Practical / dependable transportation $25k or a car you’d love to drive for $45K ?

[Cut-Throat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrfeh This has always been a simple equation for me. I can spend $X, or I can spend $X + $20K. I choose $X.

And if you've got plenty of $X .........your heirs will get to spend $X + $20K.

[Music Lover]

For my last car purchase I wanted something a little nicer but wasn't willing to pay the premium. So I bought a gently used 3 year old car with low mileage at a 40% discount.

[mrfeh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cut-Throat And if you've got plenty of $X .........your heirs will get to spend $X + $20K.

I'd rather have my heirs spend it. Or have a charity I choose do some good work with it.

[enjoyinglife102]

Lots of good input here reflecting different values about cars. As a car guy who has always enjoyed driving, I consider cars more of an experience than a material thing. Can't imagine not driving a well handling, manual transmission sporty car - puts a smile on my face every time. So buy the car you'll enjoy driving or if that doesn't matter much, simply buy the cost efficient transportation you need.

[johnhkc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamaman Hard to beat a new Camry or Accord for around $23K in their lowest trim levels. I jumped for the 2018 Hybrid Camry, and am now getting 49.5 mpg after I put new tires on it. For a truck, the new Ranger is hard to beat--especially since they all have a turbocharged 270 hp stock and a 10 speed automatic as an option. SUVs are another favorite of mine. There's not really a dog in the whole retail market. And it's a very competitive field.

What kind of tires did you put on? My Goodyear Integrity tires added 3 mpg.

[Montecfo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by imoldernu 96 Cadillac SLS, and a 98 Lincoln Signature. A few problems, and jeanie said she thought we could afford a new car... Her choice a BMW... Yeah... well I guess given our semi-safe financial condition @ age 83, we could afford a used 2017 @ $35K. So then, I figured the cost... (We now total a little less than 1,000 miles a year.) Over the next three years, exclusive taxes, insurance, gas and maintenance, that comes to about $117.00 per mile. to be continued....

This is an interesting part if being retired, at least for me. Driving mileage is down so cost per mile elevated.

I love my 2003 BMW 530i which I have owned for 4 years. Previously I owned a 97 528 for about 18 yrs.

I look for used vehicles that I see as good values, but also like a fun ride. As another poster said, I also enjoy the hunt.

Can't really do the high prices for new for me personally but DW loves her 2018 Sonata, an upgrade from her 2007 Camry, at less than $20k OTD new.

[GravitySucks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by imoldernu 96 Cadillac SLS, and a 98 Lincoln Signature. A few problems, and jeanie said she thought we could afford a new car... Her choice a BMW... Yeah... well I guess given our semi-safe financial condition @ age 83, we could afford a used 2017 @ $35K. So then, I figured the cost... (We now total a little less than 1,000 miles a year.) Over the next three years, exclusive taxes, insurance, gas and maintenance, that comes to about $117.00 per mile. to be continued....

You won't be using up all $35k worth of the car. It will have some residual value at the time you are done with it.

[scottmn4]

I have never owned a new car and probably won't. I always buy 2-3 year old cars that have low mileage and are in great shape. At 2-3 years most cars can be bought for 50-60% of what they originally sold for and I have never had an issue with this type of used car which I typically keep for 3-4 years. You should be able to get a high-option 2-3 year old vehicle for less than what a base model new one would cost. I for one get more enjoyment from the extra options than the fact that it is new.

[OldShooter]

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Originally Posted by Car-Guy Love to debate this. You are probably one of those guys that "thinks" a 9mm is better than a 45 acp too. I figured you could appreciate that with a forum name like "OldShooter"!

Actually, I hand load .45ACP in 1,000 round batches. I do have a mouse gun, Kahr PM9, but don't shoot it enough to justify loading for it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Car-Guy I will agree that without the proper configuration, technology and/or skills, more HP is usually wasted. And I'd also agree that more HP isn't good for much, if you can't or aren't going to use it. On the road (or track I should say), if you can't put it down/use it, it's wasted. However, with the right techniques and technology you can take advantage of more (and a lot more) HP. The car examples/comparisons are endless (like the 9mm VS 45 gun debates) but I'll use this personal real world case. I switched from Corvettes to Jeeps ~5 years ago because, I wanted more from a daily driver which I won't go into here since we are talking about horsepower/performance. And I needed a lot more HP to get what I wanted out of a much bigger vehicle and easily beat my Vette's performance numbers. I will say my Vettes had a theoretical higher top speed by 10 to 15 mph than the Jeep, but it's exceeding rare to drive anywhere near speeds of 180+, in the US. In my experaince, almost all performance driving is done well below top speeds in factory production vehicles. The Jeep weighs about a ton more (literally) than the Vette and it is about two feet taller so it's isn't what you'd call aerodynamic. But it's phenomenal performance comes from it's 707 HP engine and the technology to use it. (More HP) With AWD, launch control and an electronic 8 speed automatic transmission it can effectively use that power. As you might expect, the after market folks have developed some performance packages for this thing that take it up to 1000 hp. (In other words "more HP" for even more performance) And if you like passing power, as in your example above, while I've never timed my 55 to 85 passing numbers, my best 1/4 times are 11.2 @ 122 so it should have highway passing numbers that would make you smile.

My point is slightly different:

"Performance" street cars are IMO silly because it is impossible to actually use their performance potential. (We all do silly things and buy silly things for fun, of course, so I am not criticizing buyers.) Most performance cars, and certainly the exotics, are really "ego cars." Again, if that floats your boat ...

From 10,000+ miles of wheel-to-wheel (SCCA) racing I can tell you that performance street cars are like kissing your sister. About all you can do is sneak in a few bursts of speed while running alone on a highway. Speed by yourself is boring; I looked forward to relaxing on straightaways when I wasn't in a drafting pack or in other traffic. At-the-limit cornering, even alone, is fun but on the street doing this is beyond silly, with curbs and other things to hit and with untrained drivers around.

"Track days" are not much better but that's really OT. OTOH, autocrossing can be a lot of fun even even driving a grocery-getter like my WRX. Big horsepower is not required.

[Mr._Graybeard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Montecfo This is an interesting part if being retired, at least for me. Driving mileage is down so cost per mile elevated. I love my 2003 BMW 530i which I have owned for 4 years. Previously I owned a 97 528 for about 18 yrs. I look for used vehicles that I see as good values, but also like a fun ride. As another poster said, I also enjoy the hunt. Can't really do the high prices for new for me personally but DW loves her 2018 Sonata, an upgrade from her 2007 Camry, at less than $20k OTD new.

This it also where I'm at. For the past 20-some years I've bought well-treated BMWs and Benzes, 10 years old or more. The quality of their metal seems to hold up better in the rust belt than Asian cars. They gave me a great ride for my 40-mile commute, and now that I'm retired, my road warrior '95 540i with almost 290,000 miles is still a reliable performer. I'd get rid of it for asthetics sake, but kids driving beater imports often give me a thumbs-up when they see it on the street -- that makes me feel like I'm still just a little bit cool.

[Spock]

rent your dream car for a week or 2 to get it out of your system.
When you get into the dream car and find yourself thinking more about the groceries you are about to buy than than the zoom-zoom of the dream car, return the rental and buy the basic transport.

[NW-Bound]

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Originally Posted by Bestwifeever “If you don’t fly first class buy that more expensive car, your heirs will.”

My children are already spending a lot of money on things we did not when at their current age.

Unless something bad happens, they are likely to become more of a spendthrift when getting to our age.

[Car-Guy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldShooter Actually, I hand load .45ACP in 1,000 round batches. I do have a mouse gun, Kahr PM9, but don't shoot it enough to justify loading for it.

Well at least you shoot a mans gun. I reload 45's too for my Series 70 Gold Cup"s". IMO, even for those who shoot 9mm's, it's just not worth reloading. 9mm ammo is cheap enough and it's a PIA to reload it anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldShooter My point is slightly different: "Performance" street cars are IMO silly because it is impossible to actually use their performance potential. (We all do silly things and buy silly things for fun, of course, so I am not criticizing buyers.) Most performance cars, and certainly the exotics, are really "ego cars." Again, if that floats your boat ...

I think I understood the point you were making. For me, when I had my Vettes it was probably more about ego. It's like saying, "hey, look at me" and that was okay too, when I was younger... The Trackhawk is very different. Very stealthy and few people (including the cops) recognize it for what it is. Who's going to suspect a big SUV with the aerodynamics of a brick to perform like a supercar. I spend a lot of time in my cars traveling, so the comfort, luxury and power are important to me. While I don't make a lot of full blast runs, I know it's there if I want/need it.

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

For $25k I like my Toyota Prius hybrid plug-in. It recharges from our house solar power system and being a new car it has all the bells and whistles.

[HI Bill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snidely Whiplash I’m considering buying something nicer this time - a vehicle that would probably be classified as my “favorite vehicle ever”. I can buy a practical and reliable vehicle that will cost about $25k or one that has always been my dream car for about $45k.

Would the $20K difference for your dream car impact you in any negative way? Would you have less to leave to the grand kids? Can you easily afford it? In my dream world, returns on investments may enable me to buy my dream house, and perhaps, my dream car. You only live once. If you can afford it, and want it, buy it. You can't take it with you.

I once bought a new Mazda RX-8 when I was in a location I didn't want to be...driving that car with heated leather seats gave me great satisfaction. To me, I did not need a second car, but it sure was fun!

[Bir48die]

$30k is my limit. Cars are nice and we had and Audi TT convertible for a long time. But, I don’t value another $20k for some status symbol. I would rather drink good booze

[Cut-Throat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bir48die But, I don’t value another $20k for some status symbol. I would rather drink good booze

I do both .... And sometimes too much of a good thing, is not good.

[brett]

I bought a fully loaded 6cl Camry in 1997. Drove it for 18 years, then my son drove it for 3.

We bought a fully loaded like new 6cl 2006 Accord in 2009. Still driving it. In fact, we just made the decision to keep it and spring for a timing belt. We like the car, it is great on road trips. It gets far less mileage on it now we are retired and out the country for 4-5 months of the year.

[NW-Bound]

I will say a status symbol would cost more than $20K.

If $20K buys one some happiness and he can afford it, why not?

A car does not do anything for me, not even a $100K one. So, I don't buy one.

[Bir48die]

I fly un