<prompt> Human: Im curious as to everyones opinion on the optimal age of a used car for purchase. Cars plummet in value the moment you drive them off the lot and I know it is rarely a good idea to buy a new car from a financial perspective. However, cars have a definitive end of life and dont last forever. Also, maintenance costs and reliability tend to go down over time. What would be the optimal strategy for buying and selling cars to get the most value out of your dollar?Example: I own a 2012 Camry, would it be an optimal money saving strategy to buy a 2017 Camry in 2022 in when the new car is 5 years old and my old car would be 10 years old? Or should I wait until 2027 to buy a 2017 car and always shoot for 10 year old cars?Just curious if anyone has done the math or has any guidance on this one. Thanks!  <response>: Theoretically the optimal strategy is to buy the stockiest car within your budget and run the puppy into the ground until she dies or starts to have major problems. Rinse and repeat. The longer you drive the car, the more you get out of it. Bonuses you may want to look for besides durability would be: high gas mileage, high safety rating lower insurance premiums!, and a responsible previous owner if you are buying used specially look at frequency of oil changes and other required regular maintenance.Take a look at rwhatcarshouldibuy as well! 