Can I afford this car?

[kyolml]

I am pretty sure you won't get $17k for Civic trade-in. Sell it yourself probably will be a hard time for $17k too. Normally should look at fair condition for KBB when dealer want to buy a car, so it's in $13k range

[drummer5679]

you can get a lightly used g35 for under 20k just sayin.

[marinjim]

Originally Posted by bambbrose

I would sell the civic, and buy an older car, and pay off my debt using the difference if I was in your situation.

After reading all the posts on this I hope you realize what you should do. Are you going to live on campus? Many colleges used to require that the 1st year. Are you going to work while at school? You should reconsider that as college isn't a cake walk and if you stretch yourself too thin your grades will suffer.

I agree with the above quoted post and I'll take it a step further, sell the Civic, pay down your bills and do without a car. Cars are relatively quick deprecating assets and by the time you graduate the Civic will have lost much of it's value not to mention the insurance, gas and maintenance you'll pay.

I vote for a used FR-S after you've been working a couple of years and frankly there will be another car out there that excites you by then and the FR-S will seem old and stodgy.

Good luck and why don't you post your decision so all of those who posted know their time spent responding wasn't wasted?

[#87]

I think you should also ask your parents if they would be opposed to you getting a new car considering they are giving you a free place to live. May sound silly but there are a wide variety of parenting thought when it comes to money and their children.

I just got a job recently after college and like you live at home for no charge and make enough to afford this car. But I still ask my parents if they would mind because even if I don't agree they have the right to tell me they want me to move out on my own in which case I might not be able to afford the car and pay all the bills that come along with living on your own.

Also, how secure is your job and will you still be working there when you transfer university? If you lost your job after you bought the car what would you do?

[zAnSh1n]

i'm slightly older than you [op], since i had a few year blank in my life, but i'm going back to school [junior] starting this fall...

i shouldn't buy this car, but i'm going to... cuz i do wut i want !

ima throw down roughly $12k for dp and use my disability checks for the monthly payments, insurance, gas, etc...

$220/month for 72 months @ 8%... but screw that, ima pay off that shit in 36, y0 !

yea yea, pretty stupid to take an 8% interest rate, but i need a car once school starts and i really want the fr-s... if 8% is the best i can get, so be it; i almost lost my life in an auto accident back in 2008 and now i really live by the motto: "you only live once..."

i'm a type_0 and a huge car nut, so getting a used car is out of the question and if i'm going to buy a car, i want one that i will keep for a very long time... get a cheaper car now [that i don't want] and a better car [i really want] later??? nonsense...

at the end of the day, you make the final call, so just do whatever the hell you want... because in the grand scheme of things, buying a car is such a small factor in your life...

good luck~

[suprachica79]

Originally Posted by zAnSh1n

i'm slightly older than you [op], since i had a few year blank in my life, but i'm going back to school [junior] starting this fall...

i shouldn't buy this car, but i'm going to... cuz i do wut i want !

ima throw down roughly $12k for dp and use my disability checks for the monthly payments, insurance, gas, etc...

$220/month for 72 months @ 8%... but screw that, ima pay off that shit in 36, y0 !

yea yea, pretty stupid to take an 8% interest rate, but i need a car once school starts and i really want the fr-s... if 8% is the best i can get, so be it; i almost lost my life in an auto accident back in 2008 and now i really live by the motto: "you only live once..."

i'm a type_0 and a huge car nut, so getting a used car is out of the question and if i'm going to buy a car, i want one that i will keep for a very long time... get a cheaper car now [that i don't want] and a better car [i really want] later??? nonsense...

at the end of the day, you make the final call, so just do whatever the hell you want... because in the grand scheme of things, buying a car is such a small factor in your life...

good luck~

Whatever you do, do not listen to this guy.

[zAnSh1n]

Originally Posted by suprachica79

Whatever you do, do not listen to this guy.

hell, don't listen to anyone...

go big or go home

[Sasquachulator]

If you can make the financials work then yeah go for it. IF you cant? then dont.

[Koomoo]

I have 2 pre-orders at Scion and Subaru.... after i learn about the price with subaru i wil be heading to the subaru side.... they both are good dealerships i assure they won't do a crazy 1k-2k markup like some other dealerships... i made sure they would be giveing me MRSP+DES.... but since i will be getting my car at Subaru i don't want my scion pre-order to go to waste i'm #1 on the pre-order for a Asphalt Manual.... so if anyone wants my spot and still looking for a FRS u can take it if ur willing to head to michigan where i live..... but if there are no takers i prolly will get my $500 back when i get my BRZ

[KaliKev]

The car wont be that great if you can't afford fuel, much less go out with friends. Wait a while when the payments are nothing to think twice about...

[dookie11]

Originally Posted by zAnSh1n

i'm slightly older than you [op], since i had a few year blank in my life, but i'm going back to school [junior] starting this fall...

i shouldn't buy this car, but i'm going to... cuz i do wut i want !

ima throw down roughly $12k for dp and use my disability checks for the monthly payments, insurance, gas, etc...

$220/month for 72 months @ 8%... but screw that, ima pay off that shit in 36, y0 !

yea yea, pretty stupid to take an 8% interest rate, but i need a car once school starts and i really want the fr-s... if 8% is the best i can get, so be it; i almost lost my life in an auto accident back in 2008 and now i really live by the motto: "you only live once..."

i'm a type_0 and a huge car nut, so getting a used car is out of the question and if i'm going to buy a car, i want one that i will keep for a very long time... get a cheaper car now [that i don't want] and a better car [i really want] later??? nonsense...

at the end of the day, you make the final call, so just do whatever the hell you want... because in the grand scheme of things, buying a car is such a small factor in your life...

good luck~

Yah, I got that same mentality. Buy a "cheap" used car and deal with constant headaches/repairs, or finance a brand new car and have zero headaches. I'll take the new one, thank you.

My car's aging, so I gotta sell it as soon as possible, and all 3 of my cars have been used, so I'm sick of the lemons getting tossed in my direction. Also, it's like IMPOSSIBLE to find a decently priced/GOOD condition/non-salvaged car in SoCal. Can't even find a decent beater anymore, because everyone's hanging onto their cars due to the financial crisis, nah mean?

So sad so sad

[slizoth]

Originally Posted by ACHlLLES

A car in current situation should be getting you from point A to B.

Suffer now and enjoy later.

I know you don't want to hear it, no one does, but it's the truth.

[slizoth]

Originally Posted by Koomoo

I have 2 pre-orders at Scion and Subaru.... after i learn about the price with subaru i wil be heading to the subaru side.... they both are good dealerships i assure they won't do a crazy 1k-2k markup like some other dealerships... i made sure they would be giveing me MRSP+DES.... but since i will be getting my car at Subaru i don't want my scion pre-order to go to waste i'm #1 on the pre-order for a Asphalt Manual.... so if anyone wants my spot and still looking for a FRS u can take it if ur willing to head to michigan where i live..... but if there are no takers i prolly will get my $500 back when i get my BRZ

Very kind of you

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by dookie11

Yah, I got that same mentality. Buy a "cheap" used car and deal with constant headaches/repairs, or finance a brand new car and have zero headaches. I'll take the new one, thank you.
...

Your statement is a bit misleading, financing a new (or used) car you can't afford is just moving the headaches, not solving anything.