If anybody wants to sell me a car for 3-5k that will provide me with 200k of reliable transportation I will buy it in a second.
Sadly that deal just isn't available around here, or at least not that you can count on. Buying a used vehicle is a pig in a poke proposition, no more no less. A used vehicle has it's best days behind it, and will only get less reliable and costlier per mile to maintain.
I buy new, plan to keep for a long time and evaluate as I go the cost benefit of replacing the vehicle. When it is time for a new car I hope to get 400k and 10 years out of it. I expect 6 years and 250k if I take care of it. The one thing I have in my favor for outstanding longevity is I only use it to go to work. It is started and heat cycled twice a day. I average 53 mph every minute the car is running compared to about 25-30 which is average. So in 400k I will put the same amount of hours on the car as 200k in more normal use. I also have very little stop and go miles and very few short trips.
