Drive a CLUNKER.

[pkveazey]

In the past, I've bought a brand new car every now and then. I stopped doing that. The Tax man was cleaning my clock every year. When I started prepping, I bought a large 10 year old 4 wheel drive SUV with a trailer hitch and I've kept it in tip top condition ever since. First, my taxes on it this year was $45. It would have been around $700 if it was brand new. Auto insurance is also much cheaper on an old car. Also, driving an older CLUNKER is a way to keep a lower profile. During a bad situation, driving around in a brand new Escalade will make you a target. The maintenance is a bit steep but I don't have a car payment and in the long run it is actually cheaper. Even though I blew a head gasket recently, and I replaced the Engine($3,600) its still cheaper than a car payment, high Insurance, and taxes. I even go so far as to get preventive maintenance done on it. Its going to need one Ball Joint replacement in the future so I'm saving up enough to replace both ball joints next Spring. Doing it separately would call for two $88 front end alignments instead of just one. Driving a new car has its merits though. Repairs are minimal on a new car. In todays world, a lot of us have a second car and I'll bet that in a bad situation, most of us would drive the old clunker instead of the newer vehicle in order the be less noticeable.

[Jackalope]

     A clunker would be fine in certain situations.  However, for me, I prefer to have a relatively newer vehicle that is dependable and has minimal mechanical issues.  I don't believe that there's anything worse than having a vehicle that you can't depend on, especially if you do a lot of long distance traveling.  Search for low mileage vehicles that are a year or two old that have good maintenance records.  Check Consumer Report or other sources that compile maintenance data.  Yeah, buying am older vehicle may eliminate a monthly car payment, but those occasional repair issues can be costly and surprising, and it may be difficult to budget for those unexpected repairs.  Certain brands and models offer lifetime/unlimited mileage warranties on the engine and drivetrain of their vehicles, that can be a good choice, but read the exclusions/limitations carefully.

      Many States don't tax vehicles on an annual basis, so it's not an issue for many folks.  An annual tax on vehicles means the government ultimately owns the vehicle.  The vehicle owners pay a rental fee to the government for the privilege of driving that vehicle.  And the owners maintain the vehicle for the government too.  Nice set up!

      Oh yeah, as a second vehicle, you might consider a motorcycle with a sidecar.  Ural motorcycles can be driven in the snow, due to a unique two wheel drive system.  They are very easy to maintain, as they're very simple, based upon a WW II BMW design.  Insurance and fuel costs are cheap too!   

[JoJo]

  I'm glad you made out OK. As a retired auto-mechanic I owned many, many older vehicles. My advice to you is keep the oil and filter changed regularly.If you do it yourself make sure you fill the oil filter with oil before you install it, less time the engine runs without oil pressure.
 I have a 2005 Jeep Liberty with 154,000 miles on it and it doesn't burn one drop of oil.
 Good luck with it.
 I lived in Kansas for 3 1/2 years and they had a personal property tax (YUCK) does Virginia have one?

[Nemo]

I lived in Kansas for 3 1/2 years and they had a personal property tax (YUCK) does Virginia have one?

Yes,  Hate it.

Nemo

[pkveazey]

Our Personal Property Tax here in Virginia is imposed by the County. When I decided to buy some land and build a house, the first thing I did was find a nearby County with the lowest Tax rate. I'm 3/4 mile south of a county that will burn you new ass with high taxes. Its amazing how just moving a short distance can save you a ton of money.

My reference to a CLUNKER was really meant to mean, not new and not flashy. If I bought a brand new version of my present vehicle it would cost at least $65,000 dollars. We paid $4,500 for ours and have had it for 7 years. Adding the initial price, the replaced engine, all new tires and brakes, curing the front end Death Wobble, A blown out spark plug, replacing the foggy plastic headlights, and a couple of Coil over plugs, I've got less than $10,000 in it and no car payment. I budget about as much per month as a used car payment would be and I always seem to have enough money to cover whatever repairs pop up. Our secondary car is a real antique but runs fine except it will sometimes die for a moment and I restart it and go on my way. OK, don't tell me its the fuel pump. I put a new one on it. I think its the Throttle body Fuel injection or the Mass Air Flow sensor. I might get a wild hair up my butt one day and take to the shop to find the real cause.

[patriotman]

Depending on the type of car, it might also be protected against EMP by virtue of its age

[JoJo]

Depending on the type of car, it might also be protected against EMP by virtue of its age

 But now your talking antiques which is a good thing but expensive.

[JohnyMac]

Interesting topic.

My 2009 F150 hit the 250,000-mile mark this past summer. Over the past year, the truck has been nickle and dimeing me. MrsMac finally convinced me to buy a new truck/car.

After a 30-day search using CarFax as my main search engine, I found the car I wanted 1-years-old with <24,000-miles on it. The sale was through a Ford dealership that had originally sold the car as a lease so the records were complete. It took a month to find the car and then negotiate the sale however, I am totally happy with my purchase. The original price of the car was $46K and I paid $30K for the used car.

By the way, I kept the truck to use locally and in the snow.