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re: The NYT is just about the last place I would ever look for serious automotive advice.
Oh, woo hoo!
It was just a story, after all. It reported, you decide.
Loyalty to a car is one thing, economics is another, and the article was mainly about the former.
The economics are simple--do you want to pay for value depreciation or pay for repairs? Either way, it's still money out of your pocket. And, you're paying for that new-car warranty, too. It's not "thrown in." Is cost of ownership higher in early years or later years. Personally, I think early years, but there is some return for this extra cost because of higher reliablity and consequently fewer hassles. Maybe you get what you pay for in either case, but it without doubt comes down to psychology, which is the gist of the artcle.
The fact is, the guy in the article paid for both, as he purchased the car new. Sounds like he decided along the way to avoid depreciation again and again.
For me, the interpretation of the economics is ... let the other guy pay for depreciation. Others may see it differently, assigning great psychological value to ownership of something "new." There is unquestionably economic return to you from developing DIY skills, whether you execute them yourself or you just know what you want from professional service providers. There is unquestionably a cost of ignorance. Ususally capital costs of owning tools need to be recovered over multiple uses of those tools, although I, for one, can get substantial psychological reward from just owning cool tools.
To me, the real losers are those who must have new cars, but somehow wind up with something like a Chevy Cavalier because that's all they think they can afford. When a car like that depreciates, there really is nothing left, because there is no inherent quality. A used Mercedes (or even a Volvo) is a much better economic bet than a new tin box. The poor get poorer.
Tried finding parts for Pintos or Chevettes? You know, you can even many times get respect from a new car dealer if you take your old Mercedes in. Pretty much never happens that an old Chevy goes to a dealer for service. Volvo is the middle, I suspect, although the ones I work with never see dealers, but they get dealer-sourced mail order parts.
In the end, it's all about rationalization. Economics is the dismal science.
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