Car advice-

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

That might be true if you tend to trade out your car every few years but if you tend to keep your car to the bitter end then starting out new and keeping up with routine maintenance can yield a better deal in the long run.

This is a very good reminder.

I had a Toyota Camry that I leased new and eventually purchased. I put 212,000 miles on that car and really didn't have to spend a lot on it. When I did have to pay for repairs (above and beyond tires, brakes and oil changes), they really weren't all that unexpected. The car ran great, gave me good service and I was able to still get $3,000 for it when I sold it.

When I sold the Camry, I purchased a used Lexus ES 300 (for those who don't know, Lexus is built by Toyota). I wanted a "nicer" car, and thought this would be a safe way to go.

Unfortunately, I have had more problems than desired with the Lexus. I have spent a fair amount of money on repairs in the 50,000 miles I have had the car - possibly more than I spent on the Camry the whole time I had it). BTW: the Lexus had 76,000 miles on it when I bought it.

YMMV