First vehicle that was “mine”: a 1989 Ford Probe, which I had for about 3 years. My younger sister was allowed to drive it; I repeatedly said don’t let her, she doesn’t drive safely, she’s going to wreck it and was told I was being over-protective and selfish. Four months after getting her license, she ran off the road, down an embankment and into a clump of trees … and that was the end of the Probe.
The first vehicle I ever had a chance to buy was a 1971 Mustang. Roughly 62K miles, but not a spot of rust and in great shape; it needed a new battery and a $5 accelerator pump. Asking price was $600, which I had, and I was willing to pay insurance under my parents policy. My parents flipped the fuck out over the color [that bronze-ish color Ford had in the early 70s] and stated if I bought it, I had to move out and take all my stuff because they would not let a car that color sit in their driveway. Being a poor college student, that was a non-starter idea so I had to pass.
Don’t read this unless you want to cry.
[Seriously, this is “omg, what assholes, how could someone do that” shit.]
Someone else ended up paying $1100 for it and put it in a demolition derby.
The first vehicle I ever bought was a 1992 Ford Ranger that had 20K miles and was in immaculate shape. I wasn’t looking for a truck, but someone offered to sell it to me for $8,000 because they were moving and didn’t want to have to bring it with them. It was worth 2x that, and at the time I was driving a crappy 1987 Mercury Topaz. It was a no-brainer.
My parents had a first year (1967?) Firebird when I was a baby. Sold it to a teenager down the street when third kid came along. Got a Ford Country Squire (station wagon complete with faux wood panelling) to replace it. Teenager ended up flipping the car (the bad way) and it was totaled.
My first car was an old '94 Mazda I bought for $700 after I saw an ad in the newspaper. My dad drove it home for me and it smoked the entire way back. My parents put another like $500 into repairs for it when we got it home. That car literally shut down and locked the steering wheel while driving more times than I can count. How I never got it an accident is amazing.
Another amazing part was when I went away to college I tried to sell the car (haha) and some random guy broke down in front of my parents house and bought my car for $300 on the spot. He didn’t care that it was a death trap.
My first two cars were hand-me-downs from my mom, first one I owned was an Audi A4, bought it with 50k miles. Enjoyed a few good years out of it, eventually sold it when I moved in with my gf (now my wife).
I think I’m going to buy a sedan pretty soon, now that our kids are getting older and need to be places for extracurriculars at different times. Don’t plan on it being extravagant, just safe and reliable, and when my older son is driving in another 8 years, it will probably be his first.
Yeah, “soon” is like…in the next year maybe? Not next month. I literally just paid off our van today, I’m not looking to replace that car payment just yet!
And I wouldn’t overpay for a car, either. I’ll wait until it makes financial sense, whenever that is.
i am in the market for a new vehicle for me. (likely used) youngest kid gets license in the next 2 months and we want them to have a car so we can not be the taxi.
my purchase is constrained by some newly produced needs mrs f has for the car related to towing capacity. i will not get away cheaply it seems