Deciding whether to trade in car when there's nothing wrong with it
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Anonymous
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DH and I are in our early 30s and share one car, which is mine that I bought after college. It is a reliable car with only 50k miles on it, and very low maintenance costs, so it will last us another 10+ years. I WFH and DH has a long commute, so he does almost all of the driving. He doesn't like driving my car and casually jokes about replacing it, but hasn't pushed hard because, well, it costs us nothing and works perfectly fine. If we were to replace it, we would trade it in for $15k and replace it with an EV that costs $20k+ out of pocket. We can afford this no problem, but it feels like a huge amount of money to spend just because.
Have you ever replaced a car that didn't need replacing? How did you justify it? |
Anonymous
| Only if it no longer met the needs of the family. We no longer needed a minivan so I bought a small SUV. My husband got rid of his low slung sedan because he has back problems and getting in and out was a problem so he got an SUV. I’ve had my SUV for 7 years and a new one is very affordable but my car runs just fine. |
Anonymous
| I say the person who is doing the most driving gets to decide. |
Anonymous
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We did. I've been driving minivans for 13 years and finally decided I didn't want too anymore. So, we traded in our 5 year old minivan for an SUV and haven't looked back.
I agree with a PP said - if someone has to drive every day for a long commute, let them have a bigger say in the matter. |
Anonymous
and pays |
Anonymous
| When it doesn't meet your needs or it's completely driven to the ground. |
Anonymous
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I would plan to replace it in another year or two once the car market starts to settle a bit.
OP, it is nuts out there. Prices are sky-high. Since you are sitting on a reliable car I would use that to your advantage and sit on the sidelines. September 2021 is the worst time to buy a vehicle since the Ford Model T went on sale. |
Anonymous
The problem is that it’s not forecasted to improve soon. So people may be waiting longer than they think. |
Anonymous
| Don't replace it. You're young and the money you would spend will work a lot harder for you in the market. Keep it invested in a brokerage account. |
Anonymous
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I would keep the car for now since the auto buying world is a chaotic, hot mess right now.
Demand is high, supplies are low & prices are marked up up to 30%. Save yourself the migraine & wait to switch out your current ride. You’re welcome. 😇 |
Anonymous
| We traded in our car in May, it was 15 yrs old but only about 75k miles and perfectly fine for the minimal amount we used it. Thought about trading it in the past couple years but never did because we really didn't need a new car. Finally decided on a new one though because 1) decent deal on a prior year model, 2) had the money, and 3) tons of extra features that weren't around 15 yrs ago. No regrets, we've taken it on several road trips, and I definitely enjoy riding/driving in it more than the old one. |
Anonymous
This. A ten year old car? Assuming you can afford it, yes, I’d let him replace it. He’s the one impacted by it the most. And for the record, I drive my cars into the ground. But that’s me. If my partner would prefer to upgrade from a ten year old car for his daily commute and we could well afford it, I would not object. He’s done his time. |
Anonymous
| Primary driver gets final decision. What doesn't he like about the car? If it's very uncomfortable or feels unsafe to him, then yeah, start looking for a new one. If he just wants something new and shiny, then wait a few years until prices settle. Also, if you're planning a family, you might want to wait until then. You don't want to buy a tiny electric car only to have to replace it with an SUV or minivan in 5 years. |