Is your car feeling old, tired, and worn out? Maybe the paint has lost its luster. Or there’s a strange noise coming from somewhere. Or the radio’s kaput. Maybe all of the above. You probably loved it once, back when everything was fresh and new. But now, each time you slide behind the wheel, it’s a bit depressing.

If so, you’re probably thinking about swapping it for something newer. That seems like the logical thing to do. Newer cars are shiny and bright, and they have all of the latest features. But newer cars also come with a host of new expenses — among them, higher depreciation and costlier insurance.

In this installment of “What It’s Like to Own,” we sit down with Edmunds vehicle data manager Stephen Lee to talk about the highs and lows of owning one of BMW’s legendary 330i ZHP sedans, which he bought new nearly twenty years ago and has been enjoying ever since.

In this installment of “What It’s Like to Own,” we sit down with veteran automotive journalist Scott Oldham to talk about the highs and lows of owning a classic 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS427 Baldwin-Motion replica.

No used car is perfect. They’ve all seen use and probably some abuse, been exposed to sun and wind and rain, endured muddy shoes and Starbucks spills and parking lot scapes. Call it patina. Call it normal wear and tear. Call it what you will — it’s what makes a used car “used.”

Buying a used car saves you money, but it also means picking up responsibility for all of these deficits, demerits, and scars. Some will need to be fixed immediately. Others can be left alone – sometimes for years, sometimes for good.

In April of 2021, I purchased a 1977 Mercedes-Benz 240D from its original owner, who had special ordered it, picked it up at the factory, and then used it as a daily driver for some 44 years and 250,000 miles.

Here I’ll be chronicling my own adventures with the car, including how I came to buy it, what it’s like to live with, and how much it costs to run.

Welcome to Life in the Slow Lane.

In this installment of “What It’s Like to Own,” we sit down with NerdWallet columnist Philip Reed to talk about the highs and lows of owning a VW Jetta SportWagen TDI, which we’ve identified as a used car bargain.

It’s obvious that new cars and older cars have differing needs when it comes to care and maintenance. What’s less obvious is that these cars also have differing requirements when it comes to auto insurance.

If you’re planning on adding an older car to your garage, there are certain things you should keep in mind if you want to get insurance coverage that saves you money and abides by state law.

At Klipnik, we read lots of used car listings, and it’s not because they are so beautifully crafted. Usually the opposite is true. Most are hastily thrown together and lack key details.

Not only is this frustrating for buyers, who may drive halfway across town to discover that “needs a little TLC” means there’s a goat living in the backseat. For sellers, it’s worse because a lackluster ad can easily diminish the sale price of the vehicle.

Fortunately, it’s not too hard to put a decent listing together. Just make sure to avoid these common offenses, which can tank your sale.

At Klipnik, we believe that buying a used car is one of the smartest — and easiest — ways to save money. It protects you from the #1 car ownership expense: depreciation. The trade off is that, in most cases, your used car purchase is no longer covered by a factory warranty. And that means you are stuck paying any repair bills out of your own pocket.

That may sound scary. But it doesn’t have to be. All you need is a knowledgeable mechanic that you can trust.

In this installment of “What It’s Like to Own,” we sit down with Edmunds staffer Josh Sadlier to talk about the highs and lows of owning one of Toyota’s legendary off-roaders, the 100 Series Land Cruiser.

Selling a used car can be stressful. But it doesn’t have to be. Used cars are more popular than ever. Americans bought about 40,000,000 used vehicles last year, and according to the Wall Street Journal used cars values are on the rise.

This increased demand has also expanded the options when it’s time to sell your car. Used cars are big business, and the industry has responded with a new batch of online used car superstores like Carvana and Vroom.

But what’s the best way to sell a used car? What steps should you take to minimize your time investment and maximize your selling price?

Here we’ll discuss the pros and cons of a few popular options: trading the car in, selling it to a used car dealer like Carmax, selling it privately through a site like craigslist, as well as donating the car to charity. We’ll explain how each works as well as how to set a price for your vehicle.