And to what 4X4 and The Fonz says (sounds like a sitcom or something) there is really no such thing as a crappy vehicle anymore. The way cars are built today as compared to 20 years ago, the difference between what is considered a POS and Best In Class is marginal. There are exceptions to that rule, but for the better part, cars are made incredibly well now, right across the board.
The one huge shift we are seeing in the business is the amount of extended warranties customers are buying. It used to be the odd one here and there, but now, it is over 50% on cash/finance deals (leasing not so much). Most manufacturers are offering warranties up to 10 years and 200,000 kms COMPREHENSIVE, which is insane. Yeah it will run you between $3,000 and $5,000 on average, but I remember when cars were considered scrap metal at those kind of kilometres. The average shop rate at a dealer in Calgary is around $125/hr, and if you keep a new truck for 200k kms, you will get every nickel back and then some in most cases. I usually lease (with the exception of my summer fun car), as for me, being in the business buying makes no sense. But even on my BMW, I bought a 5 year warranty extension, as it just isn't worth the risk anymore. The days of the mechanic that could diagnose a cylinder misfire with a stethoscope are long since gone. Now they yard out your entire ignition system and replace it with a new one.
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