Originally Posted by pylon
In 5 years of being a used car manager I can tell you, that with good maintenance, most cars, with proper maintenance will get you 200k easy. This is where the problem lies......
To have a mint, top mechanical condition say.... Ford Escape for example, at 220,000 kms, would cost you VASTLY more, than any future value on it. A Super nice, 14 Escape with 220,000 kms would be worth $7-8000, a beat to hell one, would be worth $3-4000.
To keep that vehicle absolutely perfect, and fix everything along the way, would in most cases, cost you far more than the spread. You might get lucky, but odds are, you are replacing one high ticket item along the way, that will cost thousands.
The worst examples of this (sorry guys), are old German Cars. A mint condition 200,000 km 2008 Honda CR-V, will appraise for more money, than a 2008 A6, S Class, & 5 series, Land Rover......etc. The costs of repairing those old German/Euro Cars, is no different than it was in 2008. I sell 12 + year old X5s at the Auction for $1000-1500 on the regular. More than one warning light, usually means they are just parts.
My worst one was a 2012 Land Rover Range Rover. It got called for a supercharger, a rear main leak and the sway bar was leaking as well. Well this thing had some new fangly, way more complicated than required sway bar setup that was pressurized, and did all this crazy stuff. The part alone was $14,000. It also needed tires and brakes. Bear in mind, this vehicle was 10/10 cosmetically, and had 82,000 kms on it. The estimate to pass a safety through my shop..... $34,600. I paid $26000 for the truck, and it was a $31,900 retail piece in the best case scenario. The repairs exceeded the retail value. Land Rover gave me an estimate as well, $37,000. Auctioned it full disclosure for $18,000 and had to lick my wounds.
Certiguard aint gonna be able to get your self levelling Xenon headlight for $80 bucks like the you can for the Halogen on the CR-V. Rear main seal leak on your 535.... $5000 minimum. Where Toyota, Honda, VW, Domestics etc do it right, is they have econo parts programs, where it can actually be cost effective to keep the old girl running.
There are a few exceptions to the rule with Audi S4's, BMW M cars, some AMG Benz's, but even those I am seeing getting binned because they have accumulated so many problems, the only reason you are fixing it, is simply for enthusiast/sentimental purposes.
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