Congratulations, OP! Keep it up. You should be very proud of yourself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jessemac
"Just get a 1st gen Insight." 70 mpg lifetime without a lot of effort
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You're right, but I feel like you're neglecting a lot of points.
If everyone could afford to "just get an Insight," this forum probably wouldn't exist.
In our throwaway society, there's something to be said for squeezing every last mile out of a car while you simultaneously squeeze every last mile-per-gallon out of it. The fact that the Saturn in question is from 1998 should tell you that the driver possibly can't afford a newer vehicle, or at the very least they'd prefer not to. Getting 50+ MPG out of a car that's paid off is absolutely getting your money's worth.
The only reason I could afford my very inexpensive car was through a creative combination of trade-and-finance... but many of us (myself included) don't have the money to drop on an Insight, even if they have depreciated in value since they came out.
Further, finding a used car within a hypothetical price range still requires time, patience, and a bit of luck. You might end up with something with well over 100k on the odo, and can quite easily end up with unexpected repairs or problems very soon after purchase. After all, you never know how the previous owner treated the vehicle.
</mythoughts>
EDITED for clarity