Suppose that you have an old car that is a real gas guzzler. It is 10 years old and could be sold to a local dealer for $ cash. The annual maintenance costs will average $ per year into the foreseeable future, and the car averages only miles per gallon. Gasoline costs $ per gallon, and you drive miles per year. You now have an opportunity to replace the old car with a better one that costs $. If you buy it, you will pay cash. Because of a 2-year warranty, the maintenance costs are expected to be negligible. This car averages miles per gallon. Should you keep the old car or replace it? Utilize a 2-year comparison period and assume that the new car can be sold for $ at the end of year 2. Assume that the salvage value of the old car at the end of year 2 will be $0. Ignore the effect of income taxes and let your MARR be %.

you should replace the old car with a newer and more efficient one

Explanation:

all the numbers are missing, so I looked them up:

current sale value of old car $400

maintenance costs per year $800

gasoline expense per year = $3.50 x 1/10 x 15,000 = $5,250

resale value in 2 years = $0

cost of replacing old car = $8,000

maintenance costs per year $0

gasoline expense per year = $3.50 x 1/30 x 15,000 = $1,750

resale value in 2 years = $5,000

MARR = 15%

if you keep the old car, your net cash flows will be:

Year 1 = -$6,050

Year 2 = -$6,050

if you change your car, your net cash flows will be:

Year 0 = -$8,000 + $400 = -$7,600

Year 1 = -$1,750

Year 2 = $3,250

keeping the old car results in a NPV = -$6,050/1.15 - $6,050/1.15² = -$5,260.87 - $4,574.67 = -$9,835.54

changing for a new car results in a NPV = -$7,600 -$1,750/1.15 + $3,250/1.15² = -$7,600 -$1,521.74 + $2,457.47 = -$6,664.27

since both options result in negative cash flows, we must select the option that results in a smaller loss

cognitive overload: having a lot on your mind impairs decision-making and tends to result in the simplest, but not necessarily best, option being selected.

empathy gaps: overlooking how you might feel in a different situation can result in unnecessary purchases, such as overbuying when shopping for food on an empty stomach.

optimism and overconfidence: wearing rose-tinted glasses and having unrealistic expectations about the future can affect money management and leave you unprepared for a change in circumstance.

instant gratification: seeking instant gratification drives impulsive spending and can undermine long-term planning and savings.

harmful habits: automatic or mindless behaviour can amplify a poor financial decision as it becomes a recurring event.

social norms: we are heavily influenced by the actions of others; while this can be in certain circumstances, it also contributes to the pressure to keep up with the joneses through conspicuous consumption.

c.

clarify customers’ doubts only when asked.