I have spent much more than my car is worth (ZT Cdti) over the last 12 months on parts alone, my son is a mechanic and so he does do a lot for me which helps but I am always doing running stuff on it.
This just reminds me of my cousin who had always ran an older car, in particular an S class Merc, he loved it and it was a stunner. His significant other decided they needed a bigger car and his Merc was now 15 years old and because of grandkids ets, so off he goes and buys a 3 year old BMW X3, in reality it wasn't any bigger inside than the Merc, besides the cost of buying it
he recently had to take it for new brakes, no change from almost a grand and that wasn't at BMW.
The servicing he cannot do himself now either, too many electronic bits and bobs.
Cheaper tax certainly but he has also had someone try to steal it twice which resulted in damage that he has paid to have repaired.
Over and above his old Merc that he ran I reckon he is easily over 30k out of pocket because of a newer car, I've told him to change the wife and buy an older car again.
My car isn't perfect by far, it needs the wheels refurbed now and maybe at some point a steering rack, sometimes it seems an endless task and I'm always finding something to fix/update to make it look better.
The brakes are coming up for renewal I reckon too and that's not long after new tyres all round and four wheel alignment.
All of these things I would also have to have on a newer car, they are just consumables, all cars need them.
I like that when i drive my ZT around I do not see many of them at all, X3's, Ford Kuga. Kia Sportage and all other euroboxes are ten a penny, I feel a little special
