When times are tough the Jalopnik commenter section toughens up. With the economic future of this country, perhaps the world, up in the air, it's getting more and more difficult to justify the expense of a new car and the related payments and high insurance costs. Last weekend I asked all of you to chime in with your stories of keeping an old car on the road to avoid the costs of a new car. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that many of you have chosen to keep old cars on the road for non-economic reasons as well. Most of the responses boiled down to not being able to afford a new car, or being able to afford one but unwilling to buy for a variety of reasons.
๐ The Core Development
Lately I've seen quite a lot of chatter on the internet about a preference for older automobiles. Whether it's for cost, simplicity, maintenance, driving enjoyment, or tactile non-touch-screen interiors, it's become a common refrain. "Buy a pre-financial crisis car and maintain it for the rest of your life," the peanut gallery mumbles. I've always been a fan of older cars, whether out of economic necessity, or a desire for something with a sense of occasion, so I find myself agreeing with them.
Let's dig into the answers from the Jalopnik commentariat โ why don't we? I picked a few of my favorite answers from last week's post and compiled them here for your viewing. And if you didn't get a chance to weigh in last week, here's your opportunity. Drop a few additional ideas in the comments below. And if you have bought a new car recently, why?
๐ Background & Sector Context
I am not keeping an old car on the road, per se, but I am keeping a paid off car that I really do not like because new cars are too expensive. Even if they were cheaper, I'd still keep this POS because everything else in the world is more expensive and I can't afford to be spending so much BS money.
There's something to be said for a paid off car , even one that you don't like. I like all of my cars, and don't envy someone who doesn't. If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with, I guess?
๐ Industry & Real-World Impact
I'm keeping an old car on the road because New cars are too expensive and I'm too poor to afford newer one
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๐ฎ Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
I've entertained replacing my 2019 GTI, but every time I look at a new vehicle, the numbers don't make sense. In 2019, my GTI was $26k before trade. It has physical buttons, physical gauges, and a stick, which are all things the current GTI lacks. Even the GLI is losing the stick option for 2027. Any comparable replacement is either $40k, like the WRX, or sells before it even hits the lot, like the Elantra N.
And the insane car prices are exacerbated by the insane insurance prices. Not only would I be forking over a larger chunk of money to buy the car, but the cost to insure a new car has skyrocketed. Hell, even my 2019 GTI's insurance has almost doubled from where it was 5 years ago, and every time I have quoted out a potential replacement vehicle, the price is even higher.
