Sounds like a commercial almost. Just add in a line of "waiting on the side of the road for your buddy with the tow strap.... priceless".
j/k of course. I was told years and years and years ago, buy a new car and keep it at least 10 years. Even with all the maintenance you have to do on a 10 year old car, it is like putting $10,000 in your pocket at the end of the 10 years. So just imagine starting with a 10 year old car. Even if you start right off the bat putting a new drivetrain in, you're still ahead of the money game for the long haul.