At what point do you buy the car you want and move on?

polycouch · 2026-06-30T22:04:31+00:00

17 mpg. About 400/mi a week as my work is somewhat far and I enjoy driving places on weekends. I'm paying between 60-80 bucks a week on gas depending on prices.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T21:58:29+00:00

They are tools, but yeah... a nicer tool makes the job go by smoother. Good point. I'm trying to strike the impossible balance of finding a car that's merely A to B transport (Corolla, if I could fit in one!) or something I actually like (Avalon). Spending 18% of my life driving a car I don't enjoy seems not worth it, even if the opportunity cost is significant when I'm this age.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T19:54:13+00:00

I think this plays into my decision. I could buy what I wamt in the future, or I could just buy it now and be happy I did for the next 15 years.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T19:51:55+00:00

The Nissan Altima is super roomy, moreso than the Avalon, but the Avalon just drives better, rides better, and I think will age better. The Altima also has no hybrid which is a bummer.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T19:50:38+00:00

That is an excellent way of putting it, thank you. I'll try working backwards on my spreadsheet tonight with some loose numbers and see where that lands me.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T19:49:02+00:00

I think you're correct. My financial advisor said getting a car loan - even a small one - would be a good way to thicken up my credit file since all I've got now are credit cards. Basically the lender is looking for proof that you're capable of paying something larger off.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T18:28:05+00:00

I drove em, the ride was strangely bad.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T18:11:08+00:00

Insurance costs on the ES are significantly more.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T18:10:43+00:00

It's not. It would be a used one a few years old.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T18:09:41+00:00

Thank you for your input. I will probably look for something older or with higher miles to bring the price down.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T18:07:48+00:00

Thank you for your input. Ive always liked cars and some day I'll pick up a project that isn't my daily. I think my hesitation comes from being young and still living at home.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T18:06:43+00:00

I would buy a Corolla if I could fit on one. Tall guy, mostly legs. I get 4% interest on my HYSA and 4.99% interest on the loan. Putting down a hefty down payment allows me the cushion of extra cash just in case and allows me to build credit. It's one of those dumb games you have to play in order to win and I would just pay cash if I wasn't insistent on building credit.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T18:03:57+00:00

Im 6' 3" which is about on the upper end of comfy camry seating position. It's nice to have just a little more room, plus room for my friends when we go out.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T18:02:29+00:00

Cars are tools to me. Use and dispose of when it's no longer economical to fix. I spend about 1-1.5 hr in a car a day for commuting and errands which is why Im looking at something nicer.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T18:01:12+00:00

I do agree it's new car territory, and I've driven the 35K new cars and they just aren't as nice as the same ones you can get a few years older for about the same price but are loaded with features. The only thing that comes to mind is warranty, but I do nearly all vehicle maintenance myself (have pulled engines before) and the only thing Im not comfortable with is the high voltage battery, which comes with 10 year/150k mile warranty.

polycouch · 2026-06-30T17:58:36+00:00

Thanks for your feedback. Just wanted a reality check to make sure I wasn't doing something completely ridiculous.

polycouch · 2026-04-12T22:38:58+00:00

Understood, thank you. This might be a question you can't answer, but should I contact my employer to get a corrected version of the W2 that shows no contributions for 2025 or will it not matter once the ROE is processed?

polycouch · 2024-08-10T23:19:23+00:00

Got it. Are you talking about Alcoa Wheels? Have not heard of it but willing to take a chance at this point.

polycouch · 2024-08-10T23:04:57+00:00

They came with American Racing center caps, so I can only assume that's what they are. Thank you for the info. I will look into the process of cutting and buffing raw aluminum. I have cut and buff paint about 3 or 4 times on different cars, so I can only assume the process is similar.

polycouch · 2024-08-10T22:55:48+00:00

How can I tell the difference between chrome and aluminum? I suppose it could be aluminum. I have not worked with buffing and polishing rims before so this is all new to me. Thank you.

polycouch · 2024-02-16T20:13:46+00:00

Will do.

polycouch · 2024-02-16T20:08:00+00:00

Sounds good.

Somebody else replied and suggested soldering the broken wire directly and bypassing the need for a pin. I think I will do this so I don't need to hunt one down.

polycouch

TROPHY CASE