Should I trade in/sell my car?

[Sonolin]

Edit: I just came home with my new manual FR-S and I'm much happier

Hey guys,

First of all, want to say I'm very happy I picked the Fr-s. I love this car and its great fun in the twisties.

The only problem I have is I bought the car as an auto. I did it mainly because the only fr-s I could find were all automatic cars, and having never driven a stick the thought of an auto sports car never killed me.

Now having driven it for ~6k miles, I really regret buying the auto. Its my fault, I know, and I should have never bought an auto in the first place. This auto is great, but it just doesn't fit what I want out of the car.

So my dillema, is should I make the bad financial decision, and sell my a/t fr-s and try to get a m/t? I would never do this if it put me in a financial spot where I'd be struggling to pay the bills or anything, but I just see it as bad financial sense all around. I'm also considering buying used m/t or possibly selling my a/t then waiting a bit to pick up a used m/t within the year at a possible lower price.

Idk. I'm just torn on it, and its slowly eating away at my soul . I know there's probably people who are satisfied with the a/t, but I don't commute at all (work from home) so it was a stupid choice for me...

I've looked into doing a possibly swap to a M/T trans later down the road, but the costs and difficulties sound too high. I do really like the idea of keeping my personal car, as I feel sentimental value towards it, but it'd probably be smarter to just trade it in. I've also thought of keeping the car for 2-3 years and trading it in then for a newer manual brz/fr-s, but that would just mean I'd be paying a lot more money all around.

Any suggestions? I'm not looking for you guys to make my life decisions for me, I guess I'm just asking what would you do in a similar spot (however stupid and unlikely)?

[MVJ1975]

If you don't want the AT, sell it off and get what you do want.

[rapidcars]

If you plan on keeping it a while, get a manual. No reason to drive a car you don't want for years to come.

[Shneegle]

If you can stand to keep it then do that. But I knew I wouldn't be able to stand a automatic and I love my manual!

[Chimpo]

Obviously it's a terrible financial choice, but going back to the beginning and buying any new car generally is a terrible financial choice. It's a "want", not a "need", but you'll be able to rationalize away any non-logic.

Here's another thing to think about out of left field: can you drive manual yet? Have you tried an FR-S with a manual? Perhaps, and God forbid this to be true, you try a car that has a stick and *gasp/shock/horror* you realize that maybe you just don't like the car in general? I think this is something you need to answer before you take a huge $$$ hit, and potentially realize you're still not satisfied.

[strat61caster]

Nobody buys this car for purely financial reasons, do what makes you happy.

Yeah you tossed a bit of money down the drain, consider it a life lesson. By the way, have you driven a manual yet? Or are you just enamored by the idea and internet tough guys pressuring you into switching?

[Chimpo]

Another thing to think about: if you hang on to it and wait until the initial depreciation has leveled off (assuming you don't beat the tar out of it) you won't take as much of a hit getting out of it as you would right now.

Hell you may even like the car again.

[CrazyWookiee]

Cars are money pits. But we love them. Across the entire board, there's got to be a reason you bought the FR-S and not a commuter car. You pay for enjoyment. I'd do anything I could to get all the fun out of my car and have it just the way I wanted. Even if it costed a bit more, because I've already made the financial choice of spending more on something I love to drive, doing something I love to do. Drive.

As with everyone above, it would depend if you've driven a manual yet or for daily driving. Learning and driving around the block a few times is a poor example of living with it day to day. Make sure that's your personal choice for your own enjoyment out of the car. Not external pressures of people chewing you out or changing your views.

Also, don't let the results of this poll be representative. It's pretty much a "what are you guys driving right now." Obviously every manual driver is going to tell you to go stick, every auto driver is going to tell you to keep your auto, and anyone who has a bit of remorse in their choice would choose the opposite of what they bought, which is the same boat as you. There's a thread or poll I read before that was "what transmission did you choose, and would you change it now if you could" but I can't find it right now.

[idreamofdrifting]

Nothing sucks more, than owning a car you're dissatisfied with. More so, if you're still making monthly payments on it. In the end, despite the odds against good financial decisions. Just get what you want, what will make you happy. Life is short as it is. Good luck!

[gily25]

Honestly...I would enjoy this car for the time being and wait a model year or two until they make a major change to the car. Then you can enjoy having the new version as well as bracing yourself for the depreciation. I figure if you were going to make major race/performance changes to the car you probably would have researched the purchase mroe thoroughly so anything you are dissappointed about can probably wait. There will always be plenty of people who will need to buy used or want the first year car so simply put...wait 18 months and sell it to one of them.

[Sonolin]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies so far.

No I haven't driven the fr-s in manual, but I'm 99% sure I would much prefer driving a manual fr-s on a daily basis. I haven't owned a manual car yet, but would love to, and have always been a fan of manual gear boxes since I was a kid. I have driven a m/t mustang gt before and thought that was a good experience, even though the gearbox wasn't very accurate and slow.

And I definitely love my car. I'm in no way saying I hate my car, and have a lot of fun with it on a daily basis. I do sometimes wish it had more power, but the more I drive it through the twisties it seems the more I like the car. I'm not worried about me not liking a manual car at all.

I'm considering it because I feel if I can get a good deal, at maybe 2-4k more than what I have loaned for the car now, it would be worth the extra enjoyment a manual transmission would give me.

Just looking for others' thoughts on the matter. If I kept the a/t, I'd probably be satisfied with it but I'd always have that lingering thought of "I wish I got the manual".

P.S. I regretted getting my other car in an auto as well, and that was just a cheap beater point a- point b car... I don't know why I didn't learn my lesson there...

[Sonolin]

Originally Posted by gily25

Honestly...I would enjoy this car for the time being and wait a model year or two until they make a major change to the car. Then you can enjoy having the new version as well as bracing yourself for the depreciation. I figure if you were going to make major race/performance changes to the car you probably would have researched the purchase mroe thoroughly so anything you are dissappointed about can probably wait. There will always be plenty of people who will need to buy used or want the first year car so simply put...wait 18 months and sell it to one of them.

I've been considering this option as well. Downsides I see, are paying more in depreciation but it could be worth it for an sti model

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Chimpo

if you hang on to it and wait until the initial depreciation has leveled off

This doesn't make sense to me, is this something to do with inflation and interest rates over the next year or two?

My money says he's losing out every day he waits to sell it, it might be worth $22k now, but a year from now it'll definitely be less, maybe that's simplistic...

[Yruyur]

I learned not to get an auto after getting a tc2 in auto. That got traded in for the frs.

Sim ce the auto is priced higher you should see what the dealer will give you on it towards a manual.

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