Effectively people, the time has lastly come to purchase a brand new automotive. After shopping for eight cars in my first ten years out of college because of my former automotive addition, I now dread the thought. All I need is to drive one automotive endlessly to avoid wasting time, problem, 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 a minimum of I had a pleasant nine-year run thus far, proper? I believe so.
The common month-to-month price of proudly owning the automotive, together with all repairs, comes out to about $555. That feels affordable 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 automotive 9 years in the past in any respect. So part of me desires to purchase one other luxurious automotive for the subsequent 10 years.
Switching automobiles each 10 years is my ideal ownership cycle. With fixed enhancements in security and know-how, a decade feels nearly proper.
The Newest Drawback 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, a minimum of.
So I drove the automotive round hoping to recharge it. Then, one morning, proper earlier than driving my youngsters to Daddy Day Camp for tennis and swimming, I acquired essentially 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 highway, 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.
Complete Value To Repair So Far This Yr: $1,115
After I took the automotive again to my native mechanic, they discovered the smaller auxiliary battery was lifeless. That is the battery that controls the auto start-stop operate, door sensors, trunk, and different electrical parts.
What aggravated me was that in 2024 I had particularly advised them there have been two batteries to interchange. They stated 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 house.
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, another potential subject stays: an EVAP air leak.
To Proceed Fixing Or Not
The mechanic stated they weren’t positive changing the oil gasket absolutely solved the leak, since oil was seen at each the highest and backside of the engine. They really useful 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 related. 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 going through $5,000 in work for a ten-year-old automotive price lower than $20,000.
I might simply preserve driving the automotive with a small oil leak and an EVAP air leak for one more 12 months, however it’s not ideally suited. Ultimately, I’ll must move a smog test in two years, and if the EVAP leak isn’t mounted, the automotive received’t move.
Care Much less About Luxurious or Appears to be like 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 – every part died directly. By no means once more.
Listed here are the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety safest cars. Rivian RS1, Audi Q7, Infiniti QX80, Tesla Mannequin Y, and Volvo XC 90 are some high SUV security picks.
Since I worth my time greater than something nowadays, I need essentially the most dependable automotive potential. My mechanic is shut by, so I simply stroll house after dropping the automotive off after dropping off the youngsters in school. 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 have a look at efficiency and appears. I purchased the Vary Rover Sport in 2016 as a result of it regarded nice and will drive to Tahoe in winter with out placing on chains. However now it might be time to say goodbye.
Need One other Vary Rover, However Not For The Value
Though I believe 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 will price about $1,133 – $1,587 / month if I put $0 down as much as $15,000 down.
If considered one of us labored in large tech making $1+ million a 12 months or at a sizzling AI startup like OpenAI, spending six figures on a automotive might sound affordable. However for us, we’d need to promote some Treasury bonds to afford it.
Our money move doesn’t enable for such a purchase order underneath my 1/10th rule for car buying, and I am a stickler for following my very own monetary independence guidelines.
That stated, after buying our endlessly house in 2023, getting a brand new RRS would nonetheless fall effectively inside my really useful 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 essentially the most dependable manufacturers are Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, and Tesla. European automobiles look nice, however they eat your pockets alive.
Tesla has the very 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 should 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 want a refresh. Additionally, the $7,500 instantaneous 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 inbuilt. Plus, I’ve acquired greater than 21 photo voltaic panels on the roof. Charging would typically be free through 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 assume? It will really feel nice to make the most of extra of the options of my home.
We Additionally Love Hondas
Since I not care about luxurious European automobiles, 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 ultimately wished one thing nicer, so I upgraded to a BMW M3 and later a Land Rover Discovery II.
Wow, at this time’s Honda Civics look implausible. 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 automobiles are extremely dependable. My solely concern? Security. A smaller automotive won’t 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 principally a extra luxurious Land Cruiser for just a few thousand {dollars} extra. Costs run $72,000–$80,000 pre-tax, which feels hefty. Perhaps the Toyota 4-Runner is the better-size automotive, 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 sometimes felt a little bit embarrassed within the early years, because it drew consideration. Now, ten years later, I don’t really feel that approach in any respect. In reality, it’s cheaper than many new Civics, Corollas, Camrys, and Accords.
So Many Yr-Finish Incentives, So Little Want To Purchase
What’s humorous is that I might simply negotiate a lower cost at any vendor, 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 automobiles 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 automotive solely has 66,500 miles. My youngsters can kick the seats all they need. Door dings? Nice. 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 Resolve My Subsequent Automotive
Faux you might be me: a 48-year-old dad with two younger youngsters 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 about $360,000 a 12 months in passive income after 26 years of saving and investing that covers nearly all of your after-tax dwelling bills. Lastly, the automotive is a enterprise expense.
Which automotive would you purchase or lease?
- Keep on with an economic system or mid-size automobile? Mannequin Y, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Toyota 4-Runner
- YOLO and get a luxurious automotive 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 would not break down, and drive it into the bottom?
My unique aim was to maintain the automotive till my son learns to drive in 2031 at age 15. If he dings it, no large deal. However I doubt the automotive will final that lengthy with out costly repairs. And if we transfer to Hawaii in 2029, I’d hate to overspend on a automotive solely to promote it quickly after.
Please share what you drive and what you’d suggest. What kind of automotive do you drive, how a lot does it price, and is it dependable? Thanks!
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