KEN ALLEN
← The Vehicle Philosophy

Interactive tool

The Vehicle Wealth Calculator

Most people never run the numbers. Plug in your own and watch what the "new car every few years" habit really costs you over a lifetime — versus keeping one repair-forever vehicle. Move the sliders.

45 years
15,000
$4.00
Try a lifetime:

The new-vehicle habit

Financing a new truck (or car) every few years — eating the depreciation each time.

$65,000
4 years
7.0%
$2,400
$1,000
17 mpg

The repair-forever vehicle

One well-kept older vehicle you maintain and fix.

$8,000
$1,800
$4,000
$700
22 mpg
New-car habit — total
$0
Repair-forever — total
$0
New-car habit
Repair-forever
You keep
$0

Invested at 7% a year instead of financing depreciation, that difference could grow to $0 over the same period.

That's the wealth decision hiding in your driveway. Teach it to your kids in their teens and the lifetime swing reaches seven figures.

Get the free cheat sheet & the rest of the tools →

This is an illustration, not financial advice — every number above is yours to change. Defaults reflect a typical new truck (most new full-size trucks run $60k–$85k), a 6-year loan, and full-coverage insurance. The new-vehicle path assumes you replace with another new one each cycle and take no trade-in credit — meaning you absorb the full depreciation, which is exactly how it plays out for most "always drive new" buyers. It defaults to a new one every 4 years (realistic once you factor in trades and upgrades); if you keep yours longer, slide that up — even at 8 years the gap is well into six figures. Fuel is included for both paths — big trucks are thirsty, so set the new truck's MPG low and your repair-forever keeper's higher. The point isn't the exact figure — it's the size of the swing. Always verify a specific vehicle before you buy.

A personal note from Ken

What I'd add to an older vehicle

Buying repair-forever doesn't mean going without modern comforts. Here's what I put in mine — one I'd make mandatory, one that's just a nice-to-have:

  • Must-haveAndroid Auto head unit + backup camera. This is the one I'd make mandatory for me and my family. Hands-free is a real safety feature with how much we all use our phones — and a backup camera is now standard in every new vehicle, so this simply brings an older one up to par. A local shop installs a double-DIN touchscreen with backup camera for around $1,500.
  • Nice-to-haveRemote start. A luxury, not a need — and it's becoming standard on newer vehicles, though not on every one yet. But if you live somewhere cold like Maine, warming the truck up on a January morning is a genuine treat, and it's an easy add on an older keeper. About $500 installed.

Even with both, that's roughly $2,000 spent once — nothing next to financing a new truck every four years — and you get the conveniences people assume only come in a brand-new vehicle.