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Americans can no longer afford their cars
(www.newsweek.com)
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this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2024
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I've always lived by two rules when it comes to vehicles:
Never buy new. Buy approximately two years old used low mileage
If I can't afford the vehicle on a three year note, I can't afford the vehicle
Additionally, always secure third party financing and have it in your back pocket, but don't tell the dealership that part until absolutely necessary. They may try to match it, but their fine print has always had catches it in that make it a worse option in my experience.
I'm not sure if these rules will work going forward as prices seem to have doubled in the past three years, and I'm loathe to ponder how purchase is getting replaced by subscribe.
My current car is ten years old with 110k miles on it. I keep it super maintained because I can't stomach the thought of my next buying experience.
As a young adult who wanted to avoid debt, my rules were somewhat similar
Car must be used, for sale by private seller. Avoids dealership fees, warranty fees etc.
If I cannot buy it in full, in cash that day, I cannot afford it.
As a young adult in Europe (the place where walking and biking safely is possible), my rules were:
I am entirely convinced US cities are designed by the car lobby.
Those are good rules.
American cities used to be designed around reasonable things like walking and using Streetcars but then were bulldozed to make way for the automobile.