I mean, how hard can it be right? It should be cheap and no real issue compared to SG.
Well... I recently found out that it's a lot harder than it seems.
Cars are cheaper in the US, but they aren't really cheap.
Cheap cars can be as low as US$1,000-US$4,000 but they are pretty crappy. I mean REALLY crappy. And my standards are already quite low.
I felt sad sitting in the car. Smelly, scratched up, some leaks here and there...
So I decided that that budget would be too low, cos I'm going to be using the car everyday and I want at least a bit of comfort and happiness.
BUT WAIT. I can buy an old BMW or Mercedes for around US$4,000!
I asked around and everyone told me not to ever do that. The car would be cheap but I would require to spend a lot on repairs and maintenance.
If I was looking for a cheap old car, I would need to find a Toyota.
They are expensive for old cars but they have less issues when I use it.
Meaning, I could find a US$4k Toyota which would run more reliably than a $4k BMW.
Makes me think of my old post (曾经拥有 I once used to have).
It would be a great time for me to buy a cheap BMW or Mercedes and just drive it for a bit and repair it along the way. I would probably never be able to afford such a vehicle when I return to SG.
OMG my tastes have changed. I'm looking at BMW instead of Mercs.
Maybe cos I'll never own a sports car in SG and I'm looking for a pretty looking one.
But ok, moving on, then we increased our budget to around US$7k, and I was looking around, the Toyota Camrys at US$7k are either newer models "2010" with 120k miles (not kilometers), OR "2006" models with lower miles around 80k miles.
So it's a give and take. Both of these also aren't perfect. They may have a bit of issues, light leaks, wear and tear, suspension issues, etc. But definitely in a better condition than the US$4k cars.
Then the question we asked ourselves is...
Most people buy Toyota Camrys cos they last forever.
Camrys have their own clientele. They are boring cars for people who want a long term vehicle.
IF they are selling it after 10-15 years... WHY? What's wrong with it?
OR...
If the Camry has 5 previous owners... then... maybe that's the rare lemon Camry?
Which makes me suspect and wonder...
Cos in my mind... rarely would someone sell their Camrys. It would be rare for someone to sell their Camry if the Camry has no issues.
Cos people who buy Camrys want reliability. And usually Camrys are reliable. And the only reason for them to sell it, is IF the Camry is no longer reliable.
Which lead me to looking at new cars!
Cos... second hand Camrys cannot be trusted!
And since I'm looking at new cars... then might as well look at BMW and Mercs as well!!!
Cos, if there's anytime to get one, nows the time, cos I'll never afford it in SG.
So I'm back to square one.
I estimate if I lease a vehicle, it would cost me around US$10k-US$15k for 2 years.
If I bought an old Camry at US$7k, I could spend another US$3k in unlikely repairs and own it until I go back to SG, and I'll still recoup some money back when I sell it.
Still makes a lot of logical sense to just buy an old car and repair it.
I'm still stuck in between currently. Still looking for a vehicle. I need to get one within the next 10 days cos I have to return the temporary rental vehicle soon.
I'll likely just get a reasonable Camry and repair it when I need to. It's probably the most economical way.
Although the idea of spending a bit to own a fancy car does appeal to me. Cos truthfully, this is probably the only chance I'm going to get to get such a vehicle for a low price.
Let's see how it goes in the next few days.
<<PREVIOUS POST // NEXT POST>>
Did you like this post? If so, could you "blanjah" me 1/4 cup of my morning coffee pls.
You may also consider subscribing to receive the articles in your email, link in the column on the right.