Help Settle an Argument over an SUV purchase

[nomad100]

OK, not a true argument between me and DH but one that has caused some spirited debate.

I currently have a 1999 Dodge Durango that is on it's last wheel. Donnie Durango only has about 80K miles on him but the transmission needs a total rebuild (we had it partially rebuilt 2 years ago), the 4WD no longer works, there are some electrical issues that we haven't been able to full solve, and some general age related issues (bushings and gaskets starting to loosen/wear out).  Based on some estimates, the total cost of the work would be almost equal to what Donnie is worth and I am not willing to put that much money into a 13 year old vehicle.  So I am looking at getting another SUV.

I want another SUV because one of my hobbies is refinishing/repurposing furniture and having space for multiple/larger pieces in the back is pretty important. We are also updating/renovating parts of the house so being able to fit boxes of tile, flooring, 2x4x8s, etc. is really handy. This is also the vehicle I would commute in and I live about 9 miles from my office.

DH and I are debating what to do. Get something brand new or something used.

Im my family it is the norm to keep vehicles for 10-15 years so getting a vehicle that I don't know the history on even after a mechanic looks at is, especially one that may have been used for towing (my parents, the previous owners of Donnie, are the ones that f'd up the transmission with towing their boat incorrectly), makes me nervous so I am all about getting something new.   My plan would be to keep this vehicle for 10-15 years if possible.

DH on the other hand has never kept a car for more than 5-6 years so doesn't get what the big deal is.

I keep saying that since we can afford it lets get a new SUV.  DH keeps saying a used one would be best and that we could use the money saved to work on the house projects more quickly.

What says ML?

One important thing to note: DH just got a brand spanking new car with less than 500 miles on it 2 months ago but he is saying that is different because it is a lease.  Oh, I know.  Don't even get me started on that.  I am so not into leasing (which is a whole other debate/discussion).  But his getting a new car is what  leads into the spirited part of the debate.

I may end up doing a post and run since it is the end of the day and I am getting ready to head home soon.  I will check back later in case anyone needs any additional info.

ETA:  Yikes.  Misspelling in the title.  Bad Nomad. 

[Deleted]

Can you compromise and get a newer used car? A lot of the ones that are only 1-3 years old are like company cars, etc., that have very low mileage.

We did that for our car in '07. It was a new Yaris (lol, so glad we didn't!!) or a used Matrix.

[amberlyrose]

I think if you're going to use it to haul things like furniture and construction supplies, I would say used.

[Deleted]

I would buy one that is 1-2 years old.

[sparkythelawyer]

So, he's ok with you throwing money away on a vehoicle lease, but not on you actually owning the new car you buy? This makes zero logic.

I would split the difference and look for something like, two years ld. Enough years on it that its' lost a lot of its sale price, not so much that its lost a bunch of mileage/usage.

[pursemeatballs]

The 2014s should be coming out in a few months, right? I think that the best time to buy a new car is when they're trying to get rid of the previous year's model when the new one is out. You can usually get a good deal on one then. Or is it something that you need immediately? I think that buying a car brand new (unless you get a great deal) is a little wasteful since you lose a lot of its value right when you drive it off the lot. I would go with a car 1-2 years old that was still under warranty and all that jazz.

[nomad100]

Jun 3, 2013 16:12:12 GMT -5 sparkythelawyer said:

So, he's ok with you throwing money away on a vehoicle lease, but not on you actually owning the new car you buy? This makes zero logic.

This is what makes me crazy and what makes no sense to me. 

And what made me so mad when he got the car.  I am finally to the point where I can discuss it without wanting to smack him up side the head.  And I did get a promise out of him that he will never lease again. 

[MrsAggie]

We buy new. When we went truck shopping, the trucks that were 1-3 years old had a ton of miles on them. I personally prefer to get more years out of my car. It's also hard to tell how well the previous owner took care of the car when you buy used.

[nomad100]

Jun 3, 2013 16:19:00 GMT -5 pursemeatballs said:

The 2014s should be coming out in a few months, right? I think that the best time to buy a new car is when they're trying to get rid of the previous year's model when the new one is out. You can usually get a good deal on one then. Or is it something that you need immediately? I think that buying a car brand new (unless you get a great deal) is a little wasteful since you lose a lot of its value right when you drive it off the lot. I would go with a car 1-2 years old that was still under warranty and all that jazz.

We would be looking to buy in the next month or so right in the sweet spot of being able to take advantage of the end of the year deals since the new models come out in August so they are trying to get stuff off their inventory.

We are also USAA members and they have a great new car buying program that we would be able to take advantage of. And my cousin is a salesman for a guy that has like 10 different dealerships so he can hook us up. 

[nomad100]

Jun 3, 2013 16:22:24 GMT -5 MrsAggie said:

We buy new. When we went truck shopping, the trucks that were 1-3 years old had a ton of miles on them. I personally prefer to get more years out of my car. It's also hard to tell how well the previous owner took care of the car when you buy used.

This is what I am finding.  Either lots of miles but pristine on the inside -probably a sales car- or lower miles but "rough" on the inside - like the kids and pets went nuts on the leather and carpet.

[Deleted]

You can't compare his car to yours unless he got a sports car or luxury car because you are insisting on an SUV for your hobby, which many would consider even more wasteful than a lease. There are so many issues at play - are you paying cash or financing? Can you get a car that is a 2 years old and under 20K miles? What kind of SUV are you considering? Are you getting a hybrid and if so can you use the tax credit? - that it is hard to say what is the best financial decision.

That said, answering just for me, we are getting a 2014 X5 hybrid as soon as they are released this year, and we are ordering from the factory. So I know what I would do.

[vanillacourage]

Have you looked at places like Carmax that provide a warranty on gently-used cars?

[rodeored]

As someone who just bought a car we went new because the used cars were only 1-2k less then new ones with a higher APR and at least 20k miles on them. A salesmen told us that used cars are expensive right now because they had to scrap so many after Hurricane Sandy. I don't how true that is but we definitely had a hard time finding gently used cars at all.

If you watch for incentives and sales you can get decent deals buying new. The next sale should probably be 4th of July.

[nomad100]

Jun 3, 2013 16:46:53 GMT -5 elle said:

You can't compare his car to yours unless he got a sports car or luxury car because you are insisting on an SUV for your hobby, which many would consider even more wasteful than a lease. There are so many issues at play - are you paying cash or financing? Can you get a car that is a 2 years old and under 20K miles? What kind of SUV are you considering? Are you getting a hybrid and if so can you use the tax credit? - that it is hard to say what is the best financial decision.

That said, answering just for me, we are getting a 2014 X5 hybrid as soon as they are released this year, and we are ordering from the factory. So I know what I would do.

It isn't just for my hobby.  We are also renovating our house and yard the DIY way so it would be used to haul materials as well.  Which is why the Durango has been so useful.  It is amazing what can be packed into that thing. 

We are looking at the Explorer Sport, Durango RT or Citadel or the Acadia Denali at this point.  And we would be paying cash. 

In the last month we have not been able to find a newer low mileage version of the make and models we are focusing on. 

I am really leaning toward getting something new since I keep my vehicle for so long.  I don't want to just settle on something just because it is used. 

[nomad100]

Jun 3, 2013 19:15:46 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

You don't throw away money just because your dh threw away money. This is not how you get your house in good shape or your money wisely spent. You work hard for it, do not throw away good money after bad.

I've never bought a car I could not pay cash for, period. You can get a used car in good shape for under 10k and spend the rest money on your house and get it done. Overspending on a new SUV for a hobby of refinishing furniture and moving stuff around is nonsense.

I get what you are saying but I don't want a car.  I don't like driving a car. I don't like how low they sit.  It makes me uncomfortable and feel less safe.  Not how I want to spend my time in a vehicle that I will be driving for years.

At this point I am trying to decide on new or used SUV. And we would be paying cash.

And why not get a vehicle that will allow me to continue doing a hobby that I love?

[nomad100]

Thanks everyone for your input!

While we will look for a low mileage newer used SUV, it will probably end up being a new one since there hasn't been a whole lot of availability recently.

[Deleted]

I would get one that is a year or two old.

[MrsAggie]

Jun 3, 2013 20:07:43 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

Jun 3, 2013 19:42:20 GMT -5 nomad100 said:

I get what you are saying but I don't want a car.  I don't like driving a car. I don't like how low they sit.  It makes me uncomfortable and feel less safe.  Not how I want to spend my time in a vehicle that I will be driving for years.

At this point I am trying to decide on new or used SUV. And we would be paying cash.

And why not get a vehicle that will allow me to continue doing a hobby that I love?

I'm not telling you it's a better idea to get a car. It's a better idea to get used.  Money is time. If you spend 25k on a car instead of 10k on a car or SUV, or truck, or whatever, that's 15k worth of post tax dollar earnings, that cost you X an hour to get.  You will have frittered away X amount of time, for no benefit at all.  your parents' idiocy in ruining your car is not relevant, and neither is the amount of money your dh foolishly wasted on leasing. 

I guarantee you that the price difference won't even be close to that unless you get a car that is over a decade old. We're probably talking a couple grand here. A couple grand for ~5 more years of car use makes more sense to me.

[vanillacourage]

Those are expensive choices with poor MPG. If having something big enough to haul things around is important, there are much cheaper options out there, even brand new.

This is assuming that you're trying to be mindful of costs. If you're in a financial position to pay for exactly what you want, more power to you.

[jenna]

I like to buy new, and keep it for 10 years or so.

I'm almost 40, and on my 4th car.  The first two were hand-me-downs. The 3rd & 4th cars were new. I had my 3rd car for about 12 years, and only traded it in for a larger car to accommodate my son's car seat.

[CurlyQ284]

Jun 3, 2013 20:20:05 GMT -5 mofongo said:

FFS people, she's going to drive it into the ground, it's not just for a 'hobby'. Get the new SUV!

I agree with this. You're going to use the hell out of it. Get what you want/need.

[pinkplasticdoll]

It really sounded like you had your mind made up before you came here and just were looking for validation.and I am pretty sure that suesue was not saying to get a car she was simply using "car" as a universal term for automobile.

The SUVs that you are looking at get terrible gas mileage, there are many other options out there that would be reasonable.

[Deleted]

I don't care at all if you want to buy a new SUV. I just said we are doing the exact same thing. My criticism was only that it is awfully Judgy McJudgerson to criticize your husband for wanting a lease when you are insisting on an SUV. You BOTH are being frivolous. Which is fine, since you can pay cash, but just don't pretend you have the moral high ground over your husband.

[isabel]

I think you should go used. I don't know if this has been said, but you should look for a used car that was a lease prior to being available for purchase. You aren't allowed to alter a leased vehicle (i.e. add towing capabilities) because it is owned by the company, not by the person who leases it. I think this is a good option because it saves you some money and reduces the concern about someone effing up the car prior to you purchasing it. Also, Toyota leases offer free routine maintenance, so you're pretty much guaranteed that the car was well taken care of (unless the person just really didn't care). I don't know if other companies do this.

[sparkythelawyer]

I think it is perfectly reasonable to spend the money on a quality vehicle you will use for the next 10-15 yrs. New or used.

[macmars45]

Jun 3, 2013 16:05:24 GMT -5 ninjabridemom said:

Can you compromise and get a newer used car? A lot of the ones that are only 1-3 years old are like company cars, etc., that have very low mileage.

We did that for our car in '07. It was a new Yaris (lol, so glad we didn't!!) or a used Matrix.

H bought his car used in 2007. It's a 2006 and was a rental for a year. So he bought it with 26K on it. It's still going strong 7 years later.

[kristie]

Well we just sold our 96 Toyota 4runner with over 200k miles. DH bought it used over ten years ago. It towed, hauled, carried landscaping things, etc. and now his brother is using it for the same stuff. I think you can buy used, and I think you can buy used cars that will last you over ten years you just might have to look at different manufacturers.

[nomad100]

Thanks again for all your feedback. We will be looking at gently used cars but also keeping our options open for buying new vehicle given that the new models will be coming out soon so we may be able to get a really good deal.

elle Yes, I will admit that I am a (more than a) bit Judgey McJudgerson with my DH. He willingly admits that this car lease was a want not a need, that his previous car was perfectly acceptable and was not even that old (5 years). That is wasn't a good financial decision. He just wanted this particular car. So I am a bit peevey when it comes to getting me a vehicle that I plan to keep for the next 10+ years he is all "let's be smart about this and look at getting you a used car because it make better financial sense." WTH? You get what you want when you want it but I have to be all practical and frugal? Needless to say we have had some looooong discussions about the whole thing and are still working through this since I have a history of giving in and being practical all the damn time which then makes me unhappy because I usually end up with something I don't really want..because that is the practical/more reasonable/less expensive option.

rvan0905 We don't have definite plans for a family. We have fertility issues and if adoption doesn't work out, no kids. So probably no need to haul around a soccer team.