Do I just keep driving a car that runs well even though I am SO bored of it?

Obviously you have no idea who Rousseau was.

It’s not quite that simple. My (diesel) car is a 64 plate registered in 2014, and that’s Euro6/ULEZ complaint because the manufacturer was ahead of the Euro5 standards at the time. I know this because I have driven it through London multiple times — used to live in Zone 2 — and haven’t been charged the ULEZ.

Some Mercs, BMWs, Nissans/Infinitis and a handful of others were Euro6 compliant from about 2012, although it’s a model-by-model thing.

They are all 100% made from oil.

While diesel and petrol are both made from crude oil, petrol is not made from just crude oil. The refining process for petrol includes additives such as benzene, ethanol, toluene, xylene, various lubricants anti-rust chemicals proprietary to the petrol companies.

Obviously you have no idea who Rousseau was.

This is comedy gold, please keep it up, along with the crazy assertions.

So your “10yr old diesel” car is actually 8yrs old and dates from 4th quarter 2014. Yes some late 2014/early 2015 cars were compliant before the September 2015 deadline, but there is no possible way a 2012 car could be compliant with euro 6 because the measures were first introduced in September 2014.

Different people correcting your inaccuracies, @Discovereads

I haven’t claimed to have a 10-year-old car.

I’d be factoring in the ‘better the devil you know’ thing. You know all the car’s previous, its little foibles etc. Second hand is ridiculously expensive at the moment - you may buy one that then ends up way more pricy to raise it to your present car’s level. You don’t know its history etc. I’d stick. Ride it out maybe a couple of years. Also you could pay out a lot one year then that lasts you for a few more years…

I agree - a replacement could need expensive repairs unless still under warranty.

Can I ask why you're bored of it?

A Mazda will last aeons if you look after it. I agree that many Mazda's aren't particularly exciting but that's similar with many Japanese cars. But they will last forever as long as you service it more frequently (tut, tut 😂).

I'd say it's definitely worth keeping, unless you're sick of looking at it. There's nothing wrong with that and if that's where you are then change it. However, I'd stick with a Japanese brand as they're definitely the most reliable.

Sadly you need a crystal ball for that one but a decent garage should be able to give you an appraisal for some parts of the car. Not all of it but maybe enough for you to decide. The make and model may also factor into it as there will definitely be a database of general repairs at certain ages of a car. The internet can also help.

What is the make and model, if you don't mind me asking?

I've personally tended to jump ship when the repair cost approaches the value of the car but it can still be cheaper to keep repairing. You really need to compare this with the cost of a replacement over 5 to 10 years (including depreciation).

If you are going to buy a newer car, it's worth going for something Japanese IMO. Toyota are now offering 10 year warranties if you get the car serviced with them every year. Their service costs aren't hideous and you can pay by direct debit so makes payment more predictable. Otherwise Kia offer 7 year warranties.

I'm in a car quandary myself so this thread is interesting. I have an Smax automatic which is currently a non runner as the gear box has gone. It's going to cost £2500 to fix. I've had quotes from 2 garages & both have told me to move it on before the warranty runs out in 12 months. I reckon I'd get about £4k on a part ex for mine but I don't know if i should just hold onto it and hope it keeps going. It's the perfect size for us as a family & we use it for hols & put a trailer on for camping. It's also a 7 seater which I need for work.
Im toying with swapping it for a manual smax. I just don't know what's best.

Does anyone know when second hand prices will drop?? I have a very basic car no central locking no electric windows my boot doesn't stay up etc. I really want to upgrade but how long do I wait??

I'm tempted by a kia because of the 7 year warranty...but then I've several which are a year old which makes me wonder why people are getting rid after a year!

That's £125 a month. You can't get a new car for that. It's still fairly good going.

Get a mechanic that will be honest with you about whether you are wasting your money fixing things. If you car has has a new cam belt, a new clutch (for two starters!) I would keep it until the engine blew! But it also depends what type of mileage you are doing (local or motorway)

We've probably spent out about the same on our old 05 car. But we pay £220 a month for our new car. Yes you get peace of mind, but you're still paying out nearly £3k a year for the pleasure of that/ And mind is only a bog standard smallish car.

Probably an ex-hire car/fleet car :)