I was pondering this as a serial car changer and how one goes about modifying your behaviour, if this is at all possible!
I changed my car recently for a variety of reasons, but the core reason, aside from the practical things, was simply that the car I had 'wasnt me' and I wanted something that was more in tune with me and what I appreciate in a car and how I see myself.
I have decided that old cars are the way for me now as it seems crazy to hole up so much money in a fast depreciating heap of metal and never again will I allow myself to jump into expensive car ownership.
Is it getting the balance of what you want and what you need or if you get the balance, do you not in the end satisfy either need very well?
Im getting now to the age where insurance costs are marginal atleast so it has afforded me freedom on choice but petrol still seems eye-watering to me ( I spend 30% more on petrol a month than I do on food! ).
I found myself choosing quiet backlanes so I could potter at 40 the other day just to eek out that extra few mpg without playing the rolling roadblock, but I think age is bringing out the extreme miser in me now, its a plague!
The longest ive ever owned cars/vehicles has been 2.5 years, which was a Daewoo Matiz I bought new in 1998, That is followed closely by my Suzuki van which was 2 years and the Charade which was a month shy of 2 years.
Few cars survive the 1st year although its not unknown for me to turn a profit when ive move cars on so its not often financially futile, but thats always been when ive bought cheap but reasonable cars which will be ok to sell on.
With my 'new' Toyota, Im hoping to train myself to keep a car longer. It is many of the things I like in a car - very comfy, smooth autobox, well made, light to drive and has a rep for going on forever. This bodes well as ive often not got this combination with my old cars - theres always been a compromise. There is of course one with this car, namely its economy which I may be able to eek 40 mpg from if I drive like the proverbial vicar, but this I can do because it suits the car to be driven this way and it drops into overdrive at 51 mph which makes 55 an ideal cruising speed for economy. So I may be closer than ive ever been before to getting the right car, but is it enough? Is there more to long term car ownership than getting the right car in the first place?
In the past its been finances which have held me back from selling cars, but things are OK right now in that respect although can always be better. Do you need to emotionally invest in a car to want to keep it?
Any tips, views etc welcome, Im sure im not the only sufferer!
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