47 replies to this topic

[XFelon]

Get an IS300  2001-2005... Best car I have ever owned.. And they hold there value great!

[Golfnole3]

What about the Accord? Car and Driver best car or something for 24 years in a row like the commercial said. Its a sporty looking car for a Honda and gets reasonably good gas mileage as well as being reliable.

[ZimBag]

you guys all are bringing up very valid points that i really havent thought of. my pops did say he has my insurance cover because of my grades so your right i dont want to take more from him, and i dont want to f him over in the long run. thanks for making me think a little more level headed.

[hammy83]

^ just buy a POS civic... you can work on it and make it faster if you want.  Parts and aftermarket parts are a dime a dozen.  You only need basic liability for it.  The only thing I would suggest is wiring a fuel cut off switch hidden in the car and use a club.  

cheap car, cheap insurance, and fun to drive.  Just do your homework and don't buy a rusted out POS.  Maybe drive down south a bit to pick up a rust free one that has not endured the jersey winters.

[ZimBag]

does anyone think its worth it to buy a new car on a loan and pay it off over 72 months and that would get me right until i graduate college give or take a year. if i was to get this new patriot my payments per month would be like 234 over 72 months. sounds good to me. im looking for other peoples opinions

[ndlax2340]

I would highly advise against taking out any sort of loan on a car unless your parents are fine with bailing you out and making payments on it. I have seen many kids take out auto loans with the idea that they will have an awesome car and just make small payments over time, well in reality they almost all end up defaulting on their loans. Their parents have to bail them out or they end up trying to make a quick sale on the car and take a massive hit. Or worse, they miss payments and destroy their parents credit. Get a car you can afford outright, you'll thank yourself later.

Also you can expect massive depreciation on a new car, some are better than others but some cars drop in value by as much as 30% in the first year. If you want to buy something more recent buy a year old model. That way you will avoid the massive drop in value that most cars experience in the first year.

Oh and if you end up making payments on a car put down as much money up front as possible, it will make your payments more bearable. But I still wouldn't advise it.

Edited by ndlax2340, 30 April 2012 - 10:02 PM.

[Golf Dawg]

As someone who has only driven trucks in my 5 years as a driver, I can tell you that I'd never go to a car.  It's not for everyone, but I just love trucks and their practicality.  The gas bill may hurt, but as a college student, I drive so little it doesn't matter as much to me.  Nothing wrong with a car that gets good gas mileage, but there's just something about a truck/SUV.

Also, time value of money theory would say you should go the loan route (assuming interest rates weren't awful).  But for peace of mind and in case of emergency, you may be better off paying cash.  Especially if by some unfortunate chance the car gets wrecked or totalled (then you won't owe more than the car is worth).

[radiman]

Dude, I wouldn't recommend buying a brand new car right our of the gate.  I would imagine that your parents would discourage this also.  It's a lot to ask to have your parents sign on a loan for a kid with no income.  Besides, you don't want a car payment weighing you down when you move out on your own for the first time, or start college.  My first car cost $750. Sure I wanted something nicer.  Once I could actually "afford it" (meaning, I could make my car payment, rent, and living costs with money left over), I upgraded.  Now that I'm a little older (30) with a couple of kids, my car is only a means of getting me from point a to point b.  Nothing fancy, I spend all of my money on my kids now.

[tigerphan]

Truck if you dont live in a city like new york. Most reliable and practical, at least for me anyways. I live in the snow belt of canada, so if you drive a car have fun half of the winter not being able to go anywhere. The safety factor on trucks is huge(dont use argument here, my mom would be dead if she was in a small car a few years ago, walked out of it almost because she was in a truck!), plus if you try to speed in one you just feel like a idiot after for spending so much on gas(also gas is over 5 a gallon here in canda...its not actually that bad to pay, just sounds worse then it actually is).  

Get a 2003 ish toyota tacoma/nissan frontier/ford ranger, best value for a truck, good size easy to park, lasts forever.

[ZimBag]

radiman, on 01 May 2012 - 01:31 AM, said:

Dude, I wouldn't recommend buying a brand new car right our of the gate.  I would imagine that your parents would discourage this also.  It's a lot to ask to have your parents sign on a loan for a kid with no income.  Besides, you don't want a car payment weighing you down when you move out on your own for the first time, or start college.  My first car cost $750. Sure I wanted something nicer.  Once I could actually "afford it" (meaning, I could make my car payment, rent, and living costs with money left over), I upgraded.  Now that I'm a little older (30) with a couple of kids, my car is only a means of getting me from point a to point b.  Nothing fancy, I spend all of my money on my kids now.

I have a solid income of caddying and I am going to work at golf smith/ oakley in the winter. money is not the issue for me

[ben w]

if you buy a new car, it will depreciate a few thousand the minute you drive it off the lot. if you do buy a new car, and finance it for 72 months, make payments equal to what the 48 month payment would be. Otherwise, you risk getting upside down in a new car in  HURRY.

in my opinion there are so many quality used cars out there that can be had at reasonable prices. Carmax does a good business if you like the walk in, walk out, no haggling thing.

[Falang_Golfer]

The Patriot is "ok" but reliability may be a concern.  Jeeps in general have the worst reliability, maybe except Land Rover...  Patriot is a little behind it's competition too, but it's cheaper.

Other choices

New>  Nissan Juke or Kia Soul (be like Micelle Wie)
used> Nissan Rogue, Rav 4 (little boring), Subaru something, Ford Escape.
Avoid>  used Liberty or Grand Cherokee, Equinox (newer style too expensive for you, old one is crap), older Sportage, 3rd generation batmobile.

Edited by Falang_Golfer, 02 May 2012 - 11:30 AM.

[bubbagump]

If you have no idea what you want, go to carmax.  Tell them your price, and they will show you to a ton of options in all categories (cars, trucks, suv, etc) and you can see what your price can get you.  ITs a good experience.

[radiman]

ZimBag, on 02 May 2012 - 08:52 AM, said:

radiman, on 01 May 2012 - 01:31 AM, said:

Dude, I wouldn't recommend buying a brand new car right our of the gate.  I would imagine that your parents would discourage this also.  It's a lot to ask to have your parents sign on a loan for a kid with no income.  Besides, you don't want a car payment weighing you down when you move out on your own for the first time, or start college.  My first car cost $750. Sure I wanted something nicer.  Once I could actually "afford it" (meaning, I could make my car payment, rent, and living costs with money left over), I upgraded.  Now that I'm a little older (30) with a couple of kids, my car is only a means of getting me from point a to point b.  Nothing fancy, I spend all of my money on my kids now.

I have a solid income of caddying and I am going to work at golf smith/ oakley in the winter. money is not the issue for me

I don't have any idea how much you make caddying, but I would imagine it's enough to pay a car payment.  However, I don't imagine that Golfsmith pays that well.  Not saying they don't, or you can't do it.  I'm just giving some advice.  If you don't have to be tied down with debt, don't be.  You have enough cash to get a really solid first car.  Then once you're done with school and get a good job, upgrade.  Like others have said, the second you drive that brand new car off the lot, you already lost a few thousand dollars.  If you are looking at something newer, get a slightly used model from last year.  You'll save a ton of money and depending on the mileage, there will still be some of the factory warranty left.  


And for what it's worth, I was just at a Nissan dealership to have my car serviced.  The Altima is a nice ride. I was checking out a Nissan Xterra also.  I am a huge fan of the Pathfinder, and the Xterra seems to be a smaller sporty version.

[ndlax2340]

ZimBag, on 02 May 2012 - 08:52 AM, said:

radiman, on 01 May 2012 - 01:31 AM, said:

Dude, I wouldn't recommend buying a brand new car right our of the gate.  I would imagine that your parents would discourage this also.  It's a lot to ask to have your parents sign on a loan for a kid with no income.  Besides, you don't want a car payment weighing you down when you move out on your own for the first time, or start college.  My first car cost $750. Sure I wanted something nicer.  Once I could actually "afford it" (meaning, I could make my car payment, rent, and living costs with money left over), I upgraded.  Now that I'm a little older (30) with a couple of kids, my car is only a means of getting me from point a to point b.  Nothing fancy, I spend all of my money on my kids now.

I have a solid income of caddying and I am going to work at golf smith/ oakley in the winter. money is not the issue for me

I can tell you first hand man as soon as you get to college your budget goes out the window. What you think now will be enough turns out to be way too little. Do yourself a favor and while you're in college have as few financial commitments as possible. I'd love more than anyone else to have a brand new car (I'm a car nut) and make payments monthly. From a numbers standpoint I could do it without any issue, but the thing is there are ALWAYS unexpected expenses. For example, last year my laptop was stolen out of my dorm room. Obviously I need my laptop for school and just like that I was out $1000. If I had car payments my parents would have had to bail me out, theres no way I could pay for both. Luckily my laptop was returned but if it hadn't been I would have been screwed.

I don't want this to come across as preachy, even though I know it sounds like it. I just don't want to see you get in over your head.

[leadfoot_mf]

2012 porsche cayenne turbo s live large son set high goals.

[ZimBag]

leadfoot_mf, on 03 May 2012 - 11:34 PM, said:

2012 porsche cayenne turbo s live large son set high goals.

nah gotta get the range rover supersport when i get my a** out of med school in 10+ years

[leadfoot_mf]

that was my 2nd choice lol good luck with med school.