<prompt> Human: My older car 2009 is worth 3k and it currently needs 3k worth of work. In the past two years, I have put another 3k into it. So I think it is time to move on. I dont want a new car, so I am wondering what the sub suggests I do. Do I buy a newer used SUV 2017 for 17k or an older sedan 2014 for 10k. I work at a car manufacturer so I am pretty limited to a specific make of cars. I am not sure what makes more sense. What will give me the most for my money? Aesthetically, Id prefer an SUV but ultimately I would rather make the financially optimal decision. I have 41k saved up, but I had planned to use this for a house downpayment. So do I pay the full amount in cash or do I put a nice chunk down and finance the rest?  <response>: The answer depends in part on your overall financial health. Are you following the steps in the prime directive in the side bar? Do you have any debt? What is your income? Are you contributing to retirement savings accounts in the recommended ways?Other than that, there are car-specific factors such as how many miles do you drive a year? Do you have a cash savings to pay for regular auto expenses like repairs, and are you replenishing that savings monthly?Consider that a gently used car may still have some factory warranty remaining on it, and that gives good piece of mind early on. Typically with a used car, you may not be able to get a cheap or 0 interest loan, so paying cash in full might be the best option. 