I don’t disagree with you about cobbled-together repairs, Whitey. I just think “abuse and neglect,” in the form of no oil changes, is unlikely for a working truck.
I’m something of a misanthrope, but I have faith (at the least) in the human capacity to act in one’s own selfish interest. Therefore, I don’t see killing the goose that laid the golden egg by neglecting the goose’s oil and other fluids.
@twinturbo
My sentiments exactly. I don’t need to buy a new car in five years to get the features found in cars now. Besides, in 5 years mp3 may be old hat and I would still need a 5 year old car regardless. I am now negotiating on a “new” to me, 2001 Corolla as a third car. So really, I could be buying backwards. Besides, at my age, just about any car I own now or buy later has the potential to outlive me. Long term reliability is becoming less and less important and leasing anything may be worthwhile as I age. I may reach a point where it becomes futile to change my oil. ;=)
Leasing may become more cost effective if I can defer my first payment after my funeral.
@Whitey
With respect to rusting unibody vs framed vehicles and it’s affect on leasing, I have found that unibodies are much, much easier to rust proof and keep rust free then body on frame. When unibodies are dipped into vats for primining and painting, the design has to be such that the paint flows easily where it should. That design makes it easier to move rust inhibiting oils and drain water when doing any rust treatment. Frames with bodies mounted separately have all these nooks and crannies that are much more difficult to deal with. So, even though framed vehicles may be easier to fix after rusting and appear to be less rust prone, they are really harder too maintain. That is one area that older framed cars have a huge disadvantage. That is a good reason to lease trucks instead of buying them and why my neighbors who plow a lot do just that ! So, I would now be more prone to buy a unibody for long term ownership then a framed vehicle.
Sadly, rust does as much to encourage leasing as any another factor here in the rust belt. Sadly too, it need never ocurr if you do your own body maintenance. Then, and only then imho, is this factor totally mitigated in buying a truck for long term ownership.( greater then then years)
You are obviously very much in favor of leasing
Did you used to own cars that you considered to be money pits?
If so, is that the reason why you are dead-set against owning cars?
I have never leased. I drive too many miles.
But, I’ve plowed lots of money into repairing Jap cars.
So, I now favor owning “enthusiast” cars which I actually go out of my way to pour money into. I often replace things that aren’t even broken, just for DIY experience and hobby. So, I now look for performance money pits since it gives me something to throw some money at. The more money I pour into a car, the more I like the car. A very different calculus than driving an econobox. I want to next restore a classic car and use it as a DD. The most expensive cost per mile there is!! Wooo!
More: if that owned car suddenly needs $700/year in repairs after 92k miles and is driven 12,000 miles/year that works out to $0.0583/mile, much lower than the lease rate of $0.215/mile.
$700/ PER repair, not $700/year.
A beat up jalopy can have $700 repairs each month.
“A beat up jalopy can have $700 repairs each month.”
None of my cars (10, 12, 13, 14 years old) were ever ‘beat up jalopies’ at any time. Yours?
@UsedEconobox2UsedBMW
“I have never leased.”
THEN WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO SHOVE LEASING DOWN OUR THROATS?!
WHY ARE YOU SAYING HOW GREAT LEASING IS IF YOU DON’T EVEN DO IT YOURSELF?!
"So, I now favor owning “enthusiast” cars . . . "
IF YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF OWNING, WHY ARE YOU TELLING US TO LEASE?!
IT SEEMS THAT YOU ARE CONTRADICTING YOURSELF
Time to stop feeding the troll…
@circuitsmith OP thinks he needs to keep talking; this thread has degenerated into beer hall, near closing time, logic.
Some cars will indeed incur $700 per month repairs; a poorly maintained Range Rover with over 150,000 miles on it comes to mind. The average American spends $1100 or so per year on maintenance, repairs and tires. OP compares moronic car ownership behavior (with $700 per month in repairs) with artificially low leasing rates without including all the costs involved.
As a last comment, I will own up to having leased a car once. I knew I was going back to school in 1963, but my job at that time needed a decent car and I was quitting in a year. So I went to the local Pontiac dealer who had a leasing department and got a 1962 Catalina which had been returned a year early and finished the lease.
I did not need a car in graduate school and had better use for the money.
Strongly recommend we close this “discussion”.
Some cars will indeed incur $700 per month repairs; a poorly maintained Range Rover with over 150,000 miles on it comes to mind.
Wouldn’t a properly maintained Range Rover still incur $700/month repairs. I wouldn’t doubt that one just coming out of its warranty period will too.