Very nice post; I'm sure nobody will hate on it haha. I definitely do want to avoid putting off something I've always wanted to do until I either can't do it anymore, or will feel like an idiot if I do. I don't find it preferable to wait until I'm 40 to get the 60,000 dollar car over just getting the 25k car as soon as I can. I'm really glad you said " Considering your points I decided it was the PERFECT combination of practical and sports car" because this is exactly what I want to hear! I'm glad you are yet another of the owners who does not regret getting the MS3. It's literally like 10-0 right now... then again the people who regret getting it might not be on car forumsMy 2 cents so don't hate please!
25 live in the city and I'm not wealthy I have to make financial sacrifices elsewhere like HBO (LOL) big whoop! I have a good job at the same time. My rents think it is a great car until I racked up tickets. They don't approve of my racing at the strip for fear I'll break the car or it'll limit its life ... fair enough. At the same time I've heard my pop's say I wish I owned a car people got excited about. Mind you...there will always be a car like the MS3 out there (maybe/maybe not for the same $) and the longer you wait the bigger and badder you could afford ....or... until you find yourself 45 and driving a 5dr mercury sable wagon from 1995 with 4 screaming kids in the back and telling someone like yourself buy practical (like most people I work with however there the ones that probably envy my freedom to buy what I did). There's never a right time to buy a sports car unless your filthy rich. So I found myself with the MS3. Considering your points I decided it was the PERFECT combination of practical and sports car. I wanted something like an EVO or STI or even an infiniti G35 coupe, but that was out of my price range. I wanted something I could take the mtn on the ski trip and at the same time be able to afford a ski trip. I guess if you're struggling to rationalize the cost of an MS3 maybe its not the time for you to buy such a vehicle. The MS3 was a compromise to something more unpractical and out of my price range. I do not regret and I do not think it was a compromise now and love my decision this coming after driving it for the first time and everyday since to work.
PS insurance is baseline... you'll surely get at least 1 speeding ticket so add that to the insurance cost for safety.
edit: I didnt' read the whole thread so I'll just add if you can afford it I definitly give it a practical stamp of approval.
I'm really glad it worked out for you, but dear god it will be 5 years before I'm ready to settle down. I think the 5-10 thousand dollars in car can make me much happier than 5-10 thousands dollars spending a year or two in my bank account, but I won't know that for sure until I try it...25, married, house, and I drive a SLOW P5.
Get the cheaper car, save the cash. You'll be happier in the end
I agree, in that, ideally, I'd like to have a practical car, and a fun car. I commented the other day that I liked the MX5 but wouldn't get it unless it was my second car (or maybe if I was married and my wife had the more practical car?). This is not a cheap undertaking however... I think it will be years before I can seriously consider having two cars. What I might do is get the car I want now (the combo of fun and practicality) and in the future get a purely practical car, and add on a second more fun car if I so choose. If I were rich I'd definitely do what you suggested right now.fwiw i'd rather have a single practical but fairly fun car and then a second totally impractical car instead of something that tries to be both in one. that's why i got rid of my evo for the 3 - my second car (once the 3 is paid off) can be that much more fun and that much more impractical because i won't need to drive it to work every day. in my mind monster miata + regular 3 > modified MS3
Yeah I understand. I'm fairly confident I'll be able to do it in ~10 years, but I don't think it's wise for me to live my life for 10 years in the future. No matter how wise I am or how many extra dollars I try to rake in it will still be a while before I can afford to get two cars :-/well there are two ways to become wealthy. 1 is to have a high paying job (takes time for most people). the second is to spend wisely. new cars are never on the spending wisely path. there are plenty of people who aren't rich but have multiple cars because they spent wisely, not because they have high incomes
i certainly hope you're living your life for more than 10 years in the future. i'm not saying never spend a penny but a good chunk of your money should be going into savings and a retirement fund and if it's not you shouldn't even be considering a new car nevermind a $25,000 new car. two cars really isn't that expensive if neither of them are brand newYeah I understand. I'm fairly confident I'll be able to do it in ~10 years, but I don't think it's wise for me to live my life for 10 years in the future. No matter how wise I am or how many extra dollars I try to rake in it will still be a while before I can afford to get two cars :-/
but I don't think it's wise for me to live my life for 10 years in the future.
well there are two ways to become wealthy. 1 is to have a high paying job (takes time for most people). the second is to spend wisely. new cars are never on the spending wisely path. there are plenty of people who aren't rich but have multiple cars because they spent wisely, not because they have high incomes
Er, I guess it wasn't obvious that I meant I shouldn't live my life JUST for 10+ years in the future. I totally agree that I shouldn't be 100% shortsighted either. However, if I'm going to enjoy these next 10 years of my life, I'm going to have to spend some money... and this is coming from a person who is generally very conservative about purchases and the like. I never blow my money stupidly. You seem to be offering advice that implies 75% of the people around me are completely violating common sense, but making it sound like it's the obvious thing to do. Well, I guess that is possible. I'll make a quick list or two to organize my thoughts:i certainly hope you're living your life for more than 10 years in the future. i'm not saying never spend a penny but a good chunk of your money should be going into savings and a retirement fund and if it's not you shouldn't even be considering a new car nevermind a $25,000 new car. two cars really isn't that expensive if neither of them are brand new
Again I understand your point. Most people go too far with this stuff, and do things they shouldn't. I really don't think I'm in the same category as most of the people who screwed themselves (and the country) over, but it's not fair for me to expect anonymous people on the internet who don't know me to make a judgment about this accurately when you don't know me. If I was planning on moving out now I'd definitely stick with this 95 eagle vision or replace it with something comparable. I also understand that no matter how much I prepare, you can never be too prepared to go out on your own, but I'm going to have to draw the line somewhere... and I think the only way I'm going to make it through the next 10 years without a tab and the nearest bar is if I give myself a link between professional success and immediate enjoyment. That is why, for the most part, I'm discussing the pros and cons of the fancier car, as opposed to the pros and cons of spending 25k dollars on something.This is exactly the mentality that spiraled this country into a recession. Not only should you be living your life for 10 years in the future, but also 40 years in the future. Everybody's best intentions are that they'll be in a better place financially 10 years from now, but life has been known to throw a few curve balls (and some heaters right for your head). I guarantee that come the time you'll be scrimping every last cent to put as a downpayment for a house (BTW, usually an appreciating asset, unlike a car), you'll be kicking yourself for being shortsighted.
Cliff's Notes: buy a cheap, reliable beater, sock the rest away into investments for a house and your retirement. With compounding interest, investing now at 23 versus 33 could mean hundreds of thousands down the road.
This is exactly the mentality that spiraled this country into a recession. Not only should you be living your life for 10 years in the future, but also 40 years in the future. Everybody's best intentions are that they'll be in a better place financially 10 years from now, but life has been known to throw a few curve balls (and some heaters right for your head). I guarantee that come the time you'll be scrimping every last cent to put as a downpayment for a house (BTW, usually an appreciating asset, unlike a car), you'll be kicking yourself for being shortsighted.
Cliff's Notes: buy a cheap, reliable beater, sock the rest away into investments for a house and your retirement. With compounding interest, investing now at 23 versus 33 could mean hundreds of thousands down the road.
Yeah my dad got a beater not that long ago with a manual transmission, so I've been practicing on it. I'm fairly comfortable with it now, but I'm sure I can use more practice. As soon as he gets back from his business trip, I think I'm going to steal his car and drive in circles around long island to try get 100% comfortable. But I think you are right that the MS3 will be difficult even if I become comfortable with the beater (an old dodge neon).
I'm already working in the field of choice and making good money. I want it to get better, but that's up to me.With mention of graduate school when will you actually be working in the field of choice and be making good money?
$25k ($517/month Eclipse GSX+$400 insurance) for a new car was rough for me living at home fresh out of college working in my field and paying rent to my parents and student loans.