Lately I've had the itch to buy a new car.
I've never been a fan of my Ford Focus. I like the leather seats, it's true, and I know it's relatively safe, but the rest of the car just isn't my style. It's no fun to drive. Acceleration is unresponsive. Every little piece of it rattles and squeaks. Sometimes the road noise is oppressive. The whole car just feels cheap.
It's not that I'm a Car Guy. I'm not. (You know the kind: they seem to have obsessive knowledge about every make and model on the road. They know the difference between sunroofs and moonroofs. They know what sort of engines are in the different Honda Accord trimlines. Etc.)
Normally I'm the kind of guy who buys a car new and then drives it until it dies, but my dislike for the Focus is so strong that I've spent the past couple days researching new vehicles, trying to calculate whether I can afford to purchase one. And if I can afford it, ought I purchase a new vehicle or a used one? (There are pros and cons to each choice.)
And what kind of automobile should I buy? The Toyota ECHO is cheap — $12,000 new — and gets 38mpg while providing excellent customer satisfaction, yet it's small and not very safe and surely cheaply made. The Acura TL looks appealing with its agile handling and near-luxury status, yet could I really afford $35,000 for a car? That seems obscene!
What about the new Scions? They're the ugliest cars I've ever seen, yet they get fantastic gas mileage and offer decent customer satisfaction. Hondas are always good. And Toyotas. I've always wanted a Toyota Camry V6 XLE.
Fortunately I have Kris — who is always right — to help guide my thinking. Talking with her, I was able to formulate a plan. Rather than purchase a new car, I'll maintain my focus on eliminating my debt. I only have a couple left, but they're big ones (the home equity loan, for example).
Rather than incur another debt, I've made it a goal to pay off all my remaining debt, and then I'll reward myself by purchasing whichever car I choose, without compromise. If I want an Audi A4, I'll buy one. If I want a BMW 330i (more here), I'll buy one. Because it'll take me two or three years to meet this goal, and my Focus will then be seven or eight years old, it'll make more sense to retire it and get a new vehicle.
In the meantime, I'll spend a little money upgrading my current car, making it more fun for me. Jeff is researching methods of integrating an iPod into a car stereo system for me. I'll find out about having a moonroof installed. I'll also spend some time to thoroughly clean the Focus, inside and out, and then take it in to have comprehensive service done on it. If I'm lucky, all of this will distract me for a couple of years.
If I'm dedicated, on 01 January 2008 I'll be out buying myself a new BMW! (Or, more likely, a $5,000 used Honda Accord.)
On this day at foldedspace.org
2004 — Embarrassing Moments Sunday was a day of embarrasments for me.
2003 — Books and Bikes In which I choose a book. In which I now have a commuter bike!
I just went through a similar itch. However I decided to scratch and got me a new (used) truck. I'm sure at some point I'll hope I was more responsible like you and waited, but for now I'll enjoy my new rig.