Which car to buy?

LessisNevermore

bigaudiofanatic wrote: »

I probably beat my car more than you do with your truck. I go threw a set of tires in about 17 months. I am not saying it can not go to 298k like our old honda did but I just want something better.

When you work on cars and install car audio systems and drive bmw 740's and z's and Mercedes and than drive your "honda" its not even close to the same. I know the saying that there will always be something better but still.

Reality check.

You=teenager living at home.

The cars you want,......sure you might be able to swing the payment + insurance, but parts for the cars you listed are pretty expensive. In order for those cars to even be in your price range, they will likely be of an age or used enough to be needing some fairly pricey maintenance.

I know you don't want to hear it, but suck it up until you hit 25. Buy affordable cars until then. They don't have to be beaters, but you don't want to be the guy driving around in an otherwise tight looking Caddy with a minor oil leak that costs $3500 to fix.

Remember, a car is one of the worst investments you can ever make.

bigaudiofanatic

I am not looking for an investments. I am just looking for a new car. If I had a more powerful car I would not abuse it as much. It is like my bike I started out on a 1983 r100rs but got a kawasaki versys a year later. I rarely ever give it full throttle as it has enough power for me. I know about parts and maintenance for cars that is not a problem for me.

PerfectCreature

I would have to agree with keep your car you have.

I have the money to buy a new car,and I need one bad, but at the moment would rather wait because you don't know what could happen...
Just weigh what you do very heavy, it is a legal binding ordeal, and it can mess your life up alot if you even make one late payment....

nooshinjohn

bigaudiofanatic wrote: »

I am not looking for an investments. I am just looking for a new car. If I had a more powerful car I would not abuse it as much. It is like my bike I started out on a 1983 r100rs but got a kawasaki versys a year later. I rarely ever give it full throttle as it has enough power for me. I know about parts and maintenance for cars that is not a problem for me.

That part of your statement is somewhat laughable... the "I need the power, but I won't abuse it" line comes from most dictators the world over. It is comparable to saying to some uber-hot girl's father, "let her spend the weekend in Vegas with me- nothing will happen". Good luck selling that one to the caveman at Geico.:D

cstmar01

Have fun paying the insurance if you get any of those cars. If your under 25 ha....I think my insurance is bad enough driving a very old ford exploder and my grand am GT and I have a flawless driving record and no accident under my belt. Seeing if you get something that is "sporty" they will hit you hard for insurance, trust me, they will.

I would suggest getting something a bit cheaper ect, honestly what do you really need the extra power for? In the end if your really not going to use it, then IMO its a waste, and I would rather have a car thats practical but also functional....man I sound like I'm 90 this sucks.....

and Ben's got some fast rides that didn't cost an arm and leg to have.....

sucks2beme

Start putting away the car payment right now every month until yours dies.
Then go buy a car. You'll think a lot harder about it after making payments for a while. There's a reason most people don't drive BMW's. Could I buy one?
Sure, any day of the week. Would I? NO. The wife want's something a bit sporty, but the jury is still out. In the meantime, I'll see how far past
the 200K+ mark I can get out of the truck.
Benefit of being old, I really don't care what the neighbors think.
I'd rather have money in the bank that flash.

Demiurge

There are some smart folks at CP.

bigaudiofanatic

Demiurge wrote: »

There are some smart folks at CP.

Not a doubt

ledhed

bigaudiofanatic wrote: »

When you work on cars and install car audio systems and drive bmw 740's and z's and Mercedes and than drive your "honda" its not even close to the same. I know the saying that there will always be something better but still.

Try driving a modded C5 Corvette and lightly racing a new Z06 and go home in a '00 Toyota Avalon with 160k on it. For years I've been trying to get a different car but for ~$500/month I can think of much better things to do like traveling. I just got back from a fantastic vacation I'll never forget that would not have been possible with a sizable car payment.

Also, budget for life; you'd be amazed at how much a simple weekend landscaping can cost and trust me, a great looking house will get a girl faster than a car.

If you are set on a car, and one with four doors and power, I'd look down a few notches. WRX, E36 M3, etc.

Personally, I'd go with a cheap coupe and drive the piss out of it. Toyota MR2, S2000, C4 Vette, Boxster, Z3/4, etc.

FWIW, I'm 21

concealer404

bigaudiofanatic wrote: »

A used bmw I read if you can afford around 500 a year or less for maintenance you will be fine. The acuras are good as well for maintenance.

That number would be right if you were an extremely lucky guy that bought a cream puff.

I guess it depends on how well you're planning on maintaining it and how many miles it has on it.

3 main killers on used BMWs:

1) Cooling system
2) Bushings will be shot before 100k miles (but most people just ignore it because they don't know any better)
3) valve adjustments (not real cheap on vanos motors)

If you buy a used BMW, you WILL have to deal with all three. If you can't do it yourself, you could easily spend $3-$4k just on those three items alone.

concealer404

Here's another tidbit to mull over:

You buy a car now.

Say in 2 years, you decide you want to move out. But you can't afford to, because you have this car payment. Bad move, sir. Bad move.


But again... you didn't answer my questions:

1) What job do you hold right now?
2) How many hours and pay?
3) Is it stable and/or something you see yourself holding until the car is paid off?


I'm somewhat in the same boat as you right now, mulling over buying a house at the moment. But i'm taking a long hard look as to whether or not i want that debt hanging over my head for the next 10-15 years potentially.

Demiurge

A house....now? Why didn't you buy one when you'd have received an $8K tax credit? Now that its gone home sales are in the crapper because anyone who was in the position to buy did so when they could get $8K to do it. I'm sure the deals are better than ever with people forced to sell, but still.

Sorry for the hijack.

concealer404

Demiurge wrote: »

A house....now? Why didn't you buy one when you'd have received an $8K tax credit? Now that its gone home sales are in the crapper because anyone who was in the position to buy did so when they could get $8K to do it. I'm sure the deals are better than ever with people forced to sell, but still.

Sorry for the hijack.

Hrmmm... i just saw that they extended the credit until September 30th, but you may be right, seems there's some small print under it all.

Either way, "deals are better than ever" doesn't begin to describe what i'm looking at at the moment.

Zeros

BAF, I've seen the civic and it looks nice and is a nicer car than I had when I was your age. It I were you I would save that car payment money towards a house payment.

I used to be into cars, modding them and what not. Then I realized that the money I put into them got me nothing in return unless you are racing them like Concealer or showing them at car shows.

Trust us, if the car gets you from point A to point B that's all that is necessary. Save it for a house.

Demiurge

concealer404 wrote: »

Hrmmm... i just saw that they extended the credit until September 30th, but you may be right, seems there's some small print under it all.

Either way, "deals are better than ever" doesn't begin to describe what i'm looking at at the moment.

Well, awesome for you if it is! Good luck with whatever you end up doing.

Jstas

Why don't you people let the fool part with his money and learn the hard way. He apparently has it all figured out. Besides, his parents are co-signing, remember? Technically, his name is on the loan but they will be the primary borrowers and therefore have the primary responsibility with their credit rating at stake. It's not even his money he's spending. Hell, why settle for one prestigious ride? Why not get all 4! Think how cool it'll be then! :rolleyes:

Demiurge

Because I think we're hoping that even if he doesn't show it here, that when he lays his head on his pillow at night he's at least letting some of these comments sink in. Its doubtful, but that's the hope.

He's getting lots of good advice and if he doesn't take it he will learn the hard way in the long run. Especially when his parents aren't co-signing for loans and he makes impractical decisions with his own money.

cstmar01

I missed the part of your parents co signing.....if you default we go after them for the money btw and it normally doesn't end well.

Also I'm 24, if I ever even asked my parents to co sign a loan for me they would look at me and laugh and think I was on drugs. I would say when doing the loan that the only factor YOUR income in this. Maybe you have a job that you can easily afford a 500 dollar payment and then insurance on top of that, along with living expenses, 401K savings, savings itself, any other CC bills, ect.

debt is not something people should want to bring on, or leave others with. If you can't pay then it leaves your parents to pick up a bill for you. An extra 500 a month maybe a drop in the bucket for some, but IMO its unfair to leave your parents paying something that YOU drive.

Ricardo

Just by looking at the first four options on the poll I can say you have not even started to learn anything about life.

Jstas

Ricardo wrote: »

Just by looking at the first four options on the poll I can say you have not even started to learn anything about life.

Oh, come on! He needs TEH POWAHS! What's wrong with you Ricardo? I think you need to get yourself some of TEH POWAHS too. Then you'll understand.

Oh and be careful, he's certainly more experienced than you. Imagine how many more DHL trucks he could run in to with all that POWAHS! :rolleyes:

bigaudiofanatic

Jstas wrote: »

Why don't you people let the fool part with his money and learn the hard way. He apparently has it all figured out. Besides, his parents are co-signing, remember? Technically, his name is on the loan but they will be the primary borrowers and therefore have the primary responsibility with their credit rating at stake. It's not even his money he's spending. Hell, why settle for one prestigious ride? Why not get all 4! Think how cool it'll be then! :rolleyes:

Thanks but it is not the first loan I have had I took one out for my motorcycle it was a 2 year loan paid off in 12 months. A second one I took out for mods it was a 6 month loan paid off in 3 months.

I understand the concern about maintenance, and I have a friend that does them. I might just keep the car will think about it and lay the pros and cons out tonight.

Jstas

Oh, don't be mistaken. I have no concerns whatsoever. I'm merely immensely amused by the absurdity of this thread.

Here's some advice. If you can't afford the car, don't get it. If you have to get the parents to co-sign, then the bank obviously does not believe that you are A. a viable credit risk with enough good credit history. 2. have enough income to cover the loan. Since that is likely the case, you can't afford the car. Simple as that.

ohskigod

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »

- What are you doing to your car to wear it out?

watch fast and the furious, then imagine it being done in a Civic with a **** can......basically same abuse, just a slower car.

concealer404

Jstas wrote: »

Oh, don't be mistaken. I have no concerns whatsoever. I'm merely immensely amused by the absurdity of this thread.

Here's some advice. If you can't afford the car, don't get it. If you have to get the parents to co-sign, then the bank obviously does not believe that you are A. a viable credit risk with enough good credit history. 2. have enough income to cover the loan. Since that is likely the case, you can't afford the car. Simple as that.

This is the harsh truth, and what everyone has been trying to tell you the entire thread, BAF. It's not mean spirited, it's just the way it is.

Sure, you can get the car. And you can probably pay it off. But it won't be YOUR car. It'll be the bank's car first, your parents' car second, and yours third.

Don't take this the wrong way, but at your age, do you really want to continue being spoonfed and have these luxuries provided for by your parents? This is the time where you should be thinking about what you can do for yourself, rather than what else your parents can do for you after they've already provided for you your entire life.

bigaudiofanatic

ohskigod wrote: »

watch fast and the furious, then imagine it being done in a Civic with a **** can......basically same abuse, just a slower car.

Someone has jokes! HAHA. Stock exhaust with a aem intake a nice audio system with factory wheels with high grip tires for taking corners. I like corners and I like to take them fast I do not race. Nice jokes though.

The reason I wanted a co signer is for a lower interest rate than what they would offer.

Jstas

The fact that you even think a Civic is anything other than basic, economical transportation is indicative of a problem with your thinking.

And we all know how you like to take corners fast. Even if a DHL truck is in the way.

mark090852

bigaudiofanatic wrote: »

Well parents and I have talked and with me wanting a better car the said they will co sign for me and get a loan and just pay that back. I like my civic but its just..boring and its old as well starting to show its age from me beating it up all the time.

I want to get a 4 door car with a nie sized trunk and good power. Here is what I am looking at. Any owners that have or do own these or any post experience with these would be great.

I own two of those. I have a 2006 BMW 530i and a 2010 Nissan Maxima. Both are very nice cars. If you are going to spend that kind of money I would say the new Nissan with full factory warranty would be the smartest move. The BMW is a fantastic car but once off warranty repairs and scheduled maintenance can be VERY expensive. I think the security of having a full new car warranty on the Maxima would make it the car of choice.

bigaudiofanatic

Jstas wrote: »

The fact that you even think a Civic is anything other than basic, economical transportation is indicative of a problem with your thinking.

And we all know how you like to take corners fast. Even if a DHL truck is in the way.

Aww someone has jokes. LOL That was my first car and it was passing cars I was only 17 at the time so things have changed.

mark090852 wrote: »

I own two of those. I have a 2006 BMW 530i and a 2010 Nissan Maxima. Both are very nice cars. If you are going to spend that kind of money I would say the new Nissan with full factory warranty would be the smartest move. The BMW is a fantastic car but once off warranty repairs and scheduled maintenance can be VERY expensive. I think the security of having a full new car warranty on the Maxima would make it the car of choice.

Thanks for the tips. I have talked to a nissan dealer and they would give me around 5 grand for my car as trade in with 5 grand down as well payments would be around 230 a month plus full insurance for 370 a month. Of corse I could always put it in my fathers name and make it even cheaper.

bigaudiofanatic

This one is not bad.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=281827274&dealer_id=1027739&car_year=2000&rdm=1278517093210&lastStartYear=1981&num_records=25&model=5_SERIESCLASS_SERIES&systime=&make2=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&start_year=1981&keywordsfyc=&engine=&keywordsrep=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&awsp=false&search_type=both&distance=100&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&showZipError=n&make=BMW&color=&keywords_display=&page_location=findacar::ispsearchform&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=&seller_type=b&position=top&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceASC&address=08302&advanced=&end_year=2011&transmission=&doors=&max_price=&cardist=75&standard=false

concealer404

Jstas wrote: »

The fact that you even think a Civic is anything other than basic, economical transportation is indicative of a problem with your thinking.

I'm unsure whether i should laugh with you, or argue with you.