-
still cheaper than a new car on finance
Our little Fabia Mk 1 automatic has just passed its MOT, without needing any work done, like it does most years.
It's from 2006 so 17 years old now. We bought it in 2016 for £3600. It seems to be worth approx £1500 now. So the car itself has cost us something like £300 a year. We've had a few expensive bits done like cam belt and water pump, plus of course servicing, tyres, MOT-minor level stuff. But nothing financially ruinous, and it has never yet broken down on us properly.
No idea how much a new car on finance works out as really costing, but I'm pretty comfortable #bangernomics is working out well for us
lemonade-
like hippy, i wouldn't have a car at all but we don't have a suitable car share scheme nearby.
we generally don't drive anywhere during the week, kids walk to school, wife walks to work, i ride, the weekly shop gets delivered.
the forester mainly gets used for the odd weekend day out or during the summer for holiday/camping trips for which it's an excellent vehicle.
despite it not being very economical, i sort of justify keeping it by thinking that if we did get something more eco, it would only encourage us to drive more.
bigshape
don't get me wrong - they're great cars IMO!
caveats are the same as buying any used car, especially one that's over 10 yrs old...
have a really good look underneath, look out for corrosion on the sills and the suspension top mounts, head gaskets can be fragile on the turbo models so check for any signs of leaks or history to see if it's been replaced already, make sure it's had a cambelt replacement and if not then budget for getting that done, rear shocks are prone to sagging if it has SLS (self levelling)
i've spent a bunch of money on mine but even if you're spending £1k a year on repairs it's still cheaper than a new car on finance so that's how i justify any big bills to myself.