As a European with very decent public transit and bicycle options, I feel like an idiot for getting a Mazda 3 half a year ago. I really should have tried to make do with a nice cargo bike. Could’ve been hundred of Euros going into my ETF instead of payments, insurance and so on.
Oh well, at least I don’t anticipate a lot of trouble from my Mazda.
I’m a retired Brit living in the middle of the Welsh Marches, 10 miles from the nearest town. There is no public transport. Having a car is vital out here and I dread the day my 13-year-old Tiguan gives up the ghost.
Similar distance from town but in Australia. My 2002 Verada and 1996 Magna just keep on going. Look after them and they’ll usually look after you. Not sure how much built in obsolescence might be in a Tiguan though. Might be old enough to be predictable.
Well if it’s one of the direct injected petrol models, it’s prone to carbon buildup on the valves, which can be cleaned preemptively - if the buildup gets too bad, it can wreck the valves IIRC. If it’s a DSG rather than a conventional automatic or manual, those can be problematic depending on the exact version. Expect a couple grand to fix if it goes wrong. Any chain-driven VAG engine usually doesn’t have a very long lifetime on the chain and they’re a pain to replace.
I wish you luck with the Tiguan, but honestly if I was a Brit living in the countryside, I’d rather be driving a Land Rover. Not that I expect it to be less problematic than VW, I just think they’re cooler and it’s the one country where LR enthusiasts and independent workshops are plentiful.
Oh there’s a good reason I said “not that I expect it to be less problematic” lol
I just have bad experience with VAG cars and know many others who do too. I consider it to be about as horrible to own as JLR, without the cool factor.
Yea some are worse than others too! I don’t love the Ford era stuff. I like the L332 with the bmw V8 believe it or not, and love me a 300tdi cuz despite always leaking oil and having something fucked up they are simple machines that just keep kicking. As long as you know what your getting into! The range rover super charged V8 is a riot too as long as it don’t break while you own it LOL
Personally I really want the Ford diesel, specifically the 4.4 V8 because it comes with the 8HP transmission which is the bees knees and, well, diesel V8!
But late L322s are very expensive here compared to the UK. Usually higher mileage too. I want a depreciated range rover to be at least cheap to buy because I already know it’s not gonna be cheap to maintain. Luckily I do already do my own repairs on all kinds of cars that I’ve owned, almost none of them sensible and simple.
It would in fact be cheaper to get an L405 over a nice L322 but I trust those even less. Aluminium body might be nice here in road salt country, but the electronics seem like too much work.
Perhaps I’ll instead one day take up the project of 8HP swapping an early diesel 322. I know the M57 well enough and they’re cheap. It’s just that I hate the transmission those engines are attached to in these cars lol
I can afford my car, it’d cost me 5-7k a year if I had to rebuild the transmission every year. Mostly I get by on <3k a year all in since it’s depreciated and my insurance is like 20 EUR a month and I do my own repairs. This with a notorious German money pit that will be celebrating its 20th next year.
However
I’d still take the motorcycle if I could. Seems way more fun. But now I’ve got a 2 year old so that plan’s on pause for several years. I had a nice older Ducati Monster picked out before I got coaxed into this, which I was fully expecting to not be very sensible lol
Biggest car costs are insurance, taxes and big repairs as you said. In lots of countries those costs can go down if you choose the right car.
Other option of not owning a car, while varying in difficulty, include car pooling, taking the bus or other kinds of public transportation, moving near place of work or at least moving near public transportation lines.
I know people that spend the entirety of what would be their disposable income in a car they barely use. Which still beats the idiots bankrupting themselves to go on 1 hour traffic jams to avoid a 15 minute train ride. Don’t underestimate car brains.
7’000 per year for a car? How much are you driving? The average is “only” 14’000 miles per year (median much lower). At 5$/gallon and 25 MPG that are fuel cost of 2’800 $. The rest combined should be below the fuel cost.
Yeah … I have no idea how they came up with such a figure.
5-7k a year? If you need an engine or transmission replacement every year, maybe. Or if you have an expensive-to-maintain import (like OOP’s bimmer) and you take it to a specialist mechanic every time it has the slightest hiccup.
But for 5-7k a year, you could be entirely replacing the car every year.
Eh? My Honda Civic just had to have its struts replaced, and that was a $1000 expense which was difficult to cope with and would have been impossible were I not working three different jobs. If I wanted working AC, which I have never had in the vehicle, I’d need to spend like ~2k every year because the model has a defective condenser (and in Trump’s America, warranties are suggestions)
At some point you have to recognize that many Americans cannot afford any vehicle. Unfortunately the U.S. is not designed for people who don’t have vehicles.
While my car was in the shop yesterday, I looked at my options for getting to work, which is about seven miles from my house. There was a bus route, which would have taken at least a full hour compared to my usual 15 minute drive, and there was Uber/lyft, which would have cost me about a third of the money I’d make at work.
If god forbid, something happened to my car, I’d have to take a loan out for something I could not afford, because I have to be able to get to work to survive and pay for the damn car!
I’d probably be ripping my hair out and back inpatient if it weren’t for one job ending in a couple of weeks and another slowing down substantially around the same time.
I don’t sleep much until I get sick and have to take off from one of the jobs for a “catch up” day. I drink three or four Red Bulls a day, plus some Diet Coke to top off.
I was hoping to have enough to move states by the end of the summer, but it turns out I’ll probably still not have enough. Very difficult to rebuild when you get divorced from a vindictive billionaire.
That sounds rough. Respect for keeping things moving, especially with three jobs. Seriously impressive dedication. If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of work are you doing to make this setup possible.
It means you cannot afford that car and should either get an appropriate one or none.
Depreciation is the biggest loss for newish cars, but maintaince, fuel, tires, insurance costs come up quickly, often averaging 5-7K/year.
In much of America, not having a car means not being able to get to work or buy food.
If you can’t afford a car, you might be able to afford operating costs for a used japanese motorcycle.
As a European with very decent public transit and bicycle options, I feel like an idiot for getting a Mazda 3 half a year ago. I really should have tried to make do with a nice cargo bike. Could’ve been hundred of Euros going into my ETF instead of payments, insurance and so on.
Oh well, at least I don’t anticipate a lot of trouble from my Mazda.
Diesel or petrol? Skyactive diesel engines w/turbo needs one long drive a week to burn the particle filter if you do many short drives
Thanks for the tip! It’s a 2.5L naturally aspirated petrol engine, which hopefully should be rather reliable.
I’m a retired Brit living in the middle of the Welsh Marches, 10 miles from the nearest town. There is no public transport. Having a car is vital out here and I dread the day my 13-year-old Tiguan gives up the ghost.
Simply buy a 20 year old honda.
I drive an 18 year old Honda with 250k km on the clock right now and it’s been sunshine and rainbows for the last 20K atleast
Similar distance from town but in Australia. My 2002 Verada and 1996 Magna just keep on going. Look after them and they’ll usually look after you. Not sure how much built in obsolescence might be in a Tiguan though. Might be old enough to be predictable.
Well if it’s one of the direct injected petrol models, it’s prone to carbon buildup on the valves, which can be cleaned preemptively - if the buildup gets too bad, it can wreck the valves IIRC. If it’s a DSG rather than a conventional automatic or manual, those can be problematic depending on the exact version. Expect a couple grand to fix if it goes wrong. Any chain-driven VAG engine usually doesn’t have a very long lifetime on the chain and they’re a pain to replace.
I wish you luck with the Tiguan, but honestly if I was a Brit living in the countryside, I’d rather be driving a Land Rover. Not that I expect it to be less problematic than VW, I just think they’re cooler and it’s the one country where LR enthusiasts and independent workshops are plentiful.
As somebody who primarily works on land rovers, LOL. They are certainly designed to keep us in business !
Oh there’s a good reason I said “not that I expect it to be less problematic” lol
I just have bad experience with VAG cars and know many others who do too. I consider it to be about as horrible to own as JLR, without the cool factor.
Yea some are worse than others too! I don’t love the Ford era stuff. I like the L332 with the bmw V8 believe it or not, and love me a 300tdi cuz despite always leaking oil and having something fucked up they are simple machines that just keep kicking. As long as you know what your getting into! The range rover super charged V8 is a riot too as long as it don’t break while you own it LOL
Personally I really want the Ford diesel, specifically the 4.4 V8 because it comes with the 8HP transmission which is the bees knees and, well, diesel V8!
But late L322s are very expensive here compared to the UK. Usually higher mileage too. I want a depreciated range rover to be at least cheap to buy because I already know it’s not gonna be cheap to maintain. Luckily I do already do my own repairs on all kinds of cars that I’ve owned, almost none of them sensible and simple.
It would in fact be cheaper to get an L405 over a nice L322 but I trust those even less. Aluminium body might be nice here in road salt country, but the electronics seem like too much work.
Perhaps I’ll instead one day take up the project of 8HP swapping an early diesel 322. I know the M57 well enough and they’re cheap. It’s just that I hate the transmission those engines are attached to in these cars lol
I can afford my car, it’d cost me 5-7k a year if I had to rebuild the transmission every year. Mostly I get by on <3k a year all in since it’s depreciated and my insurance is like 20 EUR a month and I do my own repairs. This with a notorious German money pit that will be celebrating its 20th next year.
However
I’d still take the motorcycle if I could. Seems way more fun. But now I’ve got a 2 year old so that plan’s on pause for several years. I had a nice older Ducati Monster picked out before I got coaxed into this, which I was fully expecting to not be very sensible lol
Biggest car costs are insurance, taxes and big repairs as you said. In lots of countries those costs can go down if you choose the right car. Other option of not owning a car, while varying in difficulty, include car pooling, taking the bus or other kinds of public transportation, moving near place of work or at least moving near public transportation lines.
Anyone who is broke because of their car obviously doesn’t have better options.
Just buy a house near your very stable and well-paying job, duh!
Two important things:
I know people that spend the entirety of what would be their disposable income in a car they barely use. Which still beats the idiots bankrupting themselves to go on 1 hour traffic jams to avoid a 15 minute train ride. Don’t underestimate car brains.
7’000 per year for a car? How much are you driving? The average is “only” 14’000 miles per year (median much lower). At 5$/gallon and 25 MPG that are fuel cost of 2’800 $. The rest combined should be below the fuel cost.
Yeah … I have no idea how they came up with such a figure.
5-7k a year? If you need an engine or transmission replacement every year, maybe. Or if you have an expensive-to-maintain import (like OOP’s bimmer) and you take it to a specialist mechanic every time it has the slightest hiccup.
But for 5-7k a year, you could be entirely replacing the car every year.
Eh? My Honda Civic just had to have its struts replaced, and that was a $1000 expense which was difficult to cope with and would have been impossible were I not working three different jobs. If I wanted working AC, which I have never had in the vehicle, I’d need to spend like ~2k every year because the model has a defective condenser (and in Trump’s America, warranties are suggestions)
At some point you have to recognize that many Americans cannot afford any vehicle. Unfortunately the U.S. is not designed for people who don’t have vehicles.
While my car was in the shop yesterday, I looked at my options for getting to work, which is about seven miles from my house. There was a bus route, which would have taken at least a full hour compared to my usual 15 minute drive, and there was Uber/lyft, which would have cost me about a third of the money I’d make at work.
If god forbid, something happened to my car, I’d have to take a loan out for something I could not afford, because I have to be able to get to work to survive and pay for the damn car!
How are you even working three jobs?
Really it’s like 3.5 with the side gigs too.
I’d probably be ripping my hair out and back inpatient if it weren’t for one job ending in a couple of weeks and another slowing down substantially around the same time.
I don’t sleep much until I get sick and have to take off from one of the jobs for a “catch up” day. I drink three or four Red Bulls a day, plus some Diet Coke to top off.
I was hoping to have enough to move states by the end of the summer, but it turns out I’ll probably still not have enough. Very difficult to rebuild when you get divorced from a vindictive billionaire.
That sounds rough. Respect for keeping things moving, especially with three jobs. Seriously impressive dedication. If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of work are you doing to make this setup possible.