runt2
Elio Aficionado
I should have known my comment would have stung some folks, and I apologize for offending the fine fellows I've met on the forum here.
A new car will lose 1/3rd of it's value after 3 years, and the other 2/3 over the next 15. If you can afford it, then I suppose peace-of-mind doesn't have a price tag. But neither my family nor myself has, in my lifetime, ever been in a position to afford that kind of peace. Thus, my viewpoint is skewed by a life of poverty and frugality. That doesn't excuse my unkind words, just informs them.
As a side note: most miles a car has gotten in my family was my dad's 1987 Toyota Corolla; he bought it at 120,000 and got up to 440,000 on it before it would no longer stay in third gear and he was tired of driving while holding it in gear. He sold it to a guy who rebuilt the transmission and kept driving it. The most I have personally gotten is up to 220,000 I put on my 2002 Jaguar S-Type (it had 85,000 when I bought it). I've heard that's good for the Ford-made Jaguars. My 1996 Toyota Rav4 is still young with only 185,000 miles.
I am going to drive my (very well maintained) Elio into the ground, aiming for a 300,000+ mile lifetime. We'll see.
It's rare these days to see someone look at himself objectively when challenged and admit an error and sincerely apologize like this. Well done.
