I used to drive a 1999 Nissan Sentra, it looked like a wreck but it got me everywhere I needed to go and was quick and cheap to repair. Everyone told me “you need to get rid of that car.” At the time I wasn’t making tons of money, but I did gain $5K in stocks suddenly during COVID-19.

I searched for “best cars for $5,000” and one of the recommendations was an Audi A3. I didn’t really know shit about cars so I went for it, and boy did I end up spending a lot more than $5K in repairs in the first few years (though luckily I started earning a lot more).

I still love the car to death, but it’s a 10 year old luxury vehicle. I still don’t trust it to get me to the next state but I don’t commute to work so it’s cheaper at this point to keep it and maintain it well rather than buy another used car (with an entirely new set of problems) or take out a huge, huge loan for an updated equivalent (the car is completely optioned out).

I also learned that with German vehicles you must, must find a highly knowledgeable mechanic that you can trust. A few times I took it to a cheaper mechanic closer to home but found out 1-2 years later he didn’t actually fix the problems.

Had I simply waited another few years I probably wouldn’t have had to spend a fortune fixing the damn thing, and I’d probably be financially stable enough to actually get a better car. But I live in Los Angeles where the people I know will feel shame on my behalf due to the car I drive. 🙄