Flat tires are usually due to road hazard, so they can occur whether the car is new or old.
Who’s buying when for the best deals? I got my '16 in December, year-end eagerness to sell/lease.
We just drive way too many miles for a lease each year.
Cash. Once we financed (only because of a particularly good deal if you financed - 0% interest and $1,000 off the price of the vehicle) but my husband could not stand having a car payment, so he paid it off in full with in a couple months.
We much prefer to pay with cash and we taught our chldren to do this as well.
I didn’t say flat tire had anything to do with age of a car, but I still hate the hassle, so I like to have roadside service.
I put a big chunk down because I don’t like having car payments hanging over my head regardless of interest rate. So i finance the minimum possible and pay it off as quickly as possible. I’ll be happier when I reach the point where I can pay in full in cash, but until then I’m not going to be beholden to any more loan than absolutely necessary.
Re: #44
The times that I have had flat tires, installing the spare myself took less time than waiting for roadside service (called for other things). Also, roadside service can be gotten without needing to buy a new car.
Of course, spare tires are becoming less common. Some configurations:
- Can of fix-flat goo to spray in the tire (better hope it is just a small puncture that can be sealed).
- Run flat tires (but you cannot go very far on them, and their limited availability may mean that a tire shop that is open may not have replacements).
- None of the above (basically, you need a tow to a place that is open and which can repair or replace the tire).
You can buy roadside service or you could get it with a new car without additional cost. You can also buy maintenance or get it for free with some new cars.
When young and single I financed 2 cars. (An Opel and then a Honda) and maybe, I can’t remember, in early days of marriage maybe we financed, but now we pay cash. Or, in 2 cases, they offered a great deal to finance, but said we could pay it off after the first month, which we did.
We have paid cash for last four cars for family (my husband and 2 sons. 2 new cars, 2 used cars, one totalled in the mix. My Volvo is a 2008 and we may finance some when I get a new car. But I may just keep driving that car a loooonnnngggg time. It’s only got 85K miles, and it has had no problems.
17 yr old truck - 45k miles
11 yr old van - 120k miles
8 yr old Corolla - 50,023 miles (yup, saw when the odo went over 50k)
I guess we will drive these into the ground… The batwing rig is not going to happen, but we have 2 checks ready to be delivered on March 31, so there is my answer: no haggling over the price of our new cars in 2018.
It is not free when you buy a new car; the cost is simply hidden in the cost of the new car.
1999 Lexus: 150K+ miles, bought used, cash
2000 Subaru: 180K miles, bought used, cash
2001 Subaru: 195K miles, bought used, cash
2002 Truck: 200K+ miles, bought new, financed
2005 Subaru: 115K miles, bought used, cash
2006 Toyota: 200K+ miles, bought new, financed (took on a cross country college trip this summer)
Yes, we drive a lot. There’s only 4 of us now and will be 3 this fall when DD goes to college. Good to have backup cars for when one is in the shop :D. We’re not planning on needing to buy another car for a few years yet. Optimistic?
6 vehicles? Wow. Where do you park them all?
^ averaging the mileage for those six cars amounts to about 86,000 total miles a year! I’m in awe of not only that, but of the insurance and dealing with the DMV …and the time y’all spend at the gas station is mind boggling…
We financed our first two cars when we were young and broke. But our last few cars have been paid with cash (plus trade-in). Except for a 1995 Dodge Caravan, we’ve purchased low-mileage used cars. Currently our kids are driving our cars (since we live out of the country) - a 2005 Infiniti G35 and a 2007 Toyota Corolla. Both have over 100,000 miles and I’m sure our kids will drive them for several more years.
H leased one car in the mid-90s when he needed a “showy” car for business. It was more than we could afford to buy. I wouldn’t lease a car again. Financially, it didn’t make sense and we had to be extremely careful abou how many miles we put on it.
We pay cash.
I knew you were going to say that, but if I want to drive a BMW, it comes with it whether I want it or not. As long as I like value of BMW then it is free to me. This is especially the case when other similar high end cars do not give away maintenance for free.
I’m not changing a flat tire. Sorry. I’m not mechanical enough and I’d likely do it incorrectly and put myself in danger. My husband would come get me and do it.
We buy used vehicles and pay cash.