Ever since getting burned as a younger man when purchasing a new car I been frugal.
Maybe perhaps too frugal, I dont know anyone at my income level who drives vehicles over a decade old as I do.
I still think buying new is too much $$.
So I try to get a good used and then do remedial maintenance bumper to bumper all at once at a shop that will give me a volume discount.
As a result it leaves me vulnerable with insurance though.
I may have 16+k in a vehicle that books for 7k tops.
But you will not find another that year/milage in the near new condition I have it in.
This is my 14 year old 177,000 mile V8, 4x4 pathfinder, pics from today after I had some scratches taken care of.
Prophylactically replaced a lot of stuff to achieve near new reliability.
It has ALL fluids done in past year, ENTIRE (and I do mean entire) suspension replaced, all brakes within last year, new radiator (this model year did not have good ones), new belts, hoses, lots of other prophylactic stuff.
Bose system rocks as ever. Leather is nice and soft.
Sunroof+windows works 100%. No drop of oil used between changes.
Gets driven hard every day; handles, brakes, accelerates as new.
Springs are a very very mild lift (Moog) to make the slightly taller tires look OEM.
Tires one step (from 265-60R18) oversize 265-65R18 Yoko Geolandar G015 (one of the few AT tires that is H rated)
Headlight and foglight. bulbs replaced with Phillips Xtremevision
PS: I also have a 2011 Xterra PRO4X in similar condition.
But I did not have to do any rehab to speak of, with it. Then again it cost twice to buy what the pathy did. But thy pathy needed a lot more TLC to get to my standards.
But I admit all this does take effort on my part, finding the right shop that is good enough I like the work, but affordable enough make economic sense, to catch up the typically deferred maintenance.
I think if either of these vehicles get stolen/totaled, I will buy a new, Armada or Altima to replace to avoid the time spent chasing down perfection in an older vehicle.
PS: This is the Xterra: