Comments on: Examine Your Motives Series: Buying a Car

By: Best Posts from August, 2007 at Clever Dude Personal Finance & Money

Best Posts from August, 2007 at Clever Dude Personal Finance & Money — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:39:55 +0000

[...] Gather Little By Little on Examine Your Motives Series: Buying a Car [...]

By: The Friday Gathering for 8/31/2007 | Gather Little By Little

The Friday Gathering for 8/31/2007 | Gather Little By Little — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:35:04 +0000

[...] CleverDude as part of his Examine Your Motives series discusses Buying a Car [...]

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:45:03 +0000

I had a Tacoma (small truck made by Toyota for those who don’t know). It was great – 4-cylinder, 25+ MPG, and the utility to move things around. That type of truck is practical for those who want to move things, but not tow heavy items such as boats, trailers, etc.

I ended up trading it in for a compact car because I was the only person who used it. I get great mileage and my car is fun to drive. I never needed the ultra luxury, high dollar, gas guzzling behemoth to be happy. I think too many people buy a car based on the perceived status it gives them.

By: Examine Your Motives Series: Introduction at Clever Dude Personal Finance & Money

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:51:46 +0000

[...] Buying a Car [...]

By: realist

realist — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 22:40:16 +0000

i am confused why would anyone want to buy a Mini Cooper…i remember someone’s wedding, and i remember someone’s stereo indulged Geo Prism having more power in it then a mini cooper.

Here is what you forgot to add in, the cost of gas/gas mileage of an auto. Trucks have bad gas mileage, and considering the (insert normal realist comments) gas war, having a truck or suv for typical day to day work driving functions is a complete waste.

And as for the family of 4 concept, you are forgetting one little thing: friends and sports. once you have kids, kids obtain friends, kids need hauled from place to place. as kids grow older, kids start driving their friends around (remember the time you took my car to drive around…the olds).

anyway, the point is, if you are going to buy a car, buy something conservative and good on gas. overpaying for creature features that seem good at the time usually are the first to break and bite ya in the butt.

also…NEVER BUY EXTENDED WARRANTIES…the amount that one costs vs. the normal repair cost is basically a wash, so why pay upfront for something you may never use?

By: Clever Dude

Clever Dude — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 20:10:17 +0000

Rob, that’s actually the reason I got my Ridgeline. We had 3 sedans already. My Acura was pretty high mileage, very close to the end of the extended warranty, and was known to have transmission problems (already had 1 replacement). I got the truck because it’s a good people and stuff hauler, but I know now that I over-bought. It was more than we needed at the time.

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 20:06:41 +0000

Something needs to be said for diversification too. That is, if you currently have two sedans and you are planning on selling one, then depending on your situation you can more easily justify buying a truck or SUV.
In other words, it may not make sense to have two similar cars.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:03:33 +0000

an over simplification but underlying premise is nice. family 4 argument is rather absurd. not everyone has too much junk. of course the contention excludes the fact that your kids might have play pals, and you might have friends, and you might car pool kids.

of course if you are talking strictly from a utilitarian point of view getting a ford fiesta would be ok. i for one wouldn’t drive a ford fiesta, because i don’t like it. moreover, there is nothing wrong with wanting anything. if you need a car, it shouldn’t matter if you want a car that you need if you can afford it.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:33:40 +0000

I live in a major metropolitan area with excellent public transportation. Not having a car is definitely a practical option for many people here, but it’s one that most people don’t even consider, even as they struggle with housing, gas, and other expenses. “Do I really need a car in the first place?” is a question that everyone could benefit from asking themselves, even if the answer for some does turn out to be “yes.”

By: The Happy Rock

The Happy Rock — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:42:24 +0000

I love the premise of the series. Depending on were you live, not having a car isn’t that practical of an option IMO. Maybe thinking through whether you ‘need’ and second or third car would be extremely important.

Now thinking through how much, what kind of car you should buy, and how you will pay for it is a really great exercise. There are lots of hidden motivations in ‘what do I drive’ questions.