patrick.net

I have three old Jap cars from the best period of Jap cars: 1997-2007. One is pushing quarter million miles, another, like yours, is old enough to legally drink alcohol, and the third is not here not there - barely over 200K miles and tad over 16 y.o. We're blessed in California to not have the rust problem, so absolutely no need to run out and buy a new car every 3-5 years as long as you stick to Japanese cars, preferably assembled in Japan.

Totally agree

My wife drives a 4Runner by the way, only great things to say about that one too.

And I always tell people, the golden age of Japanese cars was 1997-2005

You sir, are not batshit insane, but have financial discipline for what it takes to live a free life. I also have chosen to only buy used good mechanical condition vehicles, mostly depreciated vehicles that I can buy with cash.

I say keep driving it, that Toyota V8 is one of those that just keeps going and going. With the cost of electricity it would take forever to recover any investment in an EV….

BayArea says

And I always tell people, the golden age of Japanese cars was 1997-2005

Later years not so bad either for Japanese brands. My wife's US built 2009 Honda Odyssey still runs perfectly, and every gadget from power doors to voice activated stuff all work like new.

BayArea says

My friends think I’m batshit insane to make as much money as I do and drive a car this old but I have strong convictions about not buying shiny depreciating assets to impress other people. Additionally I prefer to put my money into investments, travel, family than things like cars or jewelry.

It was yesterday, but you win the day with that line. Although I am a watch guy, but modest $$ wise in the overall watch market. $1k is the most I spent on a watch.

I drove a Nissan Versa for a decade. It's still in the driveway. Thinking of keeping it and making it a project for my son when he's near driving age in 4 years. It's paid off but I think it would be a good life experience for him to fix it back up and not just get a free car. Put some work into it.

I drive a Nissan Armada with 210k miles now. Knock on wood, but it's been a work horse. Needs some suspension work and I'll try and charge the AC, but it's not been working on warm days here in IL. We had to do the starter which was a bitch. Otherwise it's been reliable. Gas is insane on it, but work pays for it so I give no shits.

Wife drives a 2019(?) 4 Runner. It's solid, but not having a V-8 is weird for me now when I drive her car. She wrecked the Sequoia (not her fault) and I miss that car. That was a brick shithouse of a vehicle.

I have no interest in EV's for now. I have, have, have to be able to tow a trailer. Nothing compelling out there with even modest range.

If you're used to the Lexus sedan, just get a Toyota in the similar size. I cannot remember the model for Toyota, but they're the same cars and cheaper than the Lexus. It's just interior differences and frankly branding to charge more. I know a Toyota engineer who is now on management side. Lexus is the exact same except with a nicer interior. That's it.

I'd keep driving it if I were you. New or used car market EV or ICE is fucked up right now. New car, hells no.

Rambling... My mom got a new RAV-4 hybrid just at the right time. Only 2 in the state. She gets 90 miles on an electric charge. She hasn't been paying for gas for months. If you're thinking of EV, I'd go with a hybrid EV if you're under 100 miles a day, but you still can get 300 miles or so with gas for longer trips. But that depends on your needs. The EV discussion is tough with out know driving habits. I easily will drive 300 miles every month one way. EV won't work for that use and need towing... so nope.

Figure you needs and don't worry about the Jones'. It would likely be a newer looking car anyway, so it's not like you're driving a 1998 Corolla or something. I'm a bigger SUV guy, especially after the wife's accident. Kids could have potentially died if she was in my Versa. Gas be damned, I'm a big car guy now. Especially in the country/rural where everyone is driving big ass trucks and farm equipment.

There is no Toyota equivalent for the GS, so not "same car".

And I'm pretty sure the GS's VIN starts with a "J", which makes a diffrence.

Honda accord. Over ten years old. Approaching 200k. Typical NYC commuter car. I don't care if it gets scratched / dinged / stolen (alright maby if they stole it I'd be upset) Reliable AF. Gonna drive it into the ground.

I drive a ten speed bike. I decided that I hate driving to work, absolutely detest it. It's a waste of money and human consciousness, and traffic sucks around here. So about 20 years ago, I decided only to take jobs I could get to by bike and train, and that worked out well. I get exercise on the bike, and can sit and read or chat with people on the train. It's kind of nice that the weather allows that year round around here. But I don't even commute lately because no job.

We do have a 2011 Honda CRV for shopping and taking vacation trips, but I don't think about it much.

Tesla Model Y.

I get a car allowance for work and we are encouraged to get a new car every 3 years as our monthly allowance and expense rate for miles decreases after 3 years - so I have been doing 3 year leases for the last 10+ years (had a couple Hyundai Sonata's, Chevy Bolt and now the Tesla). I drive about 500 billable miles each month for work which makes my allowance about $740/month which more than covers my $650/month lease payment. I save even more each month since I can fill up my tank at home for about $8.00.

Totally get why others would hang onto cars that are paid off and still drive well and are safe. EV's are not for everyone yet. But with my financial situation and love of driving, the Tesla makes all the sense in the world for me. I can't imagine ever going back to an ICE car.

Finally retired the 18 YO Subaru WRX wagon, best car maintenance wise I ever had and a pleasure to drive. I wanted an anonymous box, so traded up to brand new Subaru Forester LImited. I can't believe how nice the Forester is, I like everything about it. I used t drive the Infiniti and Lexus sedans, but the luxury car thing annoyed me. I just want something that is reliable, comfortable, roomy and safe. So far 28 mpg on regular gas in mixed driving.

The lady who does my hair (drives big Lexus sedan) forgot I had Subaru and was laughing and joking about how they were lesbian cars. I told her I must be a lesbian, then. She was embarrassed, but I told her it was OK, I don't givee shits about image.

I only ever had one car loan out of necessity. If I couldn't pay cash for it, I didn't buy it.

1999 Oldsmobile Alero.

Like this, but a different color:

Tesla Model Y. After a year and 10k miles, it's time to get my tires rotated. That's ALL the maintenance I've had to do.
I'm not a great example of a daily driver racking up huge mileage. Our last trip to the coast, about 600 miles, cost me $40 in road charging. That would have been $120 in gas at California Prices. No issues finding fast (250kW) charging stations. Even the tourist stop at Casa de Fruita has a bunch of chargers. Ate lunch, puttered around the gift shop, and the car was fully charged for the trip home. Car has insane handling and acceleration, and tons of space in the back and front.
The single gripe I have is the fairly stiff ride. I could get dual rate springs but it's not that big a deal.

The "autopilot" is better than anything else out there. Really takes the stress out of driving, especially in stop-and-go traffic.

Regarding battery life loss, you can find several accounts online of better-than-expected battery degradation. Also, I could actually sell the car today for full purchase price. Tell me about any other car you can do that with.

Also, consider safety: Teslas are literally the safest cars on the road. Using Autopilot, the accident rate is 8x better than average. Do you want you or your family to become a statistic?

You state that you're happy driving your current car, it's cheap to run (no depreciation and cheap gas because you don't drive very far), and you believe it will continue to be reliable. I see no reason to change.

If you're looking to switch to electric to "save the planet" then consider this: Since you're a low-miles driver, you're the best person to keep the car and run out it's life with old age (instead of high miles) — let those 30k/year drivers get the electric vehicles.

If AF were still here, he could explain to us spendthrifts again the wonderful world of police auction beaters if you want cheap, disposable transportation. If it lasts for 10K, it's a bargain, just trash it and go get another (be sure to do it before the smog test comes due, or, better yet, get a pre-smog model).

Ceffer says

brand new Subaru Forester LImited

We also drive Subaru Forester, and also have heard jokes about "car driven by angry lesbians'". It is manual so less chance of being stolen by diverse populations who don't know how to drive stickshift.

Nice car, but I liked our 2003 Forester better.