So I am 23 years old and next year my 2004 s2000 will be paid off I love it and I have two choice to either buy a fit to drive in the snow and with the high gas prices sounds like a good plan or buy a new car. So my question is what does it really take to buy a 50-60-70,000 dollar car. If I sell my s2000 I will have 20,000 that I can put into a new car the prices of cars I am looking at are expensive. For example the 2007 Audi RS4 AWD V8 Beautiful car that I can drive all year round but with a sticker of over 65,000 brand new and used with 20,000 miles about 56,000. I am looking for some mature answers here I am looking towards my feature trying to get into something more mature. I know there is no freakin way I could get a porche 911 GT3. SO whats my money situation well I am in the military and they pretty much pay for everything. I make about 700 a pay check after taxes so about 1400 a month. After all my bills with my current s2000 car payment (311.00 a month) and full coverage insurance (60.00 a month) and you know cell phone, food, gas, credit card, internet, tv I am pretty much left with about 800 in my pocket to save each month. I am just want to read some personal experiance with buy newer more expensive cars like pros and cons and all. Appreciate all your help . . .

 

Continue with the current one and save some $$

 

well, you don't make enough money to swing a GT3 payment. You'd be breaking the bank just to get the audi. Sure, you can save up for a few years and get something more expensive, but why? You're really young, you probably don't know how long you'll be with the military, etc. If you choose to stay in the military, that changes the answer vs you getting an MBA afterwards vs leaving the military and getting a job in sales. If you don't know the answer to that question FOR SURE, then your best bet is to stick w/ the s2000, save your money, and prepare for the life uncertainties ahead of you.

 

silly

You should not be looking at $60K cars WTF?

You should read some books on finance and investing. Since you are so young even a little bit saved now (say $500 a month) can add up to a nice chunk of change.

This is probably a joke post but what the heck.

If you are concerned about gas price (get a fit) if you are concerned about gas price don't get a $60K RS4 which probably gets 17 MPG. Hope that sinks in. ie. if you are worred about spending gas money why are you looking at a gas guzziler you can't afford in the first place?

I am a BIG fan of the GT3, I think it's the best car on the market currently. Best plan for you is to keep the S2000 or sell it and get a Fit or Civic or GTi (or something cheap like that), Then take $500 a month and put it in savings in about 6 years you'll have enough for a nice down payment on a pre-owned GT3 that will be down in the $60s by then.

 

it takes a good paying job or rich parents.

$70K car would be over $1400 a month and you only make $1400 a month good luck with that, off you go get a RS4 you won't be able to eat or put gas in it or insurance or tires or maintanine etc...

 

It was a pretty fair question in my book.

No need for the arrogance.

 

well it is a real question I am young and i think if i want a car to keep for a very long time why not get it now and have it paid of before i am 30 you know. I appreciate everyone who is taking this seriously I am just to the point where after 7 years of honda is just not cutting it any more. I have always liked honda but the platform is just not cutting it any more.

 

$45,000 financed over 60 months at 5% is a $850 payment, $45 plus the $20 for your S gets you to the $65k RS4.

To check the figures yourself open Excel right click on one of the sheets on the bottom and select insert. In the box that opens click on the tab that says "Spreadsheet Solutions", in there one of your choices will be "Loan Amortization". With a $400 per month payment and the same circumstances above you can get $21k on top of your S2000 value.

As a Serviceman your financial situation depends on differing factors from those of us in the private sector. When deployed you spend next to nothing, and when at home they pick up some of the bills. But from the information you have given I think you might be reaching a little too high too soon.

Thank you for serving our country.

 

I think the demographic for RS4 owners was 40 yo males with ~$200k annual income.

I think you should look at more reasonable options. I know you want to have baller things, but there's plenty of time for that later.

$700 per paycheck IMHO is not enough earning power for a car that expensive.

And really, you won't be keeping it "for a long time." It's an Audi. Something eventually will break when it's out of warranty and cost you ~$2-4k to fix. That's a few month's salary and you'll be financially devastated. If the engine blows, it'll be >$20k right there.

And you do know that each tire is ~$250 to replace (and they don't last very long)....

With that little wiggle room, I'd stay with reliable cars, inexpensive to fix cars, or cars under warranty.

BTW, look at my sig for the cars I drive....

 

That's just an example of: Eyes bigger than the stomach.

Why is the platform "not cutting it anymore?"

Maybe some driving school for you?

I take the S2000 every chance I get. The RS4 gets driven by my wife because it was just sitting there.

The S2000 is more car than the vast majority of "bored" owners can appreciate.

Get boost, winter tires, and aftermarket traction control. Drive it in the winter and love your car all over again.