Properly of us, the time has lastly come to purchase a brand new automobile. After shopping for eight cars in my first ten years out of college because of my former automobile addition, I now dread the concept. All I need is to drive one automobile without end to save lots of time, trouble, and cash.
Nevertheless, my 2015 Vary Rover Sport, which I purchased in December 2016 with solely 10,600 miles, is beginning to have one downside too many. Yeah, yeah, I do know. Land Rovers are infamous for upkeep points. However not less than I had a pleasant nine-year run up to now, proper? I feel so.
The common month-to-month value of proudly owning the automobile, together with all repairs, comes out to about $555. That feels cheap for what it’s and the way a lot I’ve loved driving it. I don’t remorse spending $60,000 after tax for the automobile 9 years in the past in any respect. So part of me needs to purchase one other luxurious automobile for the subsequent 10 years.
Switching vehicles each 10 years is my ideal ownership cycle. With fixed enhancements in security and know-how, a decade feels nearly proper.
The Newest Downside With My Automotive
The opposite day the test engine mild got here on once more. I ended up spending $600 to interchange an oxygen sensor and an oil gasket. The oil drips have been apparent on my driveway.
On the similar time, I began getting a “Battery Low” warning each different day. Huh? I had simply spent ~$500 changing the primary battery in 2024, after eight years of utilization. It ought to simply final one other 5 years, not less than.
So I drove the automobile round hoping to recharge it. Then, one morning, proper earlier than driving my children to Daddy Day Camp for tennis and swimming, I received probably the most ominous message but:
“Warning, system will shut down in 1 minute.”
WTF?
As an alternative of pulling out of the driveway and risking a shutdown on the street, I simply sat there idling for a pair minutes. Nothing occurred. However the warning rattled me. I felt like I used to be on a rocket ship, prepared for it to blow up.
Whole Price To Repair So Far This Yr: $1,115
After I took the automobile again to my native mechanic, they discovered the smaller auxiliary battery was useless. That is the battery that controls the auto start-stop perform, door sensors, trunk, and different electrical parts.
What aggravated me was that in 2024 I had particularly instructed them there have been two batteries to interchange. They mentioned they solely discovered one. Ah, the draw back of saving cash and never going to a Land Rover specialist. However boy, does the dealership cost a premium. Additional, the store wasn’t a walkable distance residence.
All in, I spent $1,115 changing the auxiliary battery and fixing the oxygen sensor and oil gasket. Completely manageable, if these have been the one points for the previous 1 12 months and 10 months since I final visited the ship. Sadly, yet one more potential challenge stays: an EVAP air leak.
To Proceed Fixing Or Not
The mechanic mentioned they weren’t positive changing the oil gasket totally solved the leak, since oil was seen at each the highest and backside of the engine. They advisable driving for a month and coming again for a free test. If oil nonetheless leaked, I’d want a specialist who may need to take away the transmission or one thing comparable. Labor alone: over $3,000.
And if there was nonetheless an oil leak at that time, they suggested not spending one other $1,000+ to repair the EVAP leak. At that stage I may be dealing with $5,000 in work for a ten-year-old automobile value lower than $20,000.
I may simply preserve driving the automobile with a small oil leak and an EVAP air leak for one more 12 months, however it’s not splendid. Ultimately, I’ll have to go a smog test in two years, and if the EVAP leak isn’t fastened, the automobile gained’t go.
Care Much less About Luxurious or Seems In A Automotive
As a father now, my number one priority is safety. Reliability is a part of security. I as soon as owned a traditional 1989 BMW 635 CSi that did shut down utterly as I drove right into a Finest Purchase car parking zone. Brakes, electrical, engine – all the pieces died without delay. By no means once more.
Since I worth my time greater than something today, I need probably the most dependable automobile attainable. My mechanic is shut by, so I simply stroll residence after dropping the automobile off after dropping off the children at college. However doing this 12 months after 12 months is getting previous. It has been three years in a row that there is been one thing to repair.
After reliability and security, then I’ll take a look at efficiency and appears. I purchased the Vary Rover Sport in 2016 as a result of it seemed nice and will drive to Tahoe in winter with out placing on chains. However now it could be time to say goodbye.
Need One other Vary Rover, However Not For The Worth
Though I feel the brand new Vary Rover Sports activities are lovely and include a 4-year, 50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper guarantee, spending $110,000 out the door for this mannequin feels egregious as dual unemployed parents. If I lease it for 3 years, it might value about $1,133 – $1,587 / month if I put $0 down as much as $15,000 down.
If considered one of us labored in massive tech making $1+ million a 12 months or at a sizzling AI startup like OpenAI, spending six figures on a automobile may appear cheap. However for us, we’d need to promote some Treasury bonds to afford it.
Our money stream doesn’t enable for such a purchase order below my 1/10th rule for car buying, and I am a stickler for following my very own monetary independence guidelines.
That mentioned, after buying our without end residence in 2023, getting a brand new RRS would nonetheless fall effectively inside my advisable House-to-Car ratio guideline. And this guideline is arguably a very powerful car-related rule for serving to folks obtain monetary independence sooner.
The Most Dependable Vehicles: Toyota, Honda, and Tesla
Analysis reveals probably the most dependable manufacturers are Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, and Tesla. European vehicles look nice, however they eat your pockets alive. Listed here are the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety safest cars.
Tesla has one of the best EV tech and least upkeep since there are fewer components and no fluids. Full Self Driving is tempting, though it’s $8,000 additional in case you don’t get a Mannequin X. Nonetheless, a Tesla Mannequin 3 or Mannequin Y feels just like the good choice, and costs have dropped.
The draw back is that Tesla designs are getting lengthy within the tooth and wish a refresh. Additionally, the $7,500 on the spot EV credit score disappeared on the finish of October 2025. The excellent news is Tesla is providing incentives: a $6,500 credit score on leases plus one free $2,000 improve.
The humorous factor? My home already has a Tesla quick charger in-built. Plus, I’ve received greater than 21 photo voltaic panels on the roof. Charging would typically be free in the course of the day.
So the obvious alternative for my 2015 Vary Rover Sport appears to be a Tesla Mannequin Y for about $48,000 out the door. A 3-year lease with zero down is about $650 a month. What do you suppose? It could really feel nice to make the most of extra of the options of my home.
We Additionally Love Hondas
Since I now not care about luxurious European vehicles, Toyota and Honda are wanting enticing once more. I had a Honda Civic again in 2002–2003, and beloved it. However as a 25-year-old finance worker in San Francisco, I finally wished one thing nicer, so I upgraded to a BMW M3 and later a Land Rover Discovery II.
Wow, as we speak’s Honda Civics look improbable. The Civic Sport runs about $28,000 earlier than taxes and charges, roughly $31,000 out the door. It feels steep for a Civic, however these vehicles are extremely dependable. My solely concern? Security. A smaller automobile may not maintain up as effectively in a collision.
That’s why I’m additionally eyeing the Honda CR-V Sport. Clear design, roomy inside, AWD for Tahoe journeys, about $38,000. Not unhealthy, however the inside feels low-cost in comparison with my Vary Rover.
Toyota May Be The Winner
Then I checked out a Toyota Land Cruiser and the Lexus GX 550, which is mainly a extra luxurious Land Cruiser for a number of thousand {dollars} extra. Costs run $72,000–$80,000 pre-tax, which feels hefty. Perhaps the Toyota 4-Runner is the better-size automobile, priced at about $51,000.
The Civic and CR-V Sport are economical and dependable, and so they don’t stand out. With my Vary Rover Sport, I often felt a bit of embarrassed within the early years, because it drew consideration. Now, ten years later, I don’t really feel that means in any respect. Actually, it’s cheaper than many new Civics, Corollas, Camrys, and Accords.
So Many Yr-Finish Incentives, So Little Need To Purchase
What’s humorous is that I may simply negotiate a cheaper price at any supplier, particularly on the finish of the 12 months. However I don’t really feel the identical thrill I did in my 20s after I purchased and offered vehicles for enjoyable.
Truthfully, all I need is to pay one other $1,300 or so to repair the EVAP leak and have the Vary Rover behave for 2 extra years. The automobile solely has 66,500 miles. My children can kick the seats all they need. Door dings? Effective. Scratches? No downside.
There’s one thing peaceful about driving an older car that you simply don’t fear about damaging. However I’m not satisfied the Vary Rover’s issues will decelerate. I’ve already changed the vacuum pump, water pump, PCV valve, each batteries, oil gasket, oxygen sensor, and extra. And nonetheless new points cropped up.
Assist Me Determine My Subsequent Automotive
Faux you’re me: a 48-year-old dad with two younger children in San Francisco. You care about security and reliability above all else. Annual mileage pushed is about 6,500. You are unemployed and fly Basic Economy. However you’ve gotten about $360,000 a 12 months in passive income after 26 years of saving and investing that covers virtually all of your after-tax residing bills. Lastly, the automobile is a enterprise expense.
Which automobile would you purchase or lease?
- Persist with an financial system or mid-size car? Mannequin Y, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Toyota 4-Runner
- YOLO and get a luxurious automobile once more? Vary Rover Sport, Toyota Land Cruiser, Lexus GX 550, Rivian RS1
- Or simply preserve fixing the 2015 Vary Rover for $1,100–$3,000 a 12 months, hope it does not break down, and drive it into the bottom?
My unique purpose was to maintain the automobile till my son learns to drive in 2031 at age 15. If he dings it, no massive deal. However I doubt the automobile will final that lengthy with out costly repairs. And if we transfer to Hawaii in 2029, I’d hate to overspend on a automobile solely to promote it quickly after.
Please share what you drive and what you’d advocate. What kind of automobile do you drive, how a lot does it value, and is it dependable? Thanks!
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