<prompt> Human: Hello. I have a question about when it is financially more responsible to get a new car. And by new, I mean slightly used, not brand new. I currently drive a 2003 Subaru Outback with over 180k miles. It drives well right now, but I have dumped a lot of money in it the past several years. I drive across the country a lot due to switching jobs. I am in academia, and you basically move where theyre willing to fund you. When I first drove out to PA from CA, I did a trip check, and had to do some repairs that cost nearly 1k. When I drove back to CA 3 years later, the repairs to my car cost 2k, and then I had to repair something again when I arrived in CA that cost around 700. I just had to drive out east again, and a trip check at the local mechanic uncovered some problems that put me back another 1k. So, thats almost 4k in repairs in the last 4 years. The car itself is probably only worth around 4k max. And, given the cars age and high mileage, I feel that more and more repairs are always right around the corner. AMy question to all of you is: at what point is it more financially sound to sell the car and buy a newer, more reliable vehicle with fewer miles on it? How much does the next repair have to cost for it to not even be worth fixing the car, and instead getting something newer? I often wonder if I am just committing a sunk-cost fallacy. Ive already invested so much in repairs in this car, so Id better keep using it! Is this the case? or is it actually more financially responsible to throw money at this old car rather than buy something more expensive, with no guarantee that it wont have its own constellation of problems Ill have to deal with. At what point should I just get a new car? And how new of a car should I buy? Is buying a brand new car a reasonable thing to do? To give you a little information regarding where Im at financially, I have around 20k in savings, and am starting a new job next month where Ill be making 65k per year. I am single, and have no children. Thanks in advance for your help!  <response>: It really depends on what kind of repairsmaintenance the car needs. Tires, brakes, fluid services, timing belts, and even some suspension components are all wear items that all cars need. I wouldnt even blink at spending 1K on new tiresbrakes for a car that is only worth 4k. However, if the car had some kind of powertrain failure Id have to weigh my options. From a purely financial standpoint, 1K in repairs per year is probably a lot less than what a lightly used car will depreciate in a year. Owning and operating a car is expensive, no real way around it. As long as you feel confident your current car will get you to where you need to go safely then Id keep driving it. 