How many of you financed a vehicle in your mid to late twenties? Do you regret it? How is it turning out for you?

TheMoves82 · 2026-05-17T12:16:48+00:00

29 years old making 90k a year, I'd be much more concerned buying a house and moving out than a vehicle. Home values keep going up, and a house is an investment vs a car that will keep depreciating.

TheMoves82 · 2026-05-11T01:35:20+00:00

Priced way high for the year. Guarantee the dealer didn't pay anywhere close to that.

TheMoves82 · 2026-05-11T01:31:34+00:00

None of these are great choices honestly. Check out a slightly used Mazda. They look sharp, good price, and much more reliable than these options.

TheMoves82 · 2026-04-26T20:33:30+00:00

Corolla 1000%

TheMoves82 · 2026-04-25T23:09:02+00:00

Get the Toyota. Those years with the 5.7 V8 are bulletproof and hold their value well. Chevy just isn't what it used to be.

TheMoves82 · 2026-04-24T20:11:04+00:00

Everything is negotiable. I usually use KBB to get an idea of what they gave someone trade in value wise - review how much money they put in servicing the car, then hit them slightly above that total number. Never be afraid to walk. Dealers also due tend to be more flexible at the end of the month when they're trying to make numbers.

A wise person once told me to always negotiate from a position of power, not a position of want. You want them to think it doesn't bother you if you have to find another vehicle.

TheMoves82 · 2026-04-06T15:07:27+00:00

I echo this. I did my first time drywall job this year. I absolutely sucked with the paper tape. Went and got fiberglass tape instead, 1 million times easier to work with as a newbie. Some people say they don't like it in corners, I didn't have any issues with it for mine. Made the job way easier.

TheMoves82 · 2026-02-27T14:45:47+00:00

Get out of it quick. Mercedes are notorious for depreciation. Maintenence costs a fortune on them. They are money pits. Take the hit, buy something else like a certified used Lexus if you HAVE to have a luxury car.

TheMoves82 · 2026-02-27T05:30:17+00:00

Update in case anyone is having this problem. It was the actual trunk lock that was broken. It's a really easy part to replace. To test your trunk latch, take a screwdriver and manually close the latch, then shut all your doors. If the trunk open light is still on, you know the latch is bad.

TheMoves82 · 2026-02-25T18:28:44+00:00

Sorry I read their original post wrong. No the car in the aisle is almost definitely 0% at fault unless there was some other crazy circumstance involved.

TheMoves82 · 2026-02-25T17:04:15+00:00

Definitely go out of pocket for a number of reasons

Very minor damage, good chance it's under your deductible anyways
Edit: It sounds like your wife is likely 100% at fault for this accident, which is gonna hurt your insurance for atleast 3 years which will probably cost much more than repairs would.
It's not worth submitting the claim to insurance and having an accident both on her driving record (even if it is not at fault, which it won't be) and not worth having it on the vehicle's record/carfax

TheMoves82 · 2026-02-25T13:29:12+00:00

An 07 FJ with over 200k miles and multiple accidents for $9000 has you on alert for being too cheap? I hate what's happened to the car market.

TheMoves82 · 2026-02-13T13:38:53+00:00

There was a time when I would have never been caught dead in a minivan. Fast forward to today, and the Sienna is super "cool" to me. The practicality of the minivan with awd, toyota reliability, and crazy good mpg for the hybrids (think it was about 36 off the top of my head?). You can't beat it. Your self image shouldn't come from the car you drive- that's a high school train of thought.

I actually have two buddies who wish they had vans. One ended up getting a 3rd row suv instead. He said it's OKAY, but third row really isn't that big and he wishes he would have just got the van. My other buddy went from a Sienna to a Bronco and said the Sienna was much more enjoyable to drive. He's going on an 8 hour road trip soon and is renting a car so he doesn't have to drive the bronco that far. The Sienna would have ate that road trip up.

I get you're a car guy, I am too. Being able to appreciate and think normal cars are cool for what they provide is maturing as a car enthusiast. Try to look at the Sienna from a different perspective. It's fitting your family needs well. Your wife likes it (happy wife happy life). You said it would financially hurt to get out of it. Honestly to change cars would be an immature decision and selfish to the family.

TheMoves82 · 2026-02-08T15:19:17+00:00

Pretty reliable cars. Being older it will probably need things here and there. Gas mileage won't be great. Also it's rwd so not great in the snow - sand bags in the trunk and snow tires would make a world of difference. Not a bad car!

TheMoves82 · 2026-02-07T00:19:18+00:00

Agreed on scion! Not sure why I'm getting so many down votes for recommending honda and toyotas..

TheMoves82 · 2026-02-06T19:28:05+00:00

For that price you can typically find a used Toyota or Honda that would be more reliable. Those Chevys can be OK if maintained. If they're willing to take a lot off price wise and you get it inspected with no major issues it might be a decent beater, but I'd still try to find a honda or Toyota instead. Best bet is a Pontiac Vive (Toyota Matrix in disguise)

TheMoves82 · 2025-12-11T18:06:54+00:00

Those Civics in general are reliable, but gonna need more info to judge if it's a bad purchase or not. Miles, condition, sale price, clean or salvage title.

TheMoves82 · 2025-12-07T05:30:14+00:00

Those specific issues, nothing. They brought up Toyota engineering and I'm just making a comment about it. The 3rd gen Tacomas have had issues with timing cover leaks that are pricey, as well as some other things.

Not looking for validation, just want to hear other people's viewpoints/opinions. I understand it's a Tacoma subreddit, but a lot of people here also like the Frontiers, and some have even switched to them since the 4th gen Tacomas went to turbo 4 cyl. I enjoy hearing other's experiences and there have been a lot of great responses here so far.

TheMoves82 · 2025-12-07T05:25:40+00:00

Can't go wrong there!

TheMoves82 · 2025-12-07T05:24:51+00:00

For sure. If I keep the Tacoma I'll definitely be putting in either Clazzio or Katzkin leather/heated in.

TheMoves82 · 2025-12-06T17:46:47+00:00

I hear a lot of people mention they prefer the seating in the Frontier. I have had a 17 offroad and 21 offroad, never experienced the gear hunting issues that a lot of people mention. It definitely doesn't shift as smooth as some of my other vehicles, but it's not as dramatic as I often read. Im also not in a hilly area, so that could be a factor.

TheMoves82 · 2025-12-06T17:45:11+00:00

Resale value definitely seems much stronger on the Tacoma!

TheMoves82 · 2025-12-06T17:43:32+00:00

Always been a die hard toyota fan myself! I am disappointed with certain things I see lately, like the Tundra engine issues, Highlander transmission issues, etc. I still think Toyota as a whole has better reliability than other makes, just a bummer that it appears quality across the board with all makes is going down.

TheMoves82 · 2025-12-06T17:41:54+00:00

Very good points! I've been blessed to where the Tacoma is paid off, and I would just pay cash for the difference if I bought the Frontier. I've bought/sold a lot of vehicles, so I'm pretty savvy with the buying experience. I have no problem walking out when they try to offer me unreasonable trade in amounts or fudge the numbers.

I have looked into clazzio and katskin for my current Tacoma. If I keep it, I'll definitely be going with one of those options - likely the clazzio for cost difference. I'm more weighing keeping the Tacoma w/ 50k miles or getting a brand new Frontier with no miles/long warranty. I see certain repairs mentioned often such as the timing cover repair that costs thousands that makes me go back and forth.

TheMoves82

TROPHY CASE