I feel like airbag-era cars are time bombs, so I have to reluctantly pass on a lot of cars I otherwise would enjoy.

You can argue the risk comparison between an old airbag and no airbag, but the thing that sways me is, beyond a certain point, the manufacturer just doesn't care if it works or not. When 95% of the cars have been scrapped, nobody cares if it doesn't work right anymore.

I also consider that on an old car without an airbag, I still have a seatbelt that I will wear, and on an old car with an airbag, I still don't have modern crumple zones and reinforcements.

So I'm sticking with either relatively new vehicles or pre-airbag ones.

What's "a few years"?

$275/month is $3300pa, so you're already at a minimum of $6600 for a near 20 year old car, which doesn't sound particularly cheap.

I'm on a lower monthly cost of ownership for 3 years ownership of a 6 year old car.

I've owned it for 45 months. I'd like to get another 5 years out of it as a daily driver with minimal upkeep.

Also, it's not a car - it's an SUV - so it's going to cost more than a car. I bought it because I really wanted an old 4Runner, not because I wanted the cheapest car.

Car is a general word for 4 wheeled motorised personal transport? SUV is hardly more specific. A 2 wheel drive with slightly increased ride height is classed as an SUV these days.

Your mention of costs seemed to imply that it was cheap which didn't seem to me to be the case.

Wow, OK, you win - you got a cheaper car than me. Congrats.

However, anecdote vs data:

"Used car payments hit record $400 per month as prices top $20,000" [0]

So I still think I've done pretty good with my purchase.

[0] https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2018/11/08/used-ca...

You said you wanted an old 4Runner, that's fair enough. I was interpreting it with more emphasis on the monthly price, rather than specific car, than perhaps you intended :)