I think what bothers me the most is that had I waited 6 months to a year I could have bought the same vehicle brand new for $7-10k less, and 2-1/2 or 3 years later they were selling for half what I paid. When VX's were dropping into the teens, I still owed $25k on mine. That's what makes it a financially irresponsible decision. Like I mentioned before, I love my VX, I just feel I grossly overpaid.

We all know cars aren't good investments; they are more like expendables (just over a very long period of time). Fortunately there are some cars out there that hold their value much longer than others, and I think next time I'm in the market for a vehicle, I'm buying something that has a proven track record for quality as well as retaining some of its resale value. Hell, for the money I paid out in 1999, I could have bought a Mercedes C-Class that would still be worth $15k (private sale) or $13k (trade in).

Of course, as several people have mentioned, we do own a very unique, special vehicle that reflects a certain sense of style and adventure. I have got a lot of enjoyment out of my VX thus far, and I'll likely keep it for quite a while. But it's partly because it's still worth a lot more to me than it would be to a potential buyer. I'm just still in shock over the depreciation of this vehicle. I tend to like to get something new(er) after 4 or 5 years, and that was just never an option with the VX because the value dropped so much faster than my principle balance. All I can say is that never again will I buy a vehicle in it's first model year, no matter how much I like it. Live and learn.