Hacker News Reader

Comment by winternett | Hacker News Reader

I kinda feel like an idiot... I buy a new car every 4 years. The last one I bought cost just above $68k... At least it's a relatively fuel efficient SUV. You can also end up buying a cheaper car that burns the extra payments in gas and upgrades/repairs though to be fair, though not as much as $60k I know...

I have no wife to reprimand me. :/

View on HN

It's true that you can buy a cheaper car that is less efficient. However as a general rule cheaper cars are more efficient. Your $68k SUV is never going to touch the efficiency of a $20k Corolla, unless it's electric.

Cars are one of those interesting goods where the more expensive they get the less effective they are at their core competency (safely and efficiently travelling from point A to point B). Watches are another example. You can buy a watch for $100 that you never have to wind or change the batteries on, and moreover gets its time from the atomic clocks in various parts of the world, so you'll never have to set it. Or you can buy a mechanical watch that gains or loses time which you have to wind for $10k. (I'm aware that there are reasons for buying a watch other than keeping the time but I just find the efficiency-price inversion interesting.)

If it makes you feel any better, the people buying your used cars are probably very grateful for the value they're getting.

My husband, a rather fiscally cautious German, has been the main modifier of my behavior: I went from nearly-new loaded Volvo S40 100% financed right as I got my first post-college paycheck, to a 3 yr old well-equipped Ford Focus wagon paid for in cash, to a Nuremberg city transit pass and dibs on the 2008 Ford Fiesta we still have :)

I buy new cars far more often than I should, however my model 3 may end up getting a lot older than my previous cars. I am in the group of acknowledging I buy more because I want it than I need it and am willing to state it. I don't need an excuse, I did not buy my 3 to save the world or any other sanctimonious reasons. I bought it because I thought it was cool and I had the means and desire.

Far too often many buyers justify their purchase AFTER signing on the dotted line. The number of people who have a litany of excuses for buying something more affordable is endless, sadly. We live in a society where we are bombarded not just by advertisements but also endless shows which show a life people in general cannot afford. From buying flashy bling, to cars, homes, and hell based on dating shows, buying a pretty mate. Then top it off with politicians telling people how they deserve stuff for free and insinuating many who have stuff did not get it honestly and you end up with a society always in debt.

Just calculate the TCO. Check out how much you payed for the car + gas + repairs + insurance + everything else. Then check how much you can get when you sell it after the 4 years. The difference is the TCO. You can be surprised how cheaper a used 4 year old car can be, compared to yours new one. It's not just the fuel efficiency.

There’s almost nothing you can buy that would burn the difference in fuel savings.

If you’re going to continue that madness you could at least save yourself some depreciation buying 1-2 year old models.

Honestly, if they're managing to buy new $60k+ cars every 4 years, either their financial status is such that it's not a real concern, or they need much more financial help than is available on an internet message board.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com