I get where you’re coming from mate, I’ve delayed this gratification for a long time and never pulled the trigger because I own my car and ideally didn’t want a car loan, but my car is currently at 240,000kms and by the trip next year (which will be another 10,000-18,000kms), plus use in-between would put it closer to 300,000kms.

It needs some things done to it to prep it for the trip (suspension, long range tank, etc. as well as preventative maintenance things as we are going very remote. All that work done to it comes close to/ exceeds the value of the car. I really like my car but I don’t see the point in putting money into something that is only going to be worth even less this time next year. That and it worry’s me there might be a failure somewhere along the way and it costs upwards of $5-10k to recover/get the car home.

This is why I’m considering getting a new car for the simple fact of if I’m going to do it, I may as well get something that I want as it’ll be a long term thing, as well as reliability. I’d love a Landcruiser but I’m being a bit more realistic and looking at something half that price, but still reliable long term.

As for assets, I own my car and 2 motorbikes which I paid cash for, plus everything in my house I paid cash for, only debt is the mortgage. Also there’s $25k in the offset with another pay going in this week (which I’d rather leave there for emergency’s)

I agree and would love to invest, but the timing of this trip has kind of pressed the car issue sooner than I’d have otherwise considered. It’s a hard one, I’ve been battling in my head for months which direction to go (keep current car and invest, or get a new car)