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My 2014 Honda Accord hit 10 years recently. It has 97,000 miles. It still runs well; cosmetically it is average. I use it as a 2nd car. We use my wife’s 2022 Honda Pilot for the majority of our driving. It’s a fine car, but not exciting.
I bought this Accord when I was driving from Valley Forge, PA to northern VA frequently. But that stopped after a few years when my company role changed. I probably put on half the mileage in the first two years.
Recently my iPhone would not connect with the 10 year old Accord. The Accord doesn’t have a modern electronics package, or screen, so If I want to play music, or habit it announce driving directions, I was out of luck. I researched the issue and found it was not uncommon for an old car, with old software, to get out of synch with a modern phone. This was more annoying than critical, but annoying none the less.
It goes me thinking when is the right time to upgrade. I generally drive cars as long as they are safe and reliable. I believe the Accord is still safe and reliable. But lately I’ve been thinking it might be nice to drive something new. Automobile electronics have come a long way, and I kind of miss that. And it seems like everyone in both my neighborhoods have nicer cars. I’m surrounded by Teslas, and various other EVs. Lots of BMWs, and a handful of Porsches. One family has both a Porsche EV and new Rivian Truck. A Tesla CyberTruck just showed up a block away. Even the newer KIAs and Hyundais look fancy compared to my Honda.
I’ve read that Aristotle observed that any is feeling pain about other’s good-fortune. I think I’m suffering from auto-envy
But I always come back to “why do I need a luxury car?”. I sometimes tell myself I deserve one – but that doesn’t last long. I might enjoy one, but I certainly don’t deserve one. I’m sure I’ll hang on the Accord a few more years – I paid cash for it originally. The tires are pretty new. I’d hate to waste tread.
It’s been a few weeks since I wrote this but I finally have some clarity on what I feel I have been missing. It cut me off yesterday as I was leaving a parking lot. This is the one.
Not a Ferrari, so not worth it.
Too low to the ground. It will strain your glutes, quads, and hammies getting in and out of that thing.
Darn, never thought of that Jeff. Oh well.
Might also strain Rick’s wallet.
Rick, a good article today by Kim Komando regarding vehicle technology.
https://www.komando.com/news/what-happens-when-your-car-tech-gets-outdated/
Olin, thanks for the link. Interesting article. I wonder if my 2014 got the fix for the 3G issue.
If I walk down the middle of the garage at our condo all I see – with two exceptions out of 25 – are BMWs, Mercedes, Lexus, a Porsche, and Jaguar. New versions pop up regularly so I assume these old folks are leasing. Always wondered about leasing a car.
Dick, I’ve found a lot more people lease cars than I realized. People like a new car every few years and leasing makes sense for them. I was also surprised by the number of people who had a “company” car allowance. Apparently it is more common than I realized, or my industry didn’t participate.
I had a company car during my last 20 years working. It was a nice perk.
As I was told by a salesman, lease a car for three years, get free routine service during those years plus full warrantee coverage so no additional cost and you are always driving a “new” car.
I may lease, but I have a weird mindset (what’s new) that if one has to lease a luxury car they really can’t afford it. That why I saved and waited until age 70 to get my Mercedes so I could pay cash, but I missed out on years of driving my dream car.
Or they have surplus wealth and choose to deploy/signal it on the status of frequently changed late model vehicles.
I’ve always found the car thing interesting. My parents and their friends in 70s and 80s tended to downsize into smaller practical reliable cars, Golf or Civic size max. Particularly the widows. Easier to park, more easily handled. In combination with much reduced driving needs.
Of course that might not work for those who tie personal identity to their “high status” cars. I’m also aware that there is the opposite out there in the “millionaire next door” types who deliberately choose stealth everyman vehicles.
Lots of neighbourhoods it seems the German SUV or Tesla is becoming the everyman vehicle though so wonder how long the stealthy can keep it up.
What I find interesting is that many models of the “high status” cars cost less than many pick-up trucks – the largest selling vehicles and perceived as the working guys choice.
Many of the folks I know who purchase nice pickups justify it for the utility. If you combine luxury features with enhanced hauling, towing, and off-roading capability, it’s not that surprising they cost so much. I recently read an analysis of why high-end RVs cost so much – you are combining al the systems of a house with the capacity of a high end truck.
Pick ups went from being working vehicles to being a different form of statusmobile as soon as they started getting leather seats, styling kits and toys.
I am driving a 2010 Honda Pilot at 122k miles. Some rust is appearing here and there, but runs pretty good. Expecting at least least another 7 or 8 years out of it. As well as my ’07 Camry with 77k, will need new tires and a radiator next month. Still cheaper than a car payment and higher insurance.
I also had a similar story – a 2013 Accord with about 85,000 miles on it. It was great looking, and I’d kept it up, but I noticed a few emerging trouble spots that bothered me, and a recall led to a rebuilt power steering unit. I loved that it still had a CD player. I could have kept it much longer, but those trouble spots made me fall out of love with the car and anxious about a problem when I could least afford it. I also realized it had fallen behind in the safety area and also in the electronics area. And it was a perfect car for a dealer to resell.
I was able to trade it for a 2024 CR-V hybrid in the fall of 2023 and my out-of-pocket was a lot less than I thought it would be. (While testing the car, I realized that today’s cars are basically computers on wheels, and this car was no exception. So, while I would normally never buy one of those add-ons, I opted for a relatively inexpensive add-on warranty that covered every single part of the electronics system of the car – I figured that that was the area where there was bound to be some kind of new or emerging problem, and it would likely be expensive.) The first thing I did when I took the car home was to read through the manual to see what else was there and how it worked. There are many safety (and other) features that didn’t exist in 2013 that I find valuable. The hybrid now has given me an average of 43 MPG over my first 12,000 miles, and I have all sorts of entertainment options and small luxuries to enjoy. Economics theory suggests that the more time that one spends in his or her car, the more willing they should be to spend to make that car a place where that time will be well spent, and not just driving. So that’s my rationale, and I’m sticking with it.
Great story Martin. Sounds like a well thought out approach. Another brother and sister-in-law got a CR-V and love it. 43 MPG is not too shabby. the computer sass I’m still getting ~30 MPG on the Accord.
Curious, what is your neighbor’s debt load with the Porsche, Rivian and Beemer?
I have no idea.
We generally buy new Toyotas keep them for 8-10 years based on whether a family member has need for a free car, but I am looking forward to the day we are car-free like Jonathan!
For some strange reason, I think I’m always buying my “last” car.
Richard, That’s an interesting concept. I remember my father-in-law talking about buying a new care after he and his wife retired. He thought it could be their last car. I’m guessing that is a difficult milestone to consider on your retirement journey.
Every day we are working on getting older. We seem to be succeeding.
Very similar story here. Just traded-in my 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour EXL at 141,500 miles with a clean Car Fax. I take good care of things and it basically looked like a new car every year it was detailed (requirement) as part of the “paint package” I bought when new. For grins, I tracked the cost of ownership to include the total purchase price including financing at 0.9% (!), and maintenance but not gas, insurance or registration fees. 28 cents/mile (not taking trade-in into account yet). Had a basic backup camera and dvd nav system that I never upgraded (had to buy a new disc for $149 every year, so no). It never left us stranded and it especially loved the highways. Overall, I bought it at around $36,000, put about $11,000 into it and traded it in at $9,000 – much better than KBB. Can you tell I loved that car? I did the new car purchase debate in my mind every year, especially when used car prices were temporarily inflated awhile back.
This year, ended up with two somewhat unexpected repairs at $3,000 total, with scheduled maintenance and likely a brake job on the horizon. Having owned Honda’s for decades, both new and used with a total family size of six and a good dealer nearby, it was tough to look at anything other than a Honda. Did a lot of looking. I wanted a car that was higher off the ground, more comfortable on longer drives and easier to get into and out of without ducking so much to avoid the, “Jethro Gibbs head whack.” (I swear, the door openings on our cars shrink as the car ages.)
I purchased a 2025 Pilot about two weeks ago with a decent (relative) APR of 3.9% over 5 years. Yes, a bit of sticker shock as I do like some of the toys but there were a few incentives that helped. While shopping, I never looked at luxury vehicles even though I could have. I just couldn’t justify it in my mind and I couldn’t imagine parking it at the Walmart…….anywhere.
A lot of the buzz these days about the newest gadgetry included in every manufacturer’s vehicles, especially with safety. I still cannot imagine ever using shifter paddles but seems like that’s now a standard in SUV’s and by golly I’ve got em now. Before paddles, used the brake and accelerator. Imagine that? The larger, clearer display screens, rear camera, parking assist sensors and the other cameras really are a great update. As I perused the 800 page owners manual to better understand some of the other, new features in more detail, I discovered that sometimes, these features won’t work under a pretty wide spectrum of exceptions. Hmmm. By far, to me, if you pay attention to your driving and traffic like you’re supposed to do, the other add-in’s are a cost I don’t need. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost been side swiped by vehicles changing lanes, no signal used, the yellow caution indicator brightly illuminated in their side mirror that they apparently couldn’t see but I could. And then comes THE LOOK (or finger salute) when you tap your horn and dodge their vehicle.
I’ve got a whopping 35 miles on the Pilot now as I don’t drive as much anymore. Overall, a very nice vehicle and I’m glad I got it. I didn’t enjoy giving up my Crosstour but it was time. Funny thing was that, once I removed all of my personal goods from it, it was easier to move on. Seemed like just a shell.
GW – the newer Pilots seem to be a nice upgrade fort eh 2022. They styling is certainly more interesting. The 2022 reminds me of a mini-van.
I continue to drive our 12+ year old Ford Expedition. It’s a 6,000 pound tank, and it’s got all the safety features (air bags), ABS, 4WD, etc. that we need. Because of its size and weight, it’s a very safe vehicle. As a retired mechanical engineer, I know that momentum (mass x weight) means a lot in a front, side, or rear end accidents. The oil and filter get changed every 6 months, even though we drive less than 5,000 miles per year, and the engine & transmission are in great condition. If we’re ever in an accident, I want a strong structure around us for protection. We have no intention of replacing this vehicle. I continue to read and hear about all the (expensive to repair) problems people are having with today’s newer vehicles. We have a great radio, CD player (try to find that in new vehicles today), heat, and great A/C -it’s all we need!
Another engineer here, and I have to agree with Braddo about the American size/weight arms race degrading safety nationwide. Trucks and SUV’s also have increased hood heights (basically for cosmetic reasons) and this has been documented to increase pedestrian fatalities substantially. Unfortunately, pedestrians will continue to get hit every day, and the higher grills mean that their vital organs are being struck, turning minor injuries into fatalities.
I’m also an engineer and trying to say this respectfully. Driving a tank because it is safe is somewhat selfish. It implies that you want to crush the other people in an accident. For health and climate reasons, I chose to drive a high efficiency vehicle and walk and bike. We would all be safer if everyone did the same. The arms race to ever bigger tanks for safety does not make society safer.
Maybe new car envy can be redirected to healthy lifestyle envy. Ever more sophisticated electronics translates into more expensive maintenance and shortened vehicle lifetimes. It takes the focus from why we own cars – for transportation.
My sister-in-law drives Expeditions. I always like her cars.
We put an android radio with CarPlay in our 2005 accord. It made the car feel like new and cured the urge to buy a new car..
Great idea Patricia.
We bought a 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid last year which we loaded up with every safety feature imaginable. Cost was around $32,000. We are very happy with it.
Good choice.
Rick, Taylor Larimore cured me of new car envy. We had the ‘it gets me from point a* to point b* talk’ twenty plus years ago.
My looking ahead then I sold the auto I’d been in, and emulated him. Accords and Camrys run forever. I’d advise you to keep your auto.
Ford & Toyota just entered into a new deal eliminating dealers position as middle-men. I’m under the impression theres a backlog of C-19 inventory on some dealers lots unpaid for by dealers.
When he and I were leaving the spot we were at he pulled up in a 90s Toyota. I was not walking well at the time and did not know his car. Remove emotion from the equation, you have one of the most reliable autos.
Thanks Evan. Hard to disagree with Mr. Larimore!
We really like our 2008 Lexus, but also would really like to have even a rear view camera! But, given that we only drive our car 2-3 months out of the year, it makes no sense to get a newer one only to store it most of the time. If something happened to our current car while we’re still nomadic, we might consider renting when we need one rather than buying and storing.
I’m only putting a few thousand miles a year on the Accord; that is a big reason I’m unlikely to replace it at this point. I do have a backup camera and it has a passenger sideview camera which is not common.
Those cameras are great. It’s not expensive to install an aftermarket camera on the Lexus.
Actually hadn’t thought about that, will look into it. Although we drive it so little it may still not be worth it. Thanks for the idea.
My brother has put those cameras in two vehicles. Two of my three vehicles don’t have the camera, so I have to torture my neck when backing out of parking spaces.
Rick, I’d still be driving my 2009 Saturn if not for Chris’s bad knees. I broke down and bought a new Equinox 4 years ago. Now I never want to drive a car without lane assist, backup camera, touch screen, and etc. Regarding hybrids, Chris has a 2010 Prius. At age 14 it’s still going strong with the original hybrid battery. Toyota seems to have their stuff together when it comes to hybrid technology.
Different strokes for different folks, Dan. I love all the newest, latest safety features on my 2023 Venza, but I HATE touch screens. My kingdom for some old-fashioned buttons to push so I don’t have to look down to turn up the fan.
I do not disagree with that. My radio and heater have physical controls, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I do however use internet radio, navigation and the speakerphone, so the touchscreen makes those tasks much easier.
Deserve, need? No, neither, but I am thinking about it.
My Mercedes is ten years old now with 129,000 miles. It is way out of date technology-wise and also lacks the latest safety features. It is the only “luxury” car I ever owned.
This year alone I spent over $6,000 on maintenance and repairs. Not smart. One thing keeping me from a new one is size. They don’t make the same size car, the newer models have a smaller engine too – for more money.
Funny thing about luxury cars though, many with that label cost less than popular pickup trucks crowding our roads owned by people who likely don’t think luxury.
When I do buy a new car, I am not looking for transportation, I am looking for a car that tells me this 80 year old is still at a place he can afford such a car. I confess, I like that feeling.
I would be careful about buying a luxury car. Our 10 year old Subaru Forrester’s electrical system was acting up (dash warning lights lit up like a Christmas tree). We performed a preliminary review of new cars on Consumer Reports and found all the standard luxury cars were rated quite low on customer satisfaction and value. Toyotas were ranked the highest. We were considering the new Crown hybrid AWD on an SUV platform (rides higher and easier for old bodies to get into and out of) but luckily the electrical problem went away. We’re keeping it as it’s mostly driven only once a week to the grocery store by a little old lady
Dick, you bring up a good point about escalating maintenance costs. That can often be the issue that pushes us to replace an old vehicle. WRT luxury pickups -I did taxes this year for a retiree who had ordered a new Ford f150 Lightning. Delivery kept getting pushed back, so he cancelled the order and bought a Tesla and claimed he saved $1,000s. The luxury producers have gotten smart and offer lower-end models – e.g. BMW 3 series in the mid $40s.
If you want to make a statement and trade in the old Mercedes, this could do the trick.
https://www.mbusa.com/en/vehicles/class/sl/roadster
Looks good, but if I got into it chances are I would never be able to get out.
I suffer from the same new-car-envy symptoms, until I see what new vehicles cost for my needs. I also don’t like having “buyers remorse.” Even if I won the lottery, I would still feel I don’t deserve a $50K+ vehicle.
We have a new house where the garage is pre wired for an EV. Have never ridden or sat in an EV, but I hear lots of good comments with their performance for short durations.
Olin, it sounds like we think alike. One of the things that would likely keep my from buying an EV is that we new/old house is not set up well for a charger. We have a small 1-car garage 100 feet from our home. Maybe a hybrid??
Rick, suffer is a strong word. I feel for you. What would make you happier, owning the money or owning the car?
Edmund. You are correct – suffer may have been too strong. I’ve always been lousy at headlines. The fact that I haven’t bought a new car probably answers your question.
I didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t ‘suffering. My wife and I did suffer for a while, with cars that were too old. In fact, I drove most of last winter without heat in the car. We had set aside money for a couple of newer cars, but were caught by the pandemic and the skewed market afterward. We just couldn’t bring ourselves to pay above retail. We finally bought a 2020 Accord for my wife last year. My wife did well on the final deal after they thought we weren’t interested and lowered the advertised price.
This spring, I bought a 2024 Camry with a few miles on it, intending to trade with my daughter for her older car. But she didn’t want to change. I like my car with the new features, and my wife loves hers.
I like your tongue-in-cheek writing, but it may be time to give in to your emotions. And if you do decide to check out the new models…
Edmund, no worries. I’m definitely not suffering! As someone recently said to me, a Honda at 95K miles is just breaking in. My brother-in-law is looking at trading in an older Rav-4 for a newer Camry hybrid. He’s had great luck with Toyota hybrids.
I don’t think you’re talking about a luxury car. I think you’re considering an upgrade that includes new and improved safety features that protect you and your wife. You’re getting older and think that having improved warning systems and preventive measures would be beneficial. I’ll bet you already have the means to pay cash. I am personally waiting for 2025 models and features to be announced, but will likely be going in the same direction.
Jeff, you are very kind. I like the idea of checking out the newer models. My niece got an Ioniq 6 and it looks pretty cool.