Unless you have a well tuned crystal ball, there is no way to know what your upcoming expense will be. It is possible that the next repair is the last one it will need for a long time. If you buy a brand new car, you still have the possibility that something will break.

I drove my 240D for business covering several states. It was as reliable as any car could possibly be. I always made my meetings, even if they were 300 miles away. I didn't even carry a tool box until it had over 300,000 miles.

You have the right idea IMHO. As much as I love driving my new car, I wish I had never bought it. It costs a lot of money and doesn't do anything that my old cars can't do, except be more fun to drive.

Have a great day,