Saved up about $30k for a new car

>saved up about $30k for a new car
>start looking at brand new models that run about that price
>"oh, I could get a used one with super low miles for only 25"
>"oh, the previous gen is only 20"
>"this private seller has this other car for only 15"
>"or I could get this one for only 10"
>eventually I'm looking at like 15 year old cars for only $3k
Why can't I bring myself to buy something nice? I've been through 4 cars in the past 10 years but the most I ever paid for one was $2500. Even now I have a great job and could afford to buy a really fucking nice car if I felt like financing.
How do make the dive into a new car?

For starters - accept the fact that regardless of which new car you buy, you'll wind up losing a ton of money on it.

>buy 3k car
>put 10k of work into it
>bam nice car that will last you

Don't bother
Just buy a string of old hilarious shitboxes, or a nice old car and keep it running

I'd rather have a $15K classic and the same again in spares, than a brand new boring gray blob

This. Wife always bitches when I buy 2-5k cars and put 1-2k in repairs/maintenance/upgrades until I explain to her that even though I spent say 2 grand on a 3 grand car, $5000 for a 20 year old top trim grand tourer is still a lot cheaper than the $18000 base model 2017 piece of shit econobox

$18000 ecommuters are pretty fucking nice, though, compared to a 20, even a 10 year old car. Like a 2017 Honda Civic is basically a slightly smaller 2007 S Class

You keep telling yourself that

My people.

Been driving around the same car since 2009. In that time I've dropped 1000 on new suspension (because I wanted to) and nice tires, and maybe another 1000 on other parts.

It was a top trim mode, with all the factory features and I expect it to last me another couple of decades, honestly.

>But its only $300 a month!

Women can't into economics and fall for anything with a payment plan.

I think that's more to do with Americans rather than women in general.

I will. The Mercedes might have leather interior but after ten years it's going to look like shit, and the Honda has most of the same features plus new ones that didn't exist ten years ago. It's also way more reliable and way cheaper to maintain. Just a lot smaller.

I'm 30. I made $120,000 this year. I've owned a 1993 Altima, a 1994 Miata, and 2000 Focus in my life. All bought used, private, and old. My focus just died. I understand your struggle completely. I refuse to finance something unless I absolutely know it will be practical and never sold for 10+ years. New cars are no fun but I feel like I should be an adult and just get something reliable and new-ish so I don't have to make excuses when driving clients places.

>The Mercedes might have leather interior but after ten years it's going to look like shit
Not if you take care of it, and even then seat covers and reupholstering is a thing
>and the Honda has most of the same features plus new ones that didn't exist ten years ago
Such as... Bluetooth? Backup camera? Almost anything a new car has can be added to an old car with a head unit swap or an aftermarket module can be spliced in rather easily if you know what you're doing
>It's also way more reliable and way cheaper to maintain.
Reliable? Not necessarily. Go buy a w123 with a 300d and try and kill it. Cheaper? Probably, but then again we're comparing an old German luxury car with a new Honda shitbox. Then again with age comes aftermarket so it might equal out the costs just a little bit.
>Just a lot smaller
And why would you want this at all

Oh, sure, you go buy your older car and spend a bunch of extra money to make it almost as good as a new car that's cheaper.

get a Fiata.

Im like you but the other way around lol

$5000+$2000 < $20000
It's like you didn't read my original post at all

Any 2007 S Class that costs $5000 is gonna cost way way more than $2000 to fix up. A $5000 2007 S Class wouldn't even run.

Granted it doesn't exactly fit the parameters, but it's only the first result from a 30-second Google search. Even still let's say you buy a $15,000 Mercedes and spend 5 grand fixing and tuning itperiod for the exact same price as your base model Honda shitbox you're getting 10 times the car. That replace Mercedes with Cadillac or Lincoln or Lexus and it absolutely btfos any new "luxury" shitbox by a wide margin in car per dollar.

No do not compare the s class to a hyundai, not even a c class. Drive in both and you'll see why.

Just get the newer version of your car.

Some of these things have seen 250k + already and mine has been extremely cheap to run over the last 160k miles.

DON'T DO IT.

I've only ever bought new. Nobody in my family has ever bought a used car... and I just bought a 2017 Camry SE.

It's all Regret.exe and wish I spent $5K for a sport-shitbox instead of sport trim family sedan.

Save your money, that's smart, and get a shitbox you don't mind thrashing, that you won't go OCD autism suicide rage if someone scratches it, etc.

Old car is more fun less stress less money