[sc_rufctr]

Nothing beats the convenience of a good quality new car. They just work.
For a single lady who can get a good finance deal (~0% interest) they're probably the best option but you need to keep the car for more than 8 years to make it worthwhile.

But if you can DIY then an ancient MB makes a lot more sense to me.

For me it's about cost per year. My current daily is 21 years old... I plan to keep it another two years and then it would owe me less than a $1,000 a year. (aside from normal running costs). That's cheap motoring.

I know a lady who bought an i30 Hyundai diesel. That car was nothing but trouble and after 3 years of ownership she traded it for a Corolla.
Turned out to be a very expensive car because she got next to nothing for it as a trade.