<prompt> Human: Hi there PF, My boyfriend and I are in a dilemma currently, he recently finished paying off his 2009 Hyundai Accent, which is great! And mine I am currently still paying for, a 2005 Chevy Malibu, I have about 4k left to pay and Ive had it since 2012. My car has had issues from about the 2nd year since Ive owned it. The lights on the inside do not turn on, I had to have a bunch of stuff realigned, plus more etc etc. Right now, my car with the mileage is kbb valued from 2k to possible 3k more likely less since its got some issues So I am now upside down with this car. Well, my boyfriends car decides its time to have the check engine light start flashing, so thats something we now have to take care of, weve been using my car in the mean time but its not as reliable as his was. Weve been playing around with the idea of trading our cars in for new ones but the thought of having another two car payments, sucks. Big time.Ive been trying to do my research on what would be the best way to go about this, Im just not sure, Ive heard getting a brand new car is never a good idea, so Ive been throwing around the idea of used cars, Im just hesitant because we want something safe and reliable. Any advice on how we should go about this? Thank you!  <response>: To answer the title question...neither. It sounds like his is just fine and you can take it in almost anywhere and get it checked out for free. They will tell you what the problem is, half the time from my experience its nothing or an easy fix. As for your car, it sounds like it is working now and I would continue to use it. I would definitely not buy a new car if you do want a different car and would shop the used car market. Have a Mechanic check it out before you buy! If you want to build wealth over time buying new cars all the time is not the answer. As you are experiencing, they go down in value and will only reduce your wealth throughout your life 