I'll never have a car payment. Here's my secret.
Driving a beat-up used car wasn't always a choice, but it became my preference.
During lean financial times in my life, avoiding a monthly car payment was key. That meant driving a paid-off SUV all the way into the ground, and then turning to the used auto auction circuit for a series of junkers that were surprisingly enjoyable to drive around.
I'm lucky enough to have an uncommonly short commute, a complete lack of interest in modern vehicle aesthetics, a durable ego and a dependable auto shop in my neighborhood.
Older, beat-up cars aren't for everyone, and vehicle safety should always be paramount.
But it's slim pickings out there.
Detroit Free Press autos writer Jamie LaReau reported recently that the average list price for a 3-year-old vehicle is now $32,635, an infuriating $9,476 more than it was six years ago.
That's a lot of money. And for the driver who doesn't mind a little rust around the edges, there are affordable options out there. You might just need to dig up and dust off that old cassette tape collection to keep the cruising music playing.
Here's my case for the humble clunker car:
1. Clunker cars save me money
A couple of decades ago, Michiganders could lease a decent new car for $200 to $300 a month, often without a down payment. Sometimes even less.
Those days appear to be behind us.
So in 2021, after my 2008 Kia Sportage bit the dust, I shelled out $1,500 at auction for a bright red 1998 Toyota Camry. (Sorry, union die-hards. I do now own a Ford.)
I dug some old cassette tapes out of my parents' basement – The Fugees, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, Fairuz. I spent another $1,500 on repairs and drove that thing happily for two and a half years.
That comes out to $100 a month. And the insurance was dirt cheap.
I sold it to a neighbor for $400 – a bargain because I like my neighbor – and purchased another, slightly better vehicle, again at auction.
It's a formula I plan to keep following, gradually upgrading along the way, and flaunting my savings to anyone who'll listen.
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2. Older cars help me avoid touchscreen frustrations
I like buttons and knobs in a dashboard.
If I have to scroll and swipe and tap my way to turning on a defogger, I'm liable to curse and spit my way right into a distracted-driving tragedy.
I've seen dashboard computer systems malfunction to the point where the driver was left stranded.
I've had my behind uncomfortably toasted by heated seats.
And I've spent way too much time trying and failing to get my phone to connect via Bluetooth to a modern car stereo system.
Modern amenities aren't all they're cracked up to be. Certainly not at $500 a month.
3. Anything can go wrong. This keeps me ready.
I like to keep close to the reality that just about anyone can go broke at the drop of a hat.
A cancer diagnosis. A bad accident. A stock market crash. A sports betting addiction.
There are 1,001 ways personal finances can go terribly wrong very quickly, necessitating serious lifestyle changes.
I want to be sure I can handle it when catastrophe comes calling, and nothing says "ready for poverty" quite like having to reach through the window to open your car door.
4. Beater cars are easy to buy
Compared with your typical dealership experience, which can be lengthy and stressful, buying a beater at auction or directly from another owner can be surprisingly smooth and quick.
There are online and in-person auto auctions all over Michigan, just about every week.
I've purchased two vehicles, and a whole lot of other fun junk, via Biddergy.com, a Kalamazoo-based online auction house with a warehouse and lot in Garden City, where vehicles can be inspected in-person before online bidding begins. (I didn't inspect either vehicle before buying them, but I'm a madman.)
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All it takes is creating an account, and using some restraint when it comes to bidding. It's easy to get caught up in the competition of trying to outbid everyone else, which can lead to overpaying. Going in with a maximum price in mind is key.
Auction houses typically charge a 15%-18% premium on the final bid.
Getting insurance and making a cash payment put the keys in your hands. Banks and credit unions won't likely offer auto loans for auction purchases, but they may provide personal loans.
One key strategy when bidding in any online auction: Wait until the very end of the auction time frame to place your bid. That's when all the serious buyers make their bids. Jump in too early and turn away, and someone will swipe that bargain right out of your hands.
5. Owning a hooptie provides life lessons
The first order of business after buying that hooptie is taking it to an auto shop for a safety inspection.
Forcing myself through the process of finding a trustworthy repair shop, learning about the most commonly needed replacement parts and figuring out how to diagnose routine problems have seriously enriched my automobile knowledge.
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The experience has given me the ability to make some of the simpler fixes entirely on my own.
Shopping junkyards for parts is next on my personal syllabus of Jalopy Maintenance 101.
I grew up in Dearborn and live in Detroit. Not being much of a car enthusiast has always left me a bit insecure about my Motor City identity. Learning the basics of auto repair fixed that. Even if I may never fully appreciate cars.
6. Honestly? Driving a junker is a little fun.
The SUV I drive now isn't a regular Ford Explorer.
It's a 2014 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor with 157,000 hard-earned miles.
And it was previously owned by the Westland Police Department.
It has no back seats – plenty of room for activities.
It has a pair of bright spotlights, which I've used to illuminate basketball hoops and outdoor work areas at night.
It's also very fast. I've yet to find a safe way to really make use of that attribute. But speedy acceleration does come in handy when merging onto highways.
And the CD player has given me an excuse to pull out the old library of 1990s and early-2000s treasures.
7. I flabbergast my friends and family
My parents certainly don't get it. They know I could probably afford a somewhat nicer car, and I think they're embarrassed by my choice of vehicle.
But the children in my family love playing in the old cop car.
Traffic tends to slow down around me because the shape of my civilianized vehicle still fools a lot of drivers. It's big and intimidating, so I pull up slow and quiet on friends to give them a good scare. Dents and chips mean absolutely nothing, so a bump into a pole or a scrape against a tree branch are good for a laugh.
The Camry may have been an even better conversation piece. It once left me briefly stranded on Belle Isle, refusing to start after a Free Press softball game. But after learning a quick tip via YouTube, I opened up the hood and used a softball to bang on the starter a few times. The delightfully unsophisticated trick had the everlasting Toyota engine purring like a kitten in minutes. It was an unlikely triumph that lifted my spirits for days.
"That thing's gonna last you forever," I heard over and over at drive-thru windows and toll booths.
It didn't. At least not in my possession. But the memories will.
Khalil AlHajal is deputy editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press, where this column originally appeared. Contact him at kalhajal@freepress.com
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