My next vehicle purchase - fun vs responsibility vs stupid

[mvbighead]

Sure but having a trailer is going to be quite the hindrance in a place like San Francisco. I'm already taking a penalty by wanting to have a truck (and I'm sure the truck will get keyed and smashed because it's in an anarchist's paradise).



I already put in like 2-300 miles a week just from non-necessary driving (going out at night). :hmm: So, maybe I'll put in like 2,600-3,900 miles in those 3 months? (This is assuming I only use the bike for going from point A to B, which is likely but I'll probably just ride the thing for the heck of it)

You've got options. If you have a garage, you could likely up end your trailer and lean it against a wall if you go small enough.

Or, instead of buying a fullsize truck, buy something a bit more economical like a Tacoma.

At this point, I'd tend to think the suggestions of renting a truck when needed is probably the most appropriate, but if you're dead set on having truck functionality, there are other options than full size trucks.

 

[TridenT]

You're in CA, right? Then, Chevy Spark EV lease.

I dare you to find a better deal or more fun for $139/mo, less than that if you figure in the 100mpg equivalent to power it. I love mine and pay 50% more than that for the lease. $139 is a steal.

The range is too little for me, unfortunately. I have 100mile roundtrip commutes with no power stations nearby either landing spot.

In fact, where I live would make it impossible to charge the Chevy Spark EV. There are no ways to charge it. (Literally, there are no outdoor outlets even. No stations nearby either)

Even though the spark EV is a good deal, I cannot use it. I drive too far and without any power stations nearby. (I cannot install one because rentals... Not like it'd matter anyway. Even if I had one where I lived, I'd still be 20 miles short on my way back to my apartment.)

 

[Ophir]

The range is too little for me, unfortunately. I have 100mile roundtrip commutes with no power stations nearby either landing spot.

In fact, where I live would make it impossible to charge the Chevy Spark EV. There are no ways to charge it. (Literally, there are no outdoor outlets even. No stations nearby either)

Even though the spark EV is a good deal, I cannot use it. I drive too far and without any power stations nearby. (I cannot install one because rentals... Not like it'd matter anyway. Even if I had one where I lived, I'd still be 20 miles short on my way back to my apartment.)

Bummer. 30 miles one way is the limit if you want to stay out of range anxiety mode. That used to be my commute and I'd get home with a comfortable 30 miles in the bank.

 

[TridenT]

Ugh, been wanting the BMW 335i real bad recently.

I have no fucking idea what I'll get when I decide to throw down. It's too difficult.

I should fix the car I have right now.

EDIT: Nvm, I forgot that I need to rebuild the engine for it to be "worth it". The piston rings are worn resulting in subpar compression tests. If it was just a couple things, no biggie... but rebuilding the engine is a lot of work for various reasons right now.

 

[HitAnyKey]

If your driving 200 miles round trip then I would be looking hard at the Prius (the larger one, no idea what its called).

That or a Honda Fit would be my top two picks.

If you really want to fix your Civic then fix it. I really don't see a problem with doing that. Those were really good cars to begin. With some smart repairs it will last you another 5 years. Your coin.

 

[XavierMace]

Ugh, been wanting the BMW 335i real bad recently.

I have no fucking idea what I'll get when I decide to throw down. It's too difficult.

I should fix the car I have right now.

EDIT: Nvm, I forgot that I need to rebuild the engine for it to be "worth it". The piston rings are worn resulting in subpar compression tests. If it was just a couple things, no biggie... but rebuilding the engine is a lot of work for various reasons right now.

That's a far more comfortable car to live out of.

 

[MongGrel]

A new miata is also going to be well over the $15k budget...

by about at least x2.

I'd actually like to have one myself to play with, but they aren't practical.

 

[TridenT]

by about at least x2.

I's actually like to have one myself to play with, but they aren't practical.

no, they aren't. I rather get a BMW 335i or an M3 with that kind of change.

 

[Bock]

Sportbikes come with wet clutches. Those are much much more forgiving than car clutches.

 

[nerp]

If you get the used BWM, save up for repairs. If you think repairing a Civic is time consuming and expensive. . . .

 

[michal1980]

Aren't you jobless?

 

[TridenT]

My car purchase plan has moved forward a bit due to this: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2439823

Any thoughts? I'm not sure what my budget is, to be honest. Part of me just wants to get a beater for the time but also I /really/ do actually need something reliable, fully functioning, and (hopefully) has some cargo to it (and with great AC).

This puts the Toyota Prius in an interesting category. It has some great stuff but to get one of decent mileage requires some serious fucking $$$$. Similarly, I don't really want a fucking Prius. I really wanted to test drive some 2011 BMW 335i cars but now I can't. It's out of my price bracket. (BMW being 17-22k)

Who knows. I'm going to do some cost analysis about gas mileage and total cost of ownership for a period. The Prius is unlikely to lose much value over time but it's a high investment. Similarly, it's also pretty dated interior wise. It feels similar to my 2000 civic in terms of sophistication. I'll be putting in the miles and I'd like something nice.

Life blows.

 

[JulesMaximus]

If you get the used BWM, save up for repairs. If you think repairing a Civic is time consuming and expensive. . . .

He should get a Cry-sler. I hear they are uber reliable... their focus groups have told me so.

 

[jlee]

My car purchase plan has moved forward a bit due to this: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2439823

Any thoughts? I'm not sure what my budget is, to be honest. Part of me just wants to get a beater for the time but also I /really/ do actually need something reliable, fully functioning, and (hopefully) has some cargo to it (and with great AC).

This puts the Toyota Prius in an interesting category. It has some great stuff but to get one of decent mileage requires some serious fucking $$$$. Similarly, I don't really want a fucking Prius. I really wanted to test drive some 2011 BMW 335i cars but now I can't. It's out of my price bracket. (BMW being 17-22k)

Who knows. I'm going to do some cost analysis about gas mileage and total cost of ownership for a period. The Prius is unlikely to lose much value over time but it's a high investment. Similarly, it's also pretty dated interior wise. It feels similar to my 2000 civic in terms of sophistication. I'll be putting in the miles and I'd like something nice.

Life blows.

Did you get a job yet? A Prius will generally run 200-300k+ without any major problem. It's not a 335i that'll be going through turbos and fuel pumps every few years - if you can't afford to buy a 335i, you can't remotely afford to own one.

 

[TridenT]

Did you get a job yet? A Prius will generally run 200-300k+ without any major problem. It's not a 335i that'll be going through turbos and fuel pumps every few years - if you can't afford to buy a 335i, you can't remotely afford to own one.

I'm aware. I'll probably get a 2010 Toyota Prius if I can budget it. Similar to as before, I'd like to get one with a moonroof.

No job at the moment. But, onsite at Google. So, who knows. Could be rolling in it within a few weeks.

 

[TridenT]

Here's the kind of Prius I'm looking at. 2010 Toyota Prius, Package IV, Solar Pkg, Moonroof, and Backup camera included.

url: tiny url . com / olq93rj

Very good private party with 73,548 miles is $13,822. That seems pretty good to me.

 

[tortillasoup]

Here's the kind of Prius I'm looking at. 2010 Toyota Prius, Package IV, Solar Pkg, Moonroof, and Backup camera included.

url: tiny url . com / olq93rj

Very good private party with 73,548 miles is $13,822. That seems pretty good to me.

Can't go wrong with that. I don't know how tall you are but my issue with the newer generation prius is that it feels more cramped than the older generation Prius.

 

[TridenT]

I'm a little worried about the Prius though. I really do want a more aggressive and enjoyable car. I'd also like a more premium feel to everything too. The Prius is especially cheap on the interior and a complaint I hear is of highway wind noise and highway driving comfort. Which is really not good because I could be doing most of my miles on the freeway with this car in long stretches.

But, who knows.

It's really tough. I want the reliability and so forth but reading reviews of the Prius feels like it's a soul sucking experience.

I'm a young guy, I feel like the BMW 335i would be a better fit (also more expensive since 2011 year is what I'm looking at. 2007-2010 is more approachable for my budget... My budget currently being $15k.) but I do need more practical cargo room and so forth too... may as well buy a fucking pickup truck. :/


Cannot decide. This is beyond difficult.

 

[XavierMace]

OP, in case you missed in the first time:

if you can't afford to buy a 335i, you can't remotely afford to own one.

Bought my 2011 135i at 67k miles. At 72k right now.

Front Rotors: $220
Front Pads: $100
Front Wear Sensor: $20
Rear Rotors: $200
Rear Pads: $100
Rear Wear Sensor: $15
Cabin Air Filter: $20
Spark Plugs: $130
Expansion Tank: $55

Plus other smaller items like 2l oil, some bolts that were missing, etc. Still need to replace rear tires ($400) and a burnt out headlight. Plus I have a handful of other things I want to do (IE JB4, Oil Catch can, larger intercooler). Probably just go LED kit on the headlights so $200 on that. It's also worth mentioning that the specified oil for these cars is not the easiest to find which probably doesn't fit your lifestyle well either.

That's assuming you have tools and the ability to work on it yourself. I've spent another $400-$500 on tools plus relied on the assistance of other ATG friends. If you don't have that, add a few thousand in labor. Insurance is going to be higher as well, plus premium gas. Nothing in your posting history makes any of this sound like a good fit for you.

 

[fleshconsumed]

Let me third it for you:

if you can't afford to buy a 335i, you can't remotely afford to own one.

BMW's are going to kill you with maintenance bills. Get something cheap and reliable. If you financial situation changes you can always sell it and get that BMW. But until you have that balling job you can't be balling. If you're worried about chicks not digging prius, plenty of hippy green oriented chicks do. Just have to work saving the environment angle...

 

[SniperWulf]

Have you looked into a VW diesel? 10k maintenance intervals, 40+ mpg highway, lots of fun to drive.

 

[TridenT]

Have you looked into a VW diesel? 10k maintenance intervals, 40+ mpg highway, lots of fun to drive.

I don't particularly want a diesel but I'll consider it. It might be a way for me to maintain good fuel mileage with better creature comforts. I don't particularly like the Toyota Prius with its available creature comforts (them being quite minimal).

If I'm going to have this car for some years, I'd like it to be a nice experience. Especially after not having AC for over a year now... :hmm:

And yes, I'll swear off the BMW for this round. God damn it.

 

[jlee]

I don't particularly want a diesel but I'll consider it. It might be a way for me to maintain good fuel mileage with better creature comforts. I don't particularly like the Toyota Prius with its available creature comforts (them being quite minimal).

If I'm going to have this car for some years, I'd like it to be a nice experience. Especially after not having AC for over a year now... :hmm:

And yes, I'll swear off the BMW for this round. God damn it.

These are fun.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/5131843908.html
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/cto/5112354733.html

 

[quikah]

Prius seats SUCK. You might be able to get some seat cushions or something to make them passable. I only drive my wife's for short distances, it gets uncomfortable after ~30 minutes for me.

 

[TridenT]

Looking around.

VW Golf GTI, TDI. I've driven a 2003 1.8T GTI before. It wasn't a bad experience. Cupholders suck ass and the stock stereo is a bit finicky but not too bad. I was driving it for 500+ miles at a time and some short around town trips. I didn't mind it. It was older and had been abused, so it wasn't a great experience in terms of shifting.. (The syncros were fucked. It felt cool to hear the turbo and feel some kick but I couldn't shift because the syncros were totally in bad shape. And the kick ran out real fast after 40mph but that's okay...)