Repairing Or Junking The Car

We all have special relationships with our cars. Some people treat their cars like or better than they treat other people. I don't. But I appreciate that my car runs reliably and that it has been more dependable than most human I know. My car, a Honda Odyssey I bought  new way back in 2003 is old now. It has 156,000 miles on the odometer but is in great shape except for the transmission, which is worn and I have decided to replace before it refuses to shift again. That car has been more dependable than me. You might wonder why I would spend so much money (a new transmission is about $3000) on an old car. Well, it think my car deserves more time on the road . Besides, I am too attached to it.

Well, would you junk grandma if he hip was failing and she would soon be immobile without expensive hip surgery? Surely not. Grandma and my Honda have been faithful and still have many years left. Neither should be junked. Besides, grandma and my Honda are both irreplaceable. They have endearing qualities that "new" doesn't. Too, both have many more years of service once repaired.

I think more people buy a new car rather than repairing a new one because society says they should if they are to be viewed as successful. Also, advertising makes buying a new car at exorbitant cost seem more sexy than repairing the reliable one already owned. That makes little practical sense, but then, we are not practical when buying cars. Then there are those people who are addicted to buying a new car every two years or so as the cell phone addict is addicted to buying the latest cell phone issue. I suspect they rarely even think or evaluate why they are buying new. They probably rarely think about anything. They are robotic products of the consumer age.

As the saying goes, "They also serve who sit and wait," as I wait for my Honda's new transmission to be installed. I think I'll continue to drive my Honda for as long as either of us lives, but it might not be bad for my Honda to outlive me.