Why some change cars early

[car10002]

Hi

was wondering what’s reason why most people change car over at the warning signs instead of keeping them going and getting every last bit out and driving them till the engine or transmission gives up,

a couple years ago With the ef everything was going on it engine was pretty good so was gearbox but everything else was going around it, one week it was something and next month it was something different sort of thing and it was never ending, then sorted that batch out and had wheel bearings go at front and the people that fixed wheel bearing found suspension parts needed replacing and said it might be time for another car so had a think about wether really wanted to keep going or if it might be time to give up, so decided to keep going and do a bit more. Then engine gave up and got a ba ghia for a daily and going to get a ed for weekend car and do it up and put a v8 in hopefully

can think of following reasons why most change cars earlier and not keep them going till the engine gives up.



1. Even though a loans more expensive than continual repairs it’s easier for some to manage.

2. Don’t want to deal with continual repairs.

3. Want to be able to go somewhere that they can’t with the old car due to constantly needing stuff or not wonder if the next thing will go while away.

4. Inconveniently needing more repairs & don’t have time to deal with them.

5. Reason 3 and also some too busy to deal with constant repairs.

6. Cost money that could be used for something else.

7 any other reasons?

8. Lifestyle changes and just like to treat themselves which is ok long as you got money or can pay a loan

9. don’t want to be in a hurry to buy a car and end up with wrong one

heres some youtube videos do you’s can watch





thanks

[Wretched]

I generally hold onto my cars until they
a) give me too many problems and just easier to offload
b) the car is very long in the tooth and some very expensive repairs/fixes are required.

I recently had to offload my XR5 after 11 years of relatively problem free motoring.
All original, including clutch, 210k km, drives like it did when i first got it.
Only after a cylinder liner cracked that I decided it was time to offload it and fast track the larger family car required.

[LG17]

I changed my first one over before the warning signs because I wrote it off!

[Big_Daz]

When I had company cars, they where changed every 3 years as that was the Lease Term my old employer used... I would get a list of 2 or 3 cars to choose from a few months out from the end of lease and would have to let them know which one, and a colour and it would be delivered...

AS for my personal cars:

- My FG XR6T was only sold as is wasn't being driven very much (sometimes only out once a month) it was a waste to me and the funds where put to better use somewhere else. Id owned it from new (4/2009) until June 2013.
- My 2015 Mazda 6 was sold as I wanted to get into one of the last aussie V8's and couldn't afford to keep it as a daily. And picked up my SSV Redline. This ones a keeper though.. Its going nowhere. the mazda I owned from 5/2015 until 12/2017

[Junkyard-Dog]

I usually change my cars over when I crash them so badly that I can't fix them.

[ebv8]

i change when i like a car better than what i have, however i have 4 cars now

I can see myself selling the FG soon as its not as cheap as i like driving to work and its almost about the crack 250,000km so if i sell it soon i might still get something for it, if i keep it a few years and sell it i'll only get $2k for it, probably get $5k now plus not sure where LPG will be placed in the market in a few years

i'm looking at turbo territory or fiesta st to replace it
the FG e-gas does 22l/100km in traffic ($19 per 100km) and a turbo teri ($27 per 100km) so about $20 pw extra plus a changeover of about $5k or fiesta ST ($14 per 100km) plus $10k changeover..

never sell the BA, and i'll only replace the VZ if i can find another large V8 AWD wagon that drives like a car (not a territory) for the missus and towing

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

I can't afford to be stranded on the side of the road.

I need a reliable car that I can get in and drive across the state or country without a worry, knowing that I will get there and back without needing a tow truck.

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

I can't afford to be stranded on the side of the road.

I need a reliable car that I can get in and drive across the state or country without a worry, knowing that I will get there and back without needing a tow truck.

same here

i own a VT wagon on gas and can fit a double bed mattress in the back

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

same here

i own a VT wagon on gas and can fit a double bed mattress in the back

That's 10 points for creativity. I have a personal car however I dont drive it because I have a work car. So righto my brother drives the car I bought because I wanted it, but he rides a bike so he only really drives it in the wet or to do the shopping, but he pays the maintenance and rego etc. So it's sort of like the car I want on the weekends but dont really want to pay for, and to him it's the car he needs at times so foots the bills. Work cars are you get what you are given so the ranger isnt exactly a thrilling driving experience being a 2.2 manual, but fuel and associated maintenance costs are not my problem. When they become an issue work will replace it.
On the keeping it real scale I know people who keep getting sucked further into the debt whirlpool thinking selling at a loss in debt for the "better finance" deal on another car being blind to the fact the prior debt is thrown on top. Possibly why I have an ex wife who just did that again so drives a second hand car worth maybe 20 grand but financed for 47 grand.

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

That's 10 points for creativity. I have a personal car however I dont drive it because I have a work car. So righto my brother drives the car I bought because I wanted it, but he rides a bike so he only really drives it in the wet or to do the shopping, but he pays the maintenance and rego etc. So it's sort of like the car I want on the weekends but dont really want to pay for, and to him it's the car he needs at times so foots the bills. Work cars are you get what you are given so the ranger isnt exactly a thrilling driving experience being a 2.2 manual, but fuel and associated maintenance costs are not my problem. When they become an issue work will replace it.
On the keeping it real scale I know people who keep getting sucked further into the debt whirlpool thinking selling at a loss in debt for the "better finance" deal on another car being blind to the fact the prior debt is thrown on top. Possibly why I have an ex wife who just did that again so drives a second hand car worth maybe 20 grand but financed for 47 grand.

i upgraded from a $600 SV 21 Camry 5 speed, it was a great car but after nearly four years i felt it was time for an up grade

VT has air con, power steering, auto, no peeling paint and no saggy roof lining (common problems with VTs) and it can fit a double bed mattress in the back

[BENT_8]

I've been driving for 25 years, damn where did the time go.
I've had around 100 cars in that time so averaging 4 per year, infact our current cars, her Camry and my BF weve had for 4 years and 3 years respectively which has skewed the figures to look more respectable than they are.
I changed because i was bored and didnt care about the money, now im older and wiser i keep them a bit longer because i just cant be bothered dealing with Gumtree lowballers or dodgy salesmen.

[73 4V XB]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

same here

i own a VT wagon on gas and can fit a double bed mattress in the back

But will it make it to Heathcote next year

[Brazen]

I used to keep cars till they were dead but it ends up being a little bit of a false economy as the car is then worth nothing.

Now keep cars for a few years. New cars have never been cheaper and late model used cars hold their value well in Australia so can buy something new, get a few years out of it and flog it off for not that much cost of ownership. Still costs money but way better than what it is overseas or here back in the 90s.

[73 4V XB]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

I can't afford to be stranded on the side of the road.

I need a reliable car that I can get in and drive across the state or country without a worry, knowing that I will get there and back without needing a tow truck.

Nobody can afford to be stranded on the side of the road unless you have the best cover. Even then you have to sit there for hours waiting for assistance. The key point to having a go anywhere any time vehical comes down to maintenance. Before I hooked the loaded tandem up to my 03 Rodeo to head down to Heathcote I checked the oil and water. 3800 klm’s later it’s still going strong.

[naddis01]

Buy new with ABN. Sell 12 months later for the same or similar money. Next to no rego, servicing or repair costs.

[RANGEREST]

I chattel mortgage mine, and change them over every 3-4 yrs, yeah they cost $$ every week to pay off, but it's tax deductible.
Outside of standard services, I haven't spent a cent on maintenance in 20 years.
A few k per year to drive a new/ish car sounds exy but I change them over for no cost to me (sometimes even pocket a few K) because the sale price is generally well above the payout cost.
As mentioned in a post above, I need reliability, so driving a ****ter isn't an option for me.

I have a mate that's spent a fortune keeping an old Patrol on the road for the last 20 years, once fuel savings are bought into the equation, I think I'd actually be well in front, without having the inconvenience of the vehicle being off the road multiple times for days at a time, for rebuilds to the engine/gearbox/diff, and turbos.

[Crazy Dazz]

Depends on many factors, but chief amongst them are functionality and maintenance costs.
Depending of what you use the vehicle for, when its functionality is impaired it can be time to move it on. For some people, either by personal choice or because their work requires, their car must always have near perfect presentation. Once things start to look worn, its time to pass it on to someone who doesn't care. The great thing about cars, as opposed to say underwear, is that there is always a healthy 2nd hand market.

When my car needs maintenance, I will shop around for the parts and DIY. It's probably not efficient, but I get a sense of satisfaction from it.
On the other hand, repairing our work vehicles on site is extremely expensive, and maintenance costs end up far out-weighing the purchase price. So it makes sense to demob the vehicles once those costs start to climb.

The other issue, is the relative strength of the 2nd hand market. Particularly back in the day when warranties were shorter, many companies would turn their vehicles over relatively early, when they were still sought after by dealers.

[car10002]

What types of jobs usually require near perfect looking vehicles

For some people, either by personal choice or because their work requires, their car must always have near perfect presentation. Once things start to look worn, its time to pass it on to someone who doesn't care.
.[/QUOTE]

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by car10002

What types of jobs usually require near perfect looking vehicles

For some people, either by personal choice or because their work requires, their car must always have near perfect presentation.
.

IMO, business wise, near perfect vehicles usually signify promptness, attention to detail and lots of care taken.

My ol man owned an upholstery / furniture factory (Wedgwood furniture) and had a new Holden wagon every year. As an 11 year old kid I was paid an allowance to keep his cars looking immaculate as he explained that his cars represented the quality of his workmanship.
Every night he would come home then take me out and quote jobs carrying along huge Wilson's fabric sample books (hence the wagon), I remember clients always commenting on how organised he was and how well his cars were kept not knowing the spotty face kid waiting in the car was the chief vehicle detailer.
I got into courier driving for a couple of years where the company requirement was to have a clean vehicle as it reflected the company image as efficient, fast and caring. They had a 10% bonus for keeping your ride that way.

No doubt where I inherited this from.

First thing I look for in a trade or a driver for transporting anything is a tradesman or owner driver with an immaculate truck which usually reflects on the type of person doing the work.

[Sabantien]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

IMO, business wise, near perfect vehicles usually signify promptness, attention to detail and lots of care taken.

My ol man owned an upholstery / furniture factory (Wedgwood furniture) and had a new Holden wagon every year. As an 11 year old kid I was paid an allowance to keep his cars looking immaculate as he explained that his cars represented the quality of his workmanship.
Every night he would come home then take me out and quote jobs carrying along huge Wilson's fabric sample books (hence the wagon), I remember clients always commenting on how organised he was and how well his cars were kept not knowing the spotty face kid waiting in the car was the chief vehicle detailer.
I got into courier driving for a couple of years where the company requirement was to have a clean vehicle as it reflected the company image as efficient, fast and caring. They had a 10% bonus for keeping your ride that way.

No doubt where I inherited this from.

First thing I look for in a trade or a driver for transporting anything is a tradesman or owner driver with an immaculate truck which usually reflects on the type of person doing the work.

Damn straight. Any job where the client sees your car the car is part of the uniform. I'd cop it from the boss if I rocked up in an unironed shirt, and if I return from a shift with one of our utes and don't wash and vacuum it, i'll cop a blast for that too.

Unfortunately we don't replace cars every couple years, and wear and tear does show on them, but even just keeping them clean is a big part of the image.

[Dr Smith]

For work vehicles it's false economy to keep them until they break. Almost always in the last year or two before you get rid of them you have spent more then the repayments a new vehicle would have required. And every time it breaks down, you loose a day getting it back to a repairer, then hire a vehicle to cover the work for the next day or two or three if it's a major problem and when you get it back you have spent a fortune on a vehicle that is still 200,000km+ just waiting for the next thing to break down....I know...I did it twice before I finally woke up. Hence why our current vehicles are a 2017 Transit Custom, 2017 Renault Trafic and 2016 Territory Titanium.

[Junkyard-Dog]

VT Wagons are pretty nice man. I envy those that are lucky enough to rest their heads on pottery beige's rear cargo mattress.

[Ben73]

Some people even buy new cars when there are no warning signs that there is anything wrong with their current car. Crazy.

[gilly2497]

from a totally different perspective ... some people have well paid jobs and no kids and think why not upgrade your car every 2 or 3 years.
Nothing else to spend the money on and after a few years you just feel like something different to drive or a new car comes on the market and you decide it is better than what you have.

[happy1]

Hi,
Some crazy examples have been mentioned above, such as expensive personal loans, parents telling kids to upgrade their car when they can't afford it, and young guys over-spending all their income on fancy cars.

When I was younger I spent a lot on car parts and trading cars. (bought wrecks, repaired them, sold them without too much profit) It would have been more economical to keep ONE newer car, and keep it for longer. Many of my Fords have needed constant repairs. (Fiesta Mk2, Escort Mk3, Sierra). I have saved on doing the work myself, and learnt mechanical skills from it, but for someone needing to call a mechanic it would have been a disaster.

While it is tempting to buy a brand new car from the showroom, it is always better economy to get a second hand car, where someone else have had the initial loss.
For example if you buy a 3 year old car for 15k - 20k, and keep it for approx. 4 years, then there shouldn't be any repairs needed, and there will still be some value left when trading it in or selling private when getting the next car.

Cheers,

[stock1991]

Originally Posted by happy1

Hi,
Some crazy examples have been mentioned above, such as expensive personal loans, parents telling kids to upgrade their car when they can't afford it, and young guys over-spending all their income on fancy cars.

When I was younger I spent a lot on car parts and trading cars. (bought wrecks, repaired them, sold them without too much profit) It would have been more economical to keep ONE newer car, and keep it for longer. Many of my Fords have needed constant repairs. (Fiesta Mk2, Escort Mk3, Sierra). I have saved on doing the work myself, and learnt mechanical skills from it, but for someone needing to call a mechanic it would have been a disaster.

While it is tempting to buy a brand new car from the showroom, it is always better economy to get a second hand car, where someone else have had the initial loss.
For example if you buy a 3 year old car for 15k - 20k, and keep it for approx. 4 years, then there shouldn't be any repairs needed, and there will still be some value left when trading it in or selling private when getting the next car.

Cheers,

this or you end up fixing things and then sell it

[aussiblue]

Diminishing returns - financial analysis will often indicate it's better to invest the money in the new car than in repairing and old one particularly if you are paying someone else to do the repairs and maintenance rather than doing it yourself.

[car10002]

Would the main reasons why most people get another car when the warning signs are there not when it actually dies is because

1. You don’t want to be in a hurry to buy the first car you see because your old ones not running anymore.

2. People don’t want the inconvenience of constantly dealing with repairs when they just need their daily to get to here there and can’t go that time. (there’s nothing wrong with a old car long as you’re happy to sort things as they pop up)

3. People are probably too busy to deal with repairs every other month and need to go places and need a good car to go out area as eventually they’re only good enough for a runabout unless you’re happy to keep it going by making lots repairs.

4. People want to be able to make definite plans

Any car will need repairs sometimes though,

The ef was constantly needing stuff and while was happy to deal with it, it just meant definite plans couldn’t be made and wasn’t sure about traveling to adelaide from yorke peninsula until last minute and even then was a possibility that plans could change and could only go occasionally, and there was no hope of it getting to murray bridge,

Then had to get rid of the ed in the yard of the persons and the engine blew up in the ef so now got a ba ghia as a daily and its great and now planning to get a ed as a weekend car and slap a v8 in it and have a nice fun car, would that story be why a lot of people don’t keep their daily going till engine or gearbox blows up.

[Pilko FNQ]

Depends partly also as to how many kays you are racking up, how you drive and preventative mtce. I have a 2001 TD 100 series with 270000km on it however it is still near immaculate. I also can't afford to breakdown due to where I live however I am 100% confident in this vehicle. It has never broken down and shows no signs it will. I also know the guy who has done every service and piece of maintenance on it in the last 15 years I have owned it.....me. My wife's Camry is a very low km 2007. Again serviced and looked after never broken down and looks like new. As a young guy I wasted plenty of money on cars however doing the opposite for the last 20 has let me get ahead financially in other areas and when I bought my XR8 I had the cash to pay for it. 3 years old now it is low km, well looked after not abused and never had an issue.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by car10002

The ef was constantly needing stuff and while was happy to deal with it, it just meant definite plans couldn’t be made and wasn’t sure about traveling to adelaide from yorke peninsula until last minute and even then was a possibility that plans could change and could only go occasionally, and there was no hope of it getting to murray bridge,

I couldn't live like that.

I want to be able to at any given time of the day jump into my car and drive it for several hours without the concern it will breakdown. I'd also like to plan that in 3 months time I will drive interstate and my car should have no issues form between now and then.

I have had cars that have had issues and it's no fun driving around wondering if this will be the trip it will breaks down.