Comparing the Price of Used Car to the Price of a New Car

Summary
It was fixed!
The car never ever overheated again! (yet).

It was among the most arduous and expensive repair odysseys that I've ever been through. In the fourth month of the process, it was heartbreaking to think that maybe I could have just ditched this car at the first sign of trouble and bought a new one.

Psychologically, it was taxing. At several times, I didn't know what to do, didn't know what was happening or where I should turn. I was arriving late to meetings, burning money and burning my hand. The people in my life were sick of hearing about my overheating car.

If I look at the final numbers for the year, it is pretty hard to outspend a $293/month lease on a new Hyundai Elantra

Even with four trips to the mechanic totalling almost $1,700, my repair bill was still smaller than a new car payment.

It is close. $1,700 would have covered six months of new car payment... and repair costs don't neccesarily have an end date. Maybe the next six months will be just as expensive, but I doubt it.

A new car will never, ever cost less than repairing this old one, but it might not be worth that price in emotional distress.

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