[narcout]

Drive your ole junker till the wheels fall off 

That's my plan - 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee still going strong with 106K miles.

The 11 mpg is a bit rough, but I don't drive more than about 250 miles a month (I work from home a lot and my wife has a hybrid which we take whenever we're going more than a few miles).

I do worry about safety though - it doesn't even have a passenger side airbag, much less airbags in the twenty other locations that are common these days. A passenger side airbag stopped me from flying through a windshield once - I would like to have one.

especially when the gas prices shoot up (which ain't gonna stop)

There was an interseting article in money magazine about how gas prices are actually going to drop significantly in the near future - not sure if I belive it or not though...

[morticaixavier]

Isn't a Subaru with 120K low mileage? They're supposed to go 200K easy.

I've only got 26K on my 06 VW and 44K on my 01 Ram 1500 which I think is extremely low mileage. What sucks is that they get about the same MPG, and it's bad. Who ever heard of a VW that has sh!ty economy? But it's quick man. Quick.

Until the electrics come down in price or there's a major mechanical these are it. All paid for they are more economical as they are than buying a new vehicle no matter how efficient. It will suck when gas is $5 per for the election next year. Yes, that's my prediction. Might even hit this price in 2011.

Yeah I used to buy subies with 160k+ miles and drive them for the last year they had. Then if the timeing belt goes on you you can just junk the car and buy a 'new' one.

Now I have a 2003 VW TDI and a 2010 VW TDI 44 and 42 mpg respectively and they are plenty quick.

[capozzoli]

What tubercle says is money.

I never bought a new car dont think I ever will. Really bad investment. Drive it off the lot and it is worth two or three gran less.
 

My Ford Ranger has 140K+ on and it runs like a top. No dents or rust. Its a bit scratched up and there is some paint on it from work but it has always served me well.

I do my own mechanical work, but I am getting tired of that. The Ranger needs tie rod ends now. Inner and outer. Think Im gonna take it to the mechanic. Hope it isnt too much money cause the truck runs great and I feel now like I am in for the long haul. I want to be there when this truck dies.

I am going soon to buy a bigger truck,, but I wont spend more than 4 or 5K. and Ill drive that till it dies too. Gonna keep the ranger on the road as a little back up welding equipment truck.

I always liked the ranger but I need a bigger truck, plus Im tired of people calling it a lesbians truck.

[SwashBuckling Drunk]

I always liked the ranger but I need a bigger truck, plus Im tired of people calling it a lesbians truck.

Funny you say that.  When I saw the Subaru above, lesbian was the first thing I thought of.  Must be a regional thing, as I don't think of a ranger as a lesbianmobile (not that there's anything wrong with that    ).

[tubercle]

I always liked the ranger but I need a bigger truck, plus Im tired of people calling it a lesbians truck.

Funny you say that.  When I saw the Subaru above, lesbian was the first thing I thought of.  Must be a regional thing, as I don't think of a ranger as a lesbianmobile (not that there's anything wrong with that    ).

 I hope its not a lesbian truck because that's what I drive, a 2002 model

 I'm not a lesbian and have references to prove it if needed

[SwashBuckling Drunk]

I always liked the ranger but I need a bigger truck, plus Im tired of people calling it a lesbians truck.

Funny you say that.  When I saw the Subaru above, lesbian was the first thing I thought of.  Must be a regional thing, as I don't think of a ranger as a lesbianmobile (not that there's anything wrong with that    ).

 I hope its not a lesbian truck because that's what I drive, a 2002 model

 I'm not a lesbian and have references to prove it if needed

If you say so.........

[capozzoli]

I think that maybe I am a lesbian trapped in a mans body.

[pinnah]

Could be,
you are a welder that drives a ranger.

+1 on not buying a brand new car.
Lots of well treated used vehicles out there if you have time to wait for one.

95 tacoma here, 220K, change oil and tires, 20 mpg.
seatbelts stick sometimes and it fogs up in weather.
I am thinking new ones are less reliable, but don't really know.


Sounds pretty cool, 1vert roading around in a jacked up Subaru.
I say keep it til you flee Wyoming.

[capozzoli]

Its a Ford Ranger "Splash". . 

Also made a mistake. I meant to say 240K miles. And actually its exactly 249,425.7. Im gonna have to have a party soon.

[SwashBuckling Drunk]

Oh, it's a splash.  I guess I was right about the regional thing.  Here in Oregon that would be considered gay, not lesbian (not that there's anything wrong with that either  )

[1vertical]

I think that maybe I am a lesbian trapped in a mans body.

LMAO

Pinnah here is the ole gal right after I put on the lift

[weazletoe]

Holly and me were in that same predicament a couple years ago. We had leased a new Impala. (love that car, by the way) We had about 6 months left on it, and they were doing some pretty good lease pull aheaeds. Our deal is, our credit blows, we could not finance a loaf of bread, and we pretty much have no money in the bank. I would like to buy used, but we never have money on hand for reapirs. Also, with our crappy credit, we would be making the same payments on something 2 or three years old, as we would for the Trailblazer we got, that they were doing some gret deals on. We ended up with a brand new Trailblazer, I think it had 8 miles on it. And we are covered bumper to bumper for 6 years. Yeah, our payments are over 500$ a month, but it would have been for anything, given our credit. So,in our case, going new was the smart thing to do. I hope. 

[corkybstewart]

Buying new does make sense if you drive them until the wheels fall off, not if you trade cars every few years.  My 2001 F250 powerstroke has 246,000 miles on it, I bought it new in 2000 for 36,000.  Since I was an oilfield consultant back then I could charge my clients for the mileage so they ended up buying it for me in the first 6 months.  Before that I had a 92 Bronco II that had 257,000 miles when an old geezer T-boned it.
Lately when I've looked at used cars and trucks for my company the prices aren't so much less than new so I'm better off getting the warranty.  Maybe in other parts of the country it's different but we just bought a 2010 F-350 4 door Powerstroke for $37,000, the best price I could find on a used one was $35,000 for a 2008 with 60,000 miles.

[pinnah]

Shoot that thing is sweet!  I bet you would miss it if you got a car that could not go off pavement or tow your wheeler or have the ability to blast through an occasional snow drift.

BTW, I thought I had you convinced that you should retire to NM,
on the basis of proximity to public lands!

Cheers.

[1vertical]

Shoot that thing is sweet!  I bet you would miss it if you got a car that could not go off pavement or tow your wheeler or have the ability to blast through an occasional snow drift.
BTW, I thought I had you convinced that you should retire to NM,
on the basis of proximity to public lands!
Cheers.

Thanks Pinnah,
Yeah I am leaning toward another similar vehicle if I decide to get something else...and I still may and just keep this unit
for recreational purposes and for beating back n forth to work.
Retirement is still a few years off unless my feet degrade from 25 years of pounding on the concrete and I gotta get a
disability. Barring that I think my retirement plan feels good when I think of having a summer home up here in the nice
weather and a winter Home on the Far Southern US border where it is nice n warm in the winter.
When I make that move, I may opt to rent a place in the South and hence the
car that would allow the traverse back n forth.  So If I do this plan, then
New Mexico is in range, Arizona is in range, or Nevada….and none of them
have to be permanent.  My permanent residence would prolly be here in Whyomin