Buying a new car

[Alexander Salibi]

This is my first post to this form, glad to join this community!

I am looking forward to buying my first car sometime in the next few month, I want a coupe something with two doors that can be fast, fun to drive and easy to fix/mod. I was looking into Nissan as i love the company and the 350z cough my eye. One of the reasons I liked the 350z is because it has a lot of kits available and Nissan cars are usually easy to work with. The only problem is I have only 10,000 dollars to spend in total. Do you guys recommend any other car that is similar to the 350z 2006 or newer within that price range?

Thanks for the answers!

Topic

[Lorrin Barth]

The more you can pay up front, the smaller the payments. I’d suggest riding on the warranty for awhile. Once you start sticking on aftermarket parts the warranty goes poof. Anyway, there’s lots of stuff for the 350z, same for the Evo and this the last year for that vehicle. If you could wait till the end of the year and then find one, you’d love it. There’s also the two door Honda Accord – a nice car.

[Mike]

For a first vehicle, I’d recommend something older, ultra simple and unsophisticated. Something with a carburettor, no computer-controlled ashtrays, no airbags and ABS, few or no power accessories. Something you can fix with a butter knife and a can opener.

Whatever you get, don’t blow all your money on the purchase price. Keep several grand in a mason jar for insurance and a slush fund for repairs.

[Alexander Salibi]

The payment thing is true,barneyb. However I’m trying to save up to pay all cash. Honda aren’t my style one of the reasons is they are FWD not my thing I like RWD and the coupes are expensive.

Thanks for the reply!

[Alexander Salibi]

Thank you Evil-I for your recommendation for buying an easy first car, i’d love to do that too, however I will be living in an apartment and not a house, and that would mean parking it in a lot, can’t do much work in the lot without a garage. especially when it gets freezing cold in the winter.

[Lorrin Barth]

All cash is the way to go but few can do it. My last new car was all cash (this is where you find the line on you check for writing out the amount is too small) and then I dropped another four grand at the Court House paying taxes, title and registration. Then there is insurance.

To be ready to buy the sort of vehicle you are talking about for cash new means saving 35 to 45 thousand dollars.

I remember when I was a young man and the Ford Mustang had just come out. I had the cash in my pocket to buy a new one. At the local dealership showroom was a Poppy Orange one with V8 and a manual transmission. I was in love. Instead I took the money and went to college. It hurts to this day but it was the right decision.

[Ken]

E36 M3
Mazda Miata

Two of the most mod-friendly and fun to drive vehicles ever built.

Don’t assume buying used means your fixing it in your driveway every day. Thats from buying cheap.

[Ken]

[quote=”barneyb” post=137660](this is where you find the line on you check for writing out the amount is too small) [/quote]

Hahaha…

[Chuck]

My advise would be what took me bad choices to learn the hard way.

If your in the USA than there are tons of vehicles you will be able to find exactly what you want so be patient. If you have any doubts or questions on the vehicle pass on it. There are so many cars in the USA you will find another. I always jumped the gun when i was looking except my recent purchase and boy was it nicer.

Also pay off the car before you do costly modifications. I see it all the time people dumping 100’s or 1000’s in vehicles on mod’s before its paid off and some of them loose the car cause they run into job issues and cannot afford it anymore.

Hope you find a nice vehicle and it teaches you some good habits to learn and enjoy working on vehicles…

[zero]

[quote=”kbeefy” post=138148]
Mazda Miata

Don’t assume buying used means your fixing it in your driveway every day. Thats from buying cheap.[/quote]

These are the right answers. Yes a used car will eventually need some sort of repair, but a new car under warranty has factory maintenance that not doing can not necessarily void your warranty, but make it more difficult to get something warrantied. Although buying used doesn’t mean that you won’t have any warranty either as most brands have their “premium” used cars. So the real way to think of it is “cost of ownership”, which includes all the costs, maintenance, insurance etc etc.

If you have $10k cash, I would look in the 10-20k range. At a 25-50% down payment you should have no trouble securing a decent financing rate.

And antoher thing to remember is that a car like a new 370Z will cost more for things like tires, than say an Altima. So whereas you friends might need to spend $600 on tires for their civic, You will be looking at $1500. Just something to think about.

[Author]

Replies