Quote:
Originally Posted by AG74683
That's not at all why I asked. I know I can afford the car in the sense that I could make the monthly payments. I asked because I assume that a car such as this has a reasonably diverse crowd of enthusiasts, including people who are thinking about buying the car (in the same situation I am), who have recently purchased and could perhaps detail how the purchase has affected them (both positively and negatively) or someone who might be a bit older (ie "wiser") and could give advice on how a purchase like this impacted their life years after.
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Buying this car saved my financial rear end, even though $4k was tacked onto the cost thanks to me being under water on my STI trade-in. The STI was simply that big of a financial drain, mainly from its abhorrent mileage despite me trying everything to reduce gas consumption. The insurance rate increase SUCKED, but it wasn't the biggest hurt. A $60+ gasoline bill more than twice a week made a significant impact to my finances which hurt greatly. It hurt even worse when in the middle of July I got idled (I'm a contractor, so I wasn't laid off, but was told "we don't have any work for you right now") till early November, and there I was with a few-month-old gas-guzzling car. It was a rock and a hard place that I figured I'd simply have to ride out. It simply got intolerable. The financial strain (even though I missed no payments) simply got to me and I couldn't stand the car. Every time I looked at it, instead of a beautifully ugly 300hp AWD turbo monster, I saw dollar bills being poured into a storm drain. Every time I felt that glorious boost, I dreaded the amount of fuel being poured into the engine. I was basically miserable and I hated having bought the car when I'd been so close to paying off my 2008 WRX. Thing was, for years the STI had been my dream car. And here I was with my supposed dream car and I was miserable.
Then I test drove a BRZ after having watched Chris Harris' videos on it. From all user reports on the gas mileage it was nice and efficient, if under powered, but the test drive confirmed that the numbers lied. And it was $10k less than the STI, wouldn't hurt on insurance nearly as much, and was WAY more economical in fuel. And it was a blast to test drive. THIS was the car I had wanted the STI to be. And I felt like an even bigger idiot.
Finally, the same day I'm told that I can come back to work was the day I couldn't stand it any longer and was signing paperwork on the BRZ. No sticker shock at all. Even with the trade being under water, I was still going to have a smaller payment. Sticker shock? More like sticker relief. I felt like I could breathe easier. Well, financially I COULD. My financial belt basically got a lot more breathing room with that move to the BRZ, and I'm still incredibly happy with it. It's satisfying to drive, it's WAY more cost effective to own, and still has some practicality. True it can't haul as much or as many as the STI or WRX could, and the entry size to the trunk means certain items are very awkward to fit in it, but I work around it.
The STI put me at the max limits of my financial ability. The BRZ's costs to own, fuel, operate, and insure are ALL lower across the board to varying degrees than the STI. I got my affordable car with an increase, not a decrease, to my driving enjoyment. That's a win-win right there and the reason I so adore the 86 platform.
Buying the powerful, expensive, high-insurance-cost performance car was the wrong move. The lightweight, rwd, cost-efficient sports coupe was the right move. I learned my lesson the hard way, but at least I won't have to learn it again.