<prompt> Human: Hi, to cut right to the chase, I drive a beater but Im starting to get the feeling that the cost of upkeep is only getting higher and higher. Are there any indicators of when its time sit down and consider the option of a new vehicle? Or am I just having a bad luck of the draw with a bunch of issues popping up in quick succession past few months  <response>: Theres no hard and fast rule. It depends on a lot of factors and one of the most important for a lot of people is whether theyre bored of it or whether or not it fits with their lifestyle. You can keep any car rolling pretty much forever. One of mine is almost old enough to vote and the other almost old enough to collect social security.Large scale maintenance tends to come in waves with longish periods of just preventative maintenance. My newer car just received 3.5-4k worth of major repairs. It was more than the book value. A lot of people would have said its not worth it, but Ive always subscribed to the notion that the devil you know is better than the devil you dont. This philosophy depends on being really in touch with the issues and long term health of your car though. Throwing thousands in suspension work at a car with a tired engine for example might not make sense. 