>>>Same thing applies to buying cars, the depreciation is such a huge factor your better off to drive the wheels off your old buggy, put some new ones on and drive them into the ground, again and again.
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>>The most expensive thing you can do to a new car (without actually damaging it) is to drive it off the seller's lot. The moment you inserted the key and started the engine, you lost 20% of the car's value.
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>>Which is why I'll keep buying used cars (the ridiculous expression "pre-owned" was not translated into Serbian, nor non-translated into Engrbian, so used it is), and will generously leave the luxury of buying new cars to those who know how to appreciate it (pun premeditated).
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>I'm probably sick because my wife and I have typically bought new and kept the cars for ten or fifteen years, unless the repairs start costing more than the car is worth. OTOH a friend never buys a car less than two years old. He's probably smarter than I am.

I'm probably just lucky to have found a good used car each time so far. I drove a six year old corolla for another ten years. The repairs were minimal, overall below the cost of gas. And if you're keeping a new car so long, then you don't care how much it's worth 5 minutes after you buy it, and probably end up just like me, having a ride for about $1500 a year (in cost of hardware - gas and insurance are not in this amount). OTOH, if you're out of luck, you can waste a fortune on repairs, even on a new car, once the warranty expires.

If you're changing cars frequently, those aged 3-8 years are a good bet. My son in law has done it 40 times (with cars aged up to 20 years), but he's a pro and knows the ropes.