And in fact like the two mechanics who live next-door to me. None of them will buy a new car. They all insist it's not worth it. But they leave off the last couple of words: It's not worth it to them.

Any one of the three can diagnose whatever might go wrong. If they can't fix it, they either know someone who can or at least know exactly what to have done. If my car breaks down, I usually need to take it to someone.[1] Even if I'm treated fairly it's still unexpected time without my car, which can sometimes cost as much as the repairs.

For the forseeable future, I don't plan on having anything that isn't still under the original factory warranty. I've noticed one thing the manufaturers are really good at is predicting how long their cars will last, and the warranty length tends to be a pretty good indicator.

[1] Having a mechanic for a neighbor has saved me some big money, though. He diagnoses and I do the work.