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

[Mr._Graybeard]

It depends on the person, the terrain they live in, and how important it is for them to get to work regardless of weather. Think medical, EMS, law enforcement, utilities, etc. all those 24/7 jobs where the boss does not want to hear' "I can't come to work 'cause I'm snowed in". And at least around here, the terrain is such that in even 2 inches of snow if you don't have 4WD you aren't going anywhere real soon.

Granted, for a retiree like me it is hard to make a case that I need 4WD. But I do like having it.

Sure, you like to have it, but it's hard to make a case for it. I agree.

Unless you're headed off-road, a Camry with a set of good snow tires can go anywhere you can in winter weather with 4wd/AWD. Meanwhile, you're getting 15 mpg all year while the Camry is pulling down 28.

I live in Wisconsin. I've driven to w*rk in 12-inch snowstorms in 2WD sedans while passing by SUVs in the ditch. Those drivers bought into the all-weather myth of AWD, when it's really all about the tires.

 

[Music Lover]

Sure, you like to have it, but it's hard to make a case for it. I agree.

Unless you're headed off-road, a Camry with a set of good snow tires can go anywhere you can in winter weather with 4wd/AWD. Meanwhile, you're getting 15 mpg all year while the Camry is pulling down 28.

I live in Wisconsin. I've driven to w*rk in 12-inch snowstorms in 2WD sedans while passing by SUVs in the ditch. Those drivers bought into the all-weather myth of AWD, when it's really all about the tires.

Yes, the tires are the most important, but don't downplay the benefits of AWD. Having both is better than just having the tires. I could have a FWD with winter tires but since I can also have AWD with winter tires I choose that as it's the better option for my climate.

I've seen idiots in the ditch with summer tires ranging from SUVs and trucks to Camrys.

 

[RunningBum]

Yes, the tires are the most important, but don't downplay the benefits of AWD. Having both is better than just having the tires. I could have a FWD with winter tires but since I can also have AWD with winter tires I choose that as it's the better option for my climate.

I've seen idiots in the ditch with summer tires ranging from SUVs and trucks to Camrys.

I agree. The best thing is to have a good AWD, keep good tires on it, and drive it like you would a 2WD with bad tires in snow and ice.

 

[Texas Proud]

I had a pretty good idea what I wanted. I built what I wanted on the manufacturer's website and then also on Trucar. I emailed to dealers what I wanted and asked for out-the-door prices... since the cars/specs were identical, I didn't have to consider making any apples to oranges adjustments. I actually had a dealer a few hours away that was $200 lower than what I was able to squeeze my local dealer down to but it was worth $200 for me and DW to avoid 6 hours of driving each.

I don't recall the lead time but it wasn't two months. They ordered my truck on Apr 28 and I picked it up on Jun 14.... so about 6 weeks. IIRC it was only about a month on the car. Also, depending on what your specs are, sometimes they can find a car in transit to another dealer and arrange a trade with that dealer.

There were not any incentives on the car, though we did chose to take the manufacturer's 1.9% financing after negotiating a cash deal. On the truck, we had a deal based on the incentives when we ordered and that it would not be any worse but we would get the benefit of any better incentives and as it turned out we got an additional benefit of $500.

I am surprised they did not match unless there was some regional fee that made a difference...


We did the same with my sister.. there were 2 cars in the whole USA that matched what she wanted... one at the local dealer and one north of Dallas... the local guy did agree to sell to us at the lowest price and we went in the next day to sign papers... but they SOLD the car the night before (this happened to me many years ago) but they sent someone to the dealer north of Dallas and drove that car back!!! My sister was concerned with the miles but I said we would have to put those miles on anyhow if you wanted that car...

 

[ncbill]

The OP's "dream vehicle" is a truck. These days, $45K isn't too extravagant for a new pickup. I personally find that crazy, but the market does not cater to nutcases like me. The domestic auto industry loves the demand, since pickup trucks produce the biggest profit margin of all vehicles that roll off their assembly lines (correct me if I'm wrong, Bamaman).

The OP can always lease to see if the extra features are worth it w/o having to come up with $20k upfront.

My new truck (4x4, crew cab, MSRP ~$40k) lease will be ~$300/month, everything rolled in (taxes/tags/dealer fees)

 

[Katsmeow]

In my life I have spent a lot of time in my car. For a long time I commuted over an hour each way to and from work. Even retired now, we still drive around quite a bit. When we bought our newest vehicle we intended to end up with a more practical, less expensive vehicle. We ended up with a Volvo XC60 and we have loved it (about 8 months since we bought it). We still spend a lot of time in our car and we like having a car that is very comfortable and nice. It certainly isn't a necessity to do this but we get a lot from it. We do have a second car that is about 8 years old. I think I have been in it maybe once since we bought the Volvo. For our second car, it can just be whatever as it is more of a back up for those rare occasions when DH and I both need to separately use a vehicle.

 

[wrigley]

Jeep Wrangler! The gas mileage s^cks, but they are a blast to drive.

Mike

 

[Hermit]

Just went through this after driving a Prius for 10+ years. I figured this new vehicle might be my last real vehicle (that I would drive), so getting a nicer - i.e. 'dream' car was definitely the goal, I didn't really start with a dollar limit. However, I am historically frugal and I'm not a car person, I just want a vehicle that enables my retirement adventures in decent style. Because I like spending time in the great outdoors, it made me decide that a sports car wasn't practical, nor was an electric car like a Tesla - which was the car I always thought I wanted in retirement.

I ended up with a 4Runner - my favorite truck - which is not cheap, but it has a wide price range depending on options. I chose a 4WD because I love exploring the Eastern Sierras year-round. This is where my frugality kicked in, and although I got my 4WD truck, I chose the standard SR5 instead of the Full Monty TRD Pro, which is $10K+ more. I added my own shocks and tires and other stuff to customize it for a lot less. I paid mostly with cash, but took out a small loan that we may pay off in a year or so, but I'm loving the upgrade despite the new payment.

I discovered that I prefer getting the car that I love over something more economically practical, now that I'm retired and not in a hardcore savings mode. However, I'd still be uncomfortable over-spending, or buying something cool but impractical, just because it's my dream car. Retirement is the time I can feel most comfortable doing something nice for myself to make up for the years of driving cheap, practical work transportation - but I don't need to go crazy. (If cars were my 'thing', I might feel differently.)

I have to laugh because I went from 40+MPG to about 16.5MPG overnight, but I feel great because my truck takes me where I want to go [and my beloved old Prius can't].

DD's hand-me-down 2005 Prius has well over 150k miles on it. We call it her "off road" Prius. It has been on some pretty rough Forest Service fire roads!

 

[Snidely Whiplash]

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. I read and I gave serious thought to every post made but the one that really struck home with me was :

“If you don’t [-]fly first class[/-] buy that more expensive car, your heirs will.” Buy the one you really want.

We are doing OK and are able to live comfortably off of the dividends from our portfolio. We have never sold a share of stock and our portfolio is growing to the point that we will probably leave a nice inheritance to our son. That being said.....

Last week we bought a brand new 2019 BMW X3 330i with the xDrive system. I was determined to get the base model Suburban but on the way my (more frugal than myself) wife suggested we stop at the BMW dealer. A test drive left me smiling from ear to ear. I have never driven such a fun, comfortable, and responsive vehicle in all my life. I hid the smile from the salesman and negotiated about 11% off of the MSRP. I couldn’t bear to sell any stock (old habits do die hard) and since we have some excess cash-flow I financed the majority of the price at a pretty low interest rate but it won’t at all affect our standard of living. Now I am hoping that the (in)famous German maintenance / repair costs do not kill me but I’m pretty happy right now that I got something I like better than I originally planned for and it was a bit cheaper price too! This is going to be an awesome vehicle for the several road trips we make each year.

My son will inherit a little less now but I’m OK with that.

 

[brett]

I believe that there is a sweet spot with low mileage, no accident full load sedans like Accord, Lexus, Camry etc. The higher end option packages depreciate faster than the car itself.

It takes some shopping though. We spent two or three months watching out for one.

 

[Souschef]

Malcolm,
Good for you!!! When DW's 1998 Cadillac died, she bought a Mazda CX-5, While not in the BMW class, it still cost a pretty penny. Turned out she had enough cash under her mattress (SD box) to pay cash for it. It is the only car she has owned that had NO car payments.

 

[Snidely Whiplash]

Malcolm,
Good for you!!! When DW's 1998 Cadillac died, she bought a Mazda CX-5, While not in the BMW class, it still cost a pretty penny. Turned out she had enough cash under her mattress (SD box) to pay cash for it. It is the only car she has owned that had NO car payments.

Thank you!

I was amazed as anyone that my wife was in favor of this purchase. Her argument “We are down to one vehicle, we have plenty of money, we live a comfortable life, if we can afford it, and can get a good deal, we should buy it.”

It’s clearly a level above what I would have considered buying but it also has some added benefits that I hadn’t considered: it’s much easier than a Suburban to get in and out of, its much easier to park, etc. It’s a lot of money, it’s not the smartest purely financial decision we could make, but it’s a purchase we can afford and one I’m glad we made.

I posted the update not to brag, but just to let everyone know what I decided to do.

 

[RunningBum]

Sounds really nice, and a well-deserved splurge! You'll enjoy that decision every time you drive it.

 

[NW-Bound]

... Now I am hoping that the (in)famous German maintenance / repair costs do not kill me but I’m pretty happy right now...

I do not mean to dampen your spirit, but have to tell you about my son's Audi S4.

Audi uses a Hall-effect sensor on the clutch pedal to tell if it is depressed, in order to allow the car to start. That sensor failed and cost my son $1200 for repair, and the car was in the shop for 2 weeks while waiting for the part.

Then, the coolant thermostat failed. To replace it, they had to pull many parts including the supercharger to get to that thermostat. Total cost was $1500. The car was in the shop for a week.

Other than that, he has no problem so far. He still likes it.

 

[kevdude]

Glad you decided to splurge. In 2017 my wife’s 2001 Lexus RX 300 was on its last legs after ~250k miles so we bought her a new, loaded RX 350. We figured we might as well splurge a bit too since she has her cars for so long. And it’s an amazing ride.

Earlier this year we decided to give our 16 yr old son my 2010 Lexus 250h so I needed a new car. I went with a 2019 BMW X5, which is the most expensive car we’ve bought, ~ $80k. I love it as well. Not quite as soft of a ride as the RX but much quicker and sportier to drive. The idrive has some issues, but overall I’m very happy with it.

We are finding ourselves spending a little more money these days as well - nicer vacations, restaurants, etc. And, apparently cars. I’m sure, however, that these will last us quite some time.

 

[CaptTom]

No disrespect intended for those who splurge. It's your money, spend it on what you like.

I love to drive something that's practical and dependable. I take a certain amount of pride in driving a used truck I bought as a former fleet vehicle. No power windows, no power locks, no pin-striping or brand-name designer interior. It suits me. I feel good driving it, and the seats have good lumbar support for my back issues.

I love all the gadgets in the new, high-end vehicles. But the value isn't there for me to want to actually purchase one. There's something satisfying about driving "just a truck."

 

[ncbill]

I do not mean to dampen your spirit, but have to tell you about my son's Audi S4.

Audi uses a Hall-effect sensor on the clutch pedal to tell if it is depressed, in order to allow the car to start. That sensor failed and cost my son $1200 for repair, and the car was in the shop for 2 weeks while waiting for the part.

Then, the coolant thermostat failed. To replace it, they had to pull many parts including the supercharger to get to that thermostat. Total cost was $1500. The car was in the shop for a week.

Other than that, he has no problem so far. He still likes it.

Yep, fun-to-drive but not fun-to-own vehicles should be leased so you can hand it back to the dealer before the warranty expires.

 

[kgtest]

I met in the middle, and paid 32k for a 4x4 1/2 ton back in 2014. I am not retired and at the point in my life where we are hauling things here and there and everywhere.

Just saved myself $85 delivery charge on a couple of pallets of bricks. I don't have to buy fancy ski racks or bike racks, or storage racks for the car, I just throw everything in the truck and if room, close up the tannau cover.

Now when we were living in Maui...we paid $3500 for what we referred to as our "Maui Beach Cruiser" a 2 door 1.8L honda civic that we used for a year and resold for the same price. Zero maintenance, just the title transfer fee. Didn't even bother changing the oil since we knew we were going back to the mainland.

 

[NW-Bound]

Yep, fun-to-drive but not fun-to-own vehicles should be leased so you can hand it back to the dealer before the warranty expires.

I dunno. I don't think driving is fun, so I just own run-of-the-mill vehicles and drive them to the ground.

Please do not take the above as criticism. I spend money on travel, and some people think it's a waste of money. What do I have left after a trip, other than some memories and photo snapshots? And memories fade with time. Photos get lost or discarded.

 

[Hermit]

I do not mean to dampen your spirit, but have to tell you about my son's Audi S4.

Audi uses a Hall-effect sensor on the clutch pedal to tell if it is depressed, in order to allow the car to start. That sensor failed and cost my son $1200 for repair, and the car was in the shop for 2 weeks while waiting for the part.

Then, the coolant thermostat failed. To replace it, they had to pull many parts including the supercharger to get to that thermostat. Total cost was $1500. The car was in the shop for a week.

Other than that, he has no problem so far. He still likes it.

I sold my Audi TT last fall. I owned it for about 8 years and put around 40,000 miles on it. Very little maintenance. The roads are way too rough for such a car where I live so it had to go. Now if you want to talk about lousy maintenance records, we could talk about my Jeep Wrangler Rubicon for a long time.

 

[Jerry1]

My daughter and her husband both drive BMW’s and love them. They don’t have any kids and have pretty good jobs, so what they do with their money is their business and while I’m fine with it, I have a lot of fun with them by making fun of their fancy cars.

When I mentioned a Traverse, I was thinking something a little more comfortable than the truck/Suburban that still had AWD. Well, you found that and more. Good for you. I really hope you enjoy it.