FMSavings

[ase]

There is nothing like working a 10 - 8 day, then catching the bus home, to make you seriously consider your priorities.

Poll #917 My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 9

View Respondents

Should I buy a car?

View Answers

No.
1 (12.5%)

Yes.
7 (87.5%)

With zero being "new", my new car should be ____ years old.

View Answers
Mean: 4.88 Median: 5 Std. Dev 2.52

0		0 (0.0%)
1		0 (0.0%)
2		2 (25.0%)
3		1 (12.5%)
4		0 (0.0%)
5		3 (37.5%)
6		0 (0.0%)
7		1 (12.5%)
8		0 (0.0%)
9		0 (0.0%)
10		1 (12.5%)
11		0 (0.0%)
12		0 (0.0%)
13		0 (0.0%)
14		0 (0.0%)
15		0 (0.0%)

I don't know how to drive stick. Yet. Should I even pretend to look at manual cars?

View Answers

Yes.
2 (22.2%)

No.
7 (77.8%)

Did I mention I'm getting my wisdom teeth out sometime before March 2010?

View Answers

Oh snap!
1 (12.5%)

This changes my thoughts on your budget.
1 (12.5%)

But you already budgeted for that! Stop thinking about it.
6 (75.0%)

Dealbreakers:

View Answers

A/C
6 (85.7%)

Automatic transmission
4 (57.1%)

4 door
1 (14.3%)

Trunk (no hatchback)
0 (0.0%)

Power steering
4 (57.1%)

Power locks
1 (14.3%)

Power mirrors
2 (28.6%)

Power doors
1 (14.3%)

CD player
1 (14.3%)

Air bag
4 (57.1%)

Cheap car, minimal dent in savings
1 (14.3%)

Brand (please elaborate in comments)
0 (0.0%)

Something I will explain in comments
0 (0.0%)

How am I going to *pay* for this money sink?

View Answers

4 year car loan.
7 (100.0%)

Second job. Part time.
1 (14.3%)

A better idea I will elaborate on in comments.
1 (14.3%)

I am totally biasing this by mentioning my Philosophy of the First Car: there is no point in buying new, because I will drive it off the lot, hit a stationary object, and cry a lot about the dent. I'd much rather my first damage was more along the lines of, "wait, was that ding in the side there two weeks ago? Oh well."

Comments

[quiara]

I have a 2006 Scion xA with about 60,000 miles on it and I love it. If you can find one, which possibly you can't since it seems that people who've bought them tend to keep them, and Scion (a Toyota subsidiary) made the odd decision to discontinue them in favor of the less elegant xD.

Anyhow, it's part of the niche that I like to call Geekmobiles. They're efficient, long-lived, maintain value and are in some ways quirky. Also in this class are the xB, the Honda Fit, Honda Element, Nissan Cube and Chevy HHR. I think. Essentially, they're everything meant to fill the spot for station wagon or minivan for people who don't want station wagons and minivans. ^_^

[ase]

cars.com tells me there's Scions on the market if I look. I might go hatchback so I can throw my bike in the back seat, but for most things I don't need a bunch of carrying capacity. I do need four doors so I remember how to parallel park something larger than a tiny car, I think. (I live in the DC 'burbs. Parallel parking is a non-essential but valuable skill.)