$900 is like 2 months of a car payment these days. Keep the Camry

If this is the first time you are replacing brakes on your Camry you are doing good, your brakes should last 50k-100k miles.

Keep both cars.

All of what you mentioned will eventually need to be replaced on all cars.

$900 compared to tens of thousands for a new or new-used car is a no brainer. Keep the Camry

I am cheap so would keep it. Brake pads aren't really a "repair"; they're a maintenance item that wears out.

We’re still driving a 2005 Honda Accord and 2007 Pilot.

That’s a great first car for a kid.

I want emergency automatic braking for my kids.

I’d keep Camry. Good reliable car that will likely last through your kid’s college graduation.

$900 for brakes sounds high but hard to say without details. Front and Rear? Pads and rotors? Including brake fluid flush?

Anonymous wrote:I still drive a 2009 Camry with no tech, absolutely keep it. I actually think it would be great to use for a teen learning to drive so he learns like we did, to check our own blind spot and not really on all the tech.

Agree with this. Camry is a very safe car and good to learn on. If your teen doesn’t drink and drive there is not much to worry about other than him scratching the car. You are paying a bit much for brakes, even the dealer is cheaper than $900. Maybe reconsider your mechanic.

I still drive a 2009 Camry with no tech, absolutely keep it. I actually think it would be great to use for a teen learning to drive so he learns like we did, to check our own blind spot and not really on all the tech.

Here’s the situation: we currently have a 2016 Honda Pilot and a 2009 Toyota Camry. The 2016 Pilot has low mileage (didn’t drive a lot during Covid years), had some safety features and is in pretty good shape. Camry is a lot older obviously, has low milage for its age (~94k) and according to our informant mechanic, will run forever. However it is starting to need a lot of expensive repairs—next expensive repair is brake pads which will cost ~$900. Last one was the radiator which again, was around $700. Spouse has been using Camry given his commute to work is further to drive and easier on gas. We have a 15-year-old who is learning to drive and trying to think long term, what we should do. We prefer DC is in a safer, larger car with some safety features—like the Pilot. But not sure if we continue to invest in the Camry or sell it and purchase a newer used car with some additional safety features (like a used Subaru or Volvo) for DC or just keep the Camry and have spouse keep driving that while DC uses the 2016 Pilot. Thoughts on what would be the best long term plan?