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#1
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Should I or shouldn't I?
Ok i was thinking....I am going to be in the market for another car pretty soon. No car comes close to the love i have of my svx but yet it is 14 years old. Should I
A) Just go and buy a new car or B) take out a 20k loan and dump it all into the svx? I know i'll probably get a biased response since we all here are a bunch of svx nuts! I just wanted to throw the question out to you guys.... I know in the long run it will be a heck of a lot cheaper to fix the svx up, in car insurance payments alone. I pay 40 bucks a month (min liability) as it is, that alone will help out the wallet.... Thoughts/Opinions welcome...Chris |
#2
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SVX!!!
I would elaborate, but I don't think I need to....
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~~Michelle ----------------------------------------------- '92 LS-L - copper - 190K miles '94 LS-L - pearlie - 92K miles *still have '92 parts* |
#3
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buy a newer svx?
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Current: 2005 Black Legacy 2.5i 63k Previous: 1996 Brilliant Red SVX LSi 117k |
#4
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You won't get anything like the SVX for $20K. Closest you'll get in that price range is a WRX. Go drive some new cars before you make a decision.
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Mychailo :: 2006 Silver Mitsubishi Evolution 9, E85, 34 psi peak, 425wtq/505whp DJ :: 1995 Laguna Blue SVX L AWD 5MT (sold) Visit my locker SVX Mods: ND iridium spark plugs, Impreza RS fpr, afr tuned to 13.2:1 using a custom MAF bypass, custom exhaust, WRX 5MT w/ STi RA 1st-4th gear & stock WRX 5th gear, Exedy 13 lb flywheel & Sport Clutch, STi Group N tranny & engine mounts, urethane spacers in rear subframe, rear diff mounts, and pitch stopper, SVX Sport Strut Springs (185f/150r), custom 19 mm rear swaybar, urethane swaybar mounts, Rota Torque 17x8", 225/45-17 Proxes 4 tires, Axxis Deluxe Plus organic brake pads. |
#5
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The actual maintenance cost difference between new and used cars is not very different. The 'warranty years' don't really amount to free repairs. The cost of the maintenance during the warranty period is wrapped up in the purchase price. After the warranty expires, the maintenance cost difference is still about the same. In my experience, the newer the car, the more it costs to maintain it.
You can maintain virtually any used car for less money than the cost of virtually any new car. Even the cost of maintaining a fairly expensive car like an Italian exotic can be less than buying a fairly inexpensive car like a minivan. The truth is, the maintenance costs are effectively equal, but the depreciation cost makes buying a new car a rather expensive venture. People talk themselves into buying a new car for the most silly reasons. "It's safer," or "It's more reliable," or "It gets better mileage," or even because it gets chicks. The most valid reason is the chicks! Safer? Well, yes, slightly. This has more to do with the type of car than how old it is. An older Mercedes or Volvo will outperform any brand new Kia or Suzuki. More reliable? Well, not really. A poorly maintained car will probably not be as reliable as a new car, but even when neglected, sometimes they are. Even just a moderately well-maintained used car is just as reliable, if not more reliable. I think of a used car as being "well tested." Many new car owners take several trips back to the dealer to get the bugs worked out. Sure, it's free, (minus the waste of your time and hassle,) but this expense is wrapped up in the purchase price, so you still pay for it. The cars you see sitting on the shoulder of the road are typically the worst examples of ill-maintained cars, and even they don't predominate the number of broken-down vehicles. Pay attention, there are plenty of new cars sitting on the shoulder and most auto shops have mostly new cars up on the lifts. The expense of a new car that gets even five more miles to the gallon would literally require driving hundreds of thousands of miles per year. Here's the math for the average person: $30,000 new car VS. $5,000 used car 12,000 miles per year * 25 miles per gallon = 480 gallons 480 gallons * $2 per gallon = $960 yearly fuel costs $960 yearly fuel costs * 10 years = $9600 So if our $35k cars are only worth about $5k a decade later, our cars have depreciated $30k. Even if you bought a new car that used no fuel at all, your savings would be less than a third of the total loss. Chicks... Well, the issue is not just chicks, but rather that "new car" experience. I bought an SVX because I wanted something fancy. I wanted a good-looking car, fast, fun, and a bit exotic. It had nothing to do with reliability, economy, or safety. I wanted a new toy and now it's mine. Don't kid yourself. If you want a new toy, buy it. Just don't make excuses. Cost is not a valid excuse. Wanting a minivan so your whole family and all their stuff will fit comfortably is an entirely different story. Wanting something for entirely emotional reasons is adequate justification. |
#6
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I was kinda thinking about same thing... new car or keeping SVX. actually best way is to have both
I'm still in love with SVX, I can't imagine my life without it. .....well, new car is great too though!! -Ryu
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-Ryu Links: 2004 Honda S2000 (2008~) 1992 Subaru SVX LSL Liquid Silver (2007~2008) 1996 SVX LSi Bordeaux Pearl (2006~) 2002 Lexus IS300 Sportcross (2005~) 1992 Subaru SVX LSL Pearl White (2001~2005) 1994 Mercury Sable GS (1999~2001) 1/43 Scale SVX Models [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] |
#7
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Quote:
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ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician w/L1. ASE Certified Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technician. Certified EVT (Emergency Vehicle Technician) |
#8
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get the loan, try to locate a low mileage 96-97 SVX and use ur current as parts... or fix it lightly
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Danny 1994 Silver SVX in hybernation, awaiting for the monsterous awakening (Lebanon) 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250SL Euro Specs, Hard/Softtop, White/Red. Under Complete Restoration 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL350 Euro Specs, White/Red. Mint... Another step into SL Collection. |
#9
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I'm a solid advocate of keeping a car for as long as possible, and I concur with most of the points above, but I think it would be a huge mistake to borrow twenty grand to spend on your SVX. (If you had that kind of spare cash burning a hole in your pocket, that would be another matter.) Keep your SVX well maintained and stash those monthly loan payments in a savings account so that when the time to buy another ride finally does arrive, you can write a check and drive-off free and clear.
dcb |
#10
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Quote:
Ding Ding Ding.......we have a winner. Very well said, it took me a long time to realize that but I finally have, hence my purchase of an SVX and my sale of my Cobra to my little brother. The Cobra's 787.00/month payment plus insurance is what some people pay on their mortgage. (Yes, I have a 2004 Expedition too but that is my girlfriend's truck, and for that I traded in my beloved WRX....that sukked more than getting rid of my Cobra) Do the smart thing and save as much money as you can until you have to take that loan because there is no other option. Good luck |
#11
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Quote:
A used Lotus costing $40k with might require $5k maintenance per year. A new minivan will depreciate way more than that during the first few years. It's an apples and oranges comparison, but costs are surprisingly similar. There's no comparing a million-dollar supercar against an econobox, but as long as you don't compare examples from the extreme ends of the spectrum, the math actually works. |
#12
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Quote:
dcb |
#13
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thanks for your advice guys! well taken. I know logically it makes little sense to dump 20k into the svx. My only hang up is my fanitcal infatuation with the car, maybe I'll just treat the svx as a life long restoration process haha...
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#14
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I'm just recalling my days in the late '70s when I used to work on exotics (back then that was Ferrari & Lambo, then on down to the low-end stuff - Porsche, Iso, Maserati, DeTomaso, V-12 Jags, RR, MB 6.3, etc.) Something as simple as a distributor cap for a Miura was $400+. Just the red plastic portion of a tail light lense for a Benz, (remember how small they were?) cost around $175. Move forward thirty years, how much does that come to? (not to mention the weird crap like having to properly warm-up the gear box, etc. Ya know, always babying the equipment so you won't break anything...prematurely.)
Like I said, I understand your point. I'm just trying to inject a little more reality into it. $5k/year is what Range Rover expects its customers to spend on maintenance these days, to keep their piddly stuff functional. How much do you think the Italian boys want to see fall out of your pockets on a 'per mile' basis?
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ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician w/L1. ASE Certified Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technician. Certified EVT (Emergency Vehicle Technician) |
#15
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Quote:
-Chike
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." - Plato 2013 Cosmic Blue 5spd Evo X GSR 2006 Galaxy Gray 6MT RX-8 (sold) 2006 Steel Gray WRX TR (sold) 1996 Brilliant Red SVX L (sold) |
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