Quote:
Originally Posted by sweeps
That's good, but you're not most people. Most people sell their car before it gets driven into the ground. Resale value would be a consideration for those people.
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This is true, if you intend to get rid of a car before it's usefulness is up, resale value might be a consideration. But how much interest could that $1000 you saved in the purchase earn over the time you own the car if put in a money market? Enough, perhaps, to cover the difference in selling price down the road? Depends on your area too. In big cities, it's much harder to get rid of a stick shift, but in the country, many people can drive either and have little or no bias either way.
Also worth considering are the reduced maintenance costs. Manual transmission maintenance is unscrewing a bolt every 30,000 miles or so, draining the fluid, screwing the bolt back in, and adding about $8 worth of new fluid. As long as you can operate a ratchet or breaker bar, it's a do-it-yourself job.
An automatic requires service at roughly the same intervals (though some a few are longer intervals) but it is far more expensive. Usually 15 to 20 quarts of fluid, some of it is wasted in the process, and it is labor-intensive. It can cost in the $100 range for the flush service.
While all cars last longer with proper maintenance, there is less "proper maintenance" required on a standard.
Of course, for a standard to actually be cheaper over the long haul, it goes without saying you actually have to know how to drive one. A clutch is pretty expensive to replace.
Another tip for saving money on cars over the long run. Check the maintenance schedule before you buy. Don't buy a car with a timing belt. That is $300 or more job that has to be performed at least every 60,000 miles. Unless you want to risk permanent engine damage (seems like that was intentional to me). Make sure the car you are about to purchase has a timing chain. Maintenance costs can add up, and if you are going to keep the car a long time, cheap maintenance can almost be better than a cheap purchase price.
Other things that don't hurt to check up on: Does the car use regular gas, premium, or diesel?
How much do simple parts cost? Air filter, fuel filter, transmission filter (if it's automatic), oil filter, PCV valve, windshield wipers, lights, TIRES etc. All things that have to be replaced periodically so it doesn't hurt to have an idea what they cost.
How easy are parts to access? In other words, can simple maintenance be performed by the cars owner, or is everything so jammed in there you can't do anything without removing a dozen other components that are in the way (I stay away from cars like that).