How much did you pay for your automobile?

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: 3NF

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: 3NF
I paid $14,500 for my Saturn (new) in 2000. I have hard time justifying paying anything over 15K. Autos are a waste of money. Put it into your home or retirement.

What if your home is paid for and you're maxing out three retirement accounts (401k plus two Roth's) plus $400 per month into a brokerage account? Can I buy one over $15,000 now?

No, because your children will suck it out of you then.
If you don't have kids, well then I guess you can ... and lucky

LOL...I have two kids and they will most certainly take the money, damnit! :Q

I might just do it on my 40th birthday regardless.....I've saved like hell (including paying my home off in 6 years and 8 months on a 30 year mortgage) and it might just be time to play a little with the money!

 

[3NF]

Originally posted by: Engineer

LOL...I have two kids and they will most certainly take the money, damnit! :Q

I might just do it on my 40th birthday regardless.....I've saved like hell (including paying my home off in 6 years and 8 months on a 30 year mortgage) and it might just be time to play a little with the money!

Well, then you deserve it I enjoy driving a beater car - you don't have to waste time washing those

 

[FeuerFrei]

Around $9k w/ ~7% financing. Only car I've ever owned. I bought it 10 years ago when about to start my first job out of college.
Sure is nice to not have a monthly payment so I can sink the money into car repairs instead.

 

[llamajizz]

Paid about $7500 for a '97 bimmer 328i last year and it was the best $7500 I ever spent.

 

[Aquila76]

$10K for an off-lease '96 Grand Am in '97. 10 years and ~150,000 miles later, it is now starting to get weird (but fixable) issues.

 

[YoungGun21]

$6100

 

[mitaiwan82]

$3600 for a '94 Miata two years ago

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: mitaiwan82
$3600 for a '94 Miata two years ago

That's a good price. You would be hard pressed to find a NA for that price here today.

 

[DrPizza]

My father's good in math... Worked out a deal with his trade. Worked out a deal without a trade. Realized that although they said they were giving him $2000 for the trade, they were selling the car for less if he didn't have a trade "to avoid the inconvenience to themselves of dealing with it." He quickly realized he was only getting a few hundred for the trade, so he just gave me the car instead.

1996 Mercury Sable in excellent condition. Runs great. Of course, in doing routine upkeep on it, I replaced the radiator fluid and flushed the system. Mistake, because after that, the soft plugs (freeze plugs) all started leaking, one after another. PITA to fix them.

 

[f1sh3r]

bought my '95 Cutlass Ciera with ~58k miles for $2300 about 4 years ago from my gramps

Up to 115k and still running good

http://www.junkycarclub.com -> share your wealth

 

[adairusmc]

2006 Dodge Ram, 6.7L cummins turbo, mega cab, lariat edition. $47,500

 

[vi edit]

My Frontier stickered for right around 28k. I paid 24k after a $1750 rebate, a $500 college grad discount, and still got a decent finance rate of 5% for 60 months.

My wife's Highlander lease was stickered for a hair over 30k and the capitalized price was just over 27k. Buyout is a tad over $17,000. We'll have paid around $11,500 on the lease payments (including sales tax) so we got it effectively interest free for 3 years. We'll likely buy it out at the end since it's been a good car and we've already paid the sales tax on it (Damn you Illinois).

 

[rivan]

Originally posted by: Engineer
<blockquote>quote:
Originally posted by: 3NF
I paid $14,500 for my Saturn (new) in 2000. I have hard time justifying paying anything over 15K. Autos are a waste of money. Put it into your home or retirement.</blockquote>

What if your home is paid for and you're maxing out three retirement accounts (401k plus two Roth's) plus $400 per month into a brokerage account? Can I buy one over $15,000 now?

Just because you HAVE enough money to throw away on a depreciation machine doesn't mean it's smart.

That said, I bought my 02 Sequoia for ~$25 used, after 7 years of driving a paid off POS. I've been regretting spending that much ever since. I should have gotten a (much) older Land Cruiser like I originally thought, but with one toddler and another on the way, I thought I should go the 'newer, more-reliable' route.

 

[manowar821]

3,000 USD for my 1992 mazda MX-3

It was worth it.

 

[Kirby]

My parents paid ~12k for the jetta.

:heart: Mom and Dad

 

[Casawi]

21K total for a 2005 Chevy trailblazer. One of the worst decision I made in my life. Looking to trade for a 05-06 Jeep Wrangle, or 04 BM 3.25Ci

 

[Turin39789]

Originally posted by: Turin39789
$2500. It should last me the rest of my life.

update - I now have a $750 motorcycle as well.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: rivan

Originally posted by: Engineer
<blockquote>quote:
Originally posted by: 3NF
I paid $14,500 for my Saturn (new) in 2000. I have hard time justifying paying anything over 15K. Autos are a waste of money. Put it into your home or retirement.</blockquote>

What if your home is paid for and you're maxing out three retirement accounts (401k plus two Roth's) plus $400 per month into a brokerage account? Can I buy one over $15,000 now?

Just because you HAVE enough money to throw away on a depreciation machine doesn't mean it's smart.

That's no different than a 52" LCD tv when a nice, cheaper and smaller CRT will do. Or a dual core computer with a $500 video card when a much cheaper one will do. Regardless if it's "smart" or not, if nobody bought new cars, then there would never be used one for the many that like to buy them.

 

[azazyel]

2007 Elantra

MSRP 19ish
Bought at 17ish

 

[child of wonder]

First car was a 1986 Pontiac Grand Am with 115,000 miles on it. Purchased in 1996 for $2350 IIRC.

Second car was a 1990 Pontiac Grand Am with 107,000 miles on it. Got for $2600 in 1999 I think.

Third car was a 2001 Ford ZX2 with 3,100 miles. Purchased in 2001 for $11,690. Same car new was about $15,000.

Fourth car was a 2000 Ford Taurus with 35,000 miles. Purchased in 2004 for $7,700.

Fifth car was a trade. 4 months ago I traded my 2001 Ford ZX2 with 53,000 miles to my parents for their 1997 Ford Taurus with 134,000 miles plus $3,600 cash. My wife and I wanted to have two 4 door cars so in case on breaks down we still have another vehicle to haul around our two kids.

In 2 years when both kids are in school we're planning on selling the 1997 Taurus and getting a much nicer car.

 

[eits]

$7950 for my 2000 volvo s40

 

[A5]

Parents gave me a 1992 Buick Park Avenue they bought for $3K from one of my mom's brothers. It's lasted 5 years, which is all you can really ask for.

 

[lokiju]

My current "ride" cost $20k

My first "ride" cost $800.

 

[Juno]

parents paid for a brand new 2004 nissan xterra.

i would say about $26,000 according to parents.

 

[BornStar]

I got my 99 Oldsmobile Aurora for $4000. Thank goodness for nice father in laws.