Advantages of driving an old car
@RonElFran (1214)
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
August 29, 2018 10:05pm CST
I just traded in my 21-year-old 1997 Honda Accord after it became undriveable. It was a great car that served me well all those years, even though it didn't have all the techy bells and whistles the new ones do.
In fact, driving such an old car had a couple of great advantages. First, what car thief wants to waste his time on stealing a car that's older than he is. And even if someone wanted to steal it, he probably couldn't because it was a stick-shift, and kids today have no idea how to drive one.
My Honda had an alarm system that still worked after more than two decades, but I really didn't need it. Just by being so old, my car was safe from being stolen.
6 people like this
8 responses
@RonElFran (1214)
• Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
31 Aug 18
That's the way my wife feels. Once she had to drive a rental car, she felt like turning it back in because it was too complicated.
2 people like this
@RonElFran (1214)
• Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
30 Aug 18
When you're used to your car and it still works well, you don't necessarily miss the gadgets new cars have but that you've never used anyway.
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
30 Aug 18
i still drive the car of my brother which was his gift to our (departed now) parents for their golden wedding anniversary in 1986. it is a Toyota Corona car that has good body and good machine as well. my son is driving it going to school, and the car is often checked by 2 Japanese teachers and nodding as if saying the car is still so good to drive. yes, the old car is far from being carnapped because it is old, and manual transmission too
@RonElFran (1214)
• Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
30 Aug 18
1986! It won't be long before your car will qualify as a valuable antique.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
2 Sep 18
@RonElFran hahaha! right on that. my brother purchased the car as second-hand, but the car was bought i think about 5 years before 1996.
and i stand corrected. the year should be 1996 and not 1986.
@RonElFran (1214)
• Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
31 Aug 18
You're absolutely right! That is the best part.
1 person likes this
@porwest (112876)
• United States
3 Sep 18
@RonElFran Even when I buy, I tend to buy used and then I also tend to make a pretty substantial down payment. When we bought our Edge we put down $10,000 and when we bought our truck we put down $14,000. It kept the payments on the Edge to around $285 (and it is paid off today), and the truck around $300 (and it has a couple years to go). Putting down a substantial down payment and keeping the payments lower also helps to be able to afford to make extra payments more often, thereby paying the vehicles off sooner.
1 person likes this
@RonElFran (1214)
• Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
4 Sep 18
@porwest We were able to buy the Honda's replacement outright, but we followed your strategy a few years ago when we purchased my wife's car. We put enough down that we could pay off the loan in one year.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
1 Sep 18
Very true... Many people have no idea what a Stick shift car is. I never learned to drive one, but know many that did. New Cars we enjoy better due to they have little problems most of the time so you don't have to worry as much, but older cars can be cheaper when they run good
