by Ashley
I bought my new-to-me (used) car in October 2021. I was so proud of myself when I paid off the car loan (originally about a $20,000 note) in two years! It was paid off by October 2023, almost exactly one year ago. And here we are now…. Only 3 short years with this vehicle and I’m considering replacing it. Let’s back up.
My Car History
I am not one to buy a new car every couple of years. I am 40 years old and have only owned 5 cars in my entire lifetime! My last vehicle I had for nearly a decade! I like to buy a car, treat it well, and hold onto it for a long time. I’d rather pay it off and have an older vehicle versus trading in for new and having a car payment.
The Story of This Car
With my last vehicle, I drove it until the metaphorical “wheels fell off.” No, the wheels never actually fell off. But that’s what I consider it when it got to the point of ownership that the car continued to break down and the repeated repairs cost more than what a car payment would cost. I had the car like that (with constant break-downs) for over a year before I finally bit the bullet and bought my current car.
The problem is, this was during the middle of the pandemic. Remember when everything was waaaaaay on backorder at that time? Used cars were selling for more expensive than new (this is not hyperbole! I test drove a used car priced for more than a new one because the new one was months and months on backorder).
I say all this to say that this car was never my favorite. It was the best vehicle available at the time that fit my must-have requirements. I insisted on a small SUV, something with 3rd row seating so I could taxi around my kids + their friends. But it was older than I liked (2017) with higher in mileage than I would’ve liked. And now it’s starting to cost a lot of money.
Routine Maintenance
For the past two oil changes now, I’ve been asked to do pricey maintenance. This is something I’ve always done in the past because I want my vehicles to last a long time. But this is a “luxury” vehicle (an Acura MDX) and the parts and labor and everything about it is EXPENSIVE!
I agreed to the 100,000 mile fluids flush (not cheap) two oil changes ago. But this most recent oil change, they also recommended replacing front shocks and struts and upper/lower control arms. The to tune of $1800/each. $3600 in routine maintenance!
That was a tough pill to swallow. I declined the work, came home, and started calling around to other shops to do some price comparisons. Turns out, that’s about the going rate. I found I could save a couple hundred going to another mechanic, but even the best price quoted was for $3300.
Decision Point
When I bought this car, my thought was that I wanted it to last long enough to be my girls’ first car. I would drive it until then. When the girls got to driving age, I would get myself a new car and gift this to them. But now with the cost of even routine maintenance, I’m not so sure that’s the best idea.
The girls are only 12 years old. My car now has over 105,000 miles. Is it going to last another 4 years until the girls turn 16? And then another 2 years or so past that, to get the girls through High School? That feels like a stretch.
So if this car isn’t going to last, should I consider making a switch sooner rather than later?
Current Plans
I don’t like car shopping. I don’t want a new car payment. None of this is because of vanity reasons of wanting a new car or anything like that. And my car is perfectly functioning right now, even without the routine maintenance being done (I’ve been advised the maintenance will make for a smoother ride, but it’s not a safety issue). So this is not an emergency. No decisions need to be made right now.
But just forecasting to the future….I don’t think my original plan of having the girls take this vehicle in 4 years is going to be realistic. I do plan on getting a vehicle for the girls to share when the time comes. And I do NOT want to end up needing to purchase TWO new-to-us vehicles at the same time (one for me, one for them).
I’m almost tempted to buy myself a newer vehicle in the next year or so, use this one as a trade-in, and then plan to get the girls something smaller and cheaper when they get to driving age? Another option is to buy myself a newer vehicle in the next year or so, keep this one but quit driving it, and still keep it for the girls to inherit in a few years? BUT that doesn’t solve the issue that this vehicle is very expensive to maintain. Even oil changes are nearly double what my old Explorer used to cost.
I’m crowdsourcing thoughts, opinions, etc. If you were in my position, would you do the expensive maintenance and keep this vehicle, hoping it will continue to last for another 6+ years? Would you start making plans to buy a new vehicle, and either use this one as trade-in or keep it for the kids in the future?
Hi, I’m Ashley! Arizonan on paper, Texan at heart. Lover of running, blogging, and all things cheeeeese. Freshly 40, married mother of two, working in academia. Trying to finally (finally!) pay off that ridiculous 6-digit student loan debt!
Do the maintenance and keep the car. 100k miles for a Honda or Toyota is nothing. An older car is going to need maintenance and to me a 2017 isn’t even that old. If you keep up with it it could last another 80-100k miles. Find an independent mechanic you trust and be selective about the maintenance. Take it to different mechanics to see if the recommendations remain consistent. I rarely repair things the first time they mention it. As long as it’s easily diagnosable things and it’s not at risk of stranding you, Id keep up the maintenance.
I would keep it, at least until loan rates come down. I’m replacing my 10-year old Hyundai because it currently needs repairs that exceed the value of the car. The best interest rate I can get, and I have excellent credit, is 5% on a new car loan. A used loan is closer to 10%.
I wouldn’t be replacing my car right now if I weren’t afraid of it dying on me.
Good point. Loan rates are high right now!
And I agree with the other poster about the reliability of Hondas (Acuras are the luxury brand of Honda). I’m going with a Honda specifically because of the reliability.
My Hyundai has been a bit of a nightmare, and now because of the easy-to-steal issue a lot of them have, I can’t even get comprehensive insurance any more. My car was never subject to those recalls, but insurers see the make/model/year and go NOPE. So I wouldn’t recommend a Hyundai if you do get a new car.
Oh wow, this is good to know. My top choice car (the one I realllllly wanted when I ended up purchasing my Acura) was a Hyundai Palisade. I LOVED the 360-degree cameras and some of the other higher end features like the hands free cell phone charger, etc. It cost $20k MORE than my Acura. The price point is the ONLY reason I didn’t buy it. But your point about reliability (or lack thereof for Hyundai) is well taken!
if the 2017 has all the safety features that are available on all new cars now. lane keeping, auto braking, etc. keep it. otherwise get an inexpensive car now with those features and let the inexperienced drivers have a safe car when they start out. if you are financially able to do that of course
It does, indeed, have all those safety features.
We actually have 2 2016 Acura MDXs, one with 115k miles and one with 170k miles. We are fortunate that my brother in law can handle the maintenance and we get oil changes at whichever place has the best price at the time. I think it probably still has a lot of life left and I agree with the others about finding a mechanic that you trust who will tell you what is really necessary vs what is just suggested.
This makes me feel better about keeping my car and hoping it will last the distance. I still hate how much normal, routine maintenance costs compared to when I owned a non-luxury brand vehicle. But paying more for oil changes or fluids flushes, etc., is still a heck of a lot cheaper than buying another vehicle!
I’d venture the large increase in maintenance costs is more due to inflation than it is because of it being “luxury”. As I understand Acura is basically a Honda at heart but with more tech and niceties. The mechanical components are mostly the same. You used to easily be able to get an oil change and tire rotation for 29.95 looking for a coupon. Now it’s rare I ever see just the oil change advertised <$70. Everything has gotten more expensive in the last 5 years!