Quote:
Originally Posted by hvatum
There are many other reasons for buying a new car, if you're earning $120,000 a year and have no free time then it probably makes economic sense to purchase a new car. You might actually end up losing money by purchasing a used car since you need to spend more time mucking about going to mechanics instead of just dropping it off at the dealer and getting a loaner car.
|
People always say this, that their spare time is worth what they make an hour at work. I doubt many people can actually decide on the weekend, instead of fixing their car, they are going to work and make their $X/hour...
I think of it as I spent 2 hours putting front brakes on my car, I saved $150 or made $75/hour which equals $132000/year!
Also, who loses time at work taking their car in? I know my boss wouldn't let me take the afternoon off to go watch someone do the brakes weither I was being paid or not...
I think that buying a new hybrid only makes sense economically and probably environmentally, if you are going to buy a new car regardless, then it might as well be a hybrid. As people have said their older Camry's get the same mileage, cost 1/3 or less and don't create all the pollution it takes to get that shiney hybrid on the dealers lot. In my head a $30,000 car took about $20,000 in fossil fuels to be made.
Of course the new hybrid Camry is safer but I often wonder if you could far exceed a new cars safety level by upgrading your old car, or who knows, maybe just wearing a bike helmet would statistically make you as safe in your old car as in a new one.
Ian