facts please..

Intangible costs (e.g. satisfaction, convenience, etc.) are very much harder to calculate or converted into dollars and cents. Need to ask economist colleague. However, you've managed to answer your own question. Hypothetically, you're willing to lose $10k for 5-years of driving satisfaction. This "satisfaction" is subjective. But let's say we convert it into an ordinal scale, say Likert's 5-point scale. Assuming you're satisfaction level is 5 (perfectly satisfied) as opposed to a better RV car which gives you satisfaction level of 3 (so-so). Thus, you gain 2 points of satisfaction for a 5 year period at a cost of $10k. The next question is, what's your limit/dealbreaker?  $20k? $50k? How many ringgit per satisfaction points per year is good enough for you? Ok so now it becomes more complex and less fun.

Not just about driving satisfaction. How about peace of mind driving?
Driving a least-safe car equal waiting for disaster happen!

Resale value can be sacrificed but definitely not for your legs!


Here are the example car with premium price tag, high resale value but with poor safety rating:

I guess the "joy/satisfaction" of driving can only be afforded by the rich and famous, no?
If one can only afford a Proto*, then he/she should limit his/her imagination (only in terms of driving) and just enjoy the ride.