A 16-year-old car will kill you in a crash that a new one will let you walk away from. That's one big, important factor in the new vs. used debate.One can be a Chicken Little to the point that I would ask, why drive at all? It's just not worth the risk. A sixteen-year-old car has airbags and designed-in crumple zones. It ain't no 2019 Volvo, but "kill you in a crash that a new one will let you walk away from" is ridiculous hyperbole.
A 2-decade-old car is going to break down at some inopportune time, like it or not, even with the best maintenance.
Brand-new cars do the same thing. In fact, I view cars like I do electronics: if it makes it through the first six months, you're probably good for 100K miles. And if it breaks down, so what? You email your "flexible hours" employer, tell them you'll miss standup this morning, then dip into the massive amount of funds you saved by not having a car payment to get it fixed. Oh, it's an inconvenience for sure, but is it worth $600/month to avoid once in a great while (or not at all, if Honda or Toyota)? Hell, our VW camper is 37 years old, and I'd rely on it to get me to work every day, and I think VW makes shitty cars. Take care of your shit, and it will take care of you, even if it's a VW.
Some are obviously so scared of breakdowns and that life-ending crash that is assuredly just around the next corner that they'll foot the $600/month (or whatever a car payment is these days) for their big-ass SUV that they make any excuse to justify. Others, IMO, manage risk much more realistically.
