New Or Used?: The Last Temptation Of The 996

Ryan writes:

I have a car purchase dilemma. I currently have a 2005 Acura TL that is a fine car. It does what I need it to do as I live in Chicago and only have to drive 1 mile to work. I am looking for a change though, and the Chicago winters always make me want something with 4-wheel drive. My fiancé’s car is a 07 Civic. We drive it most of the time around town because it is easy to park, great gas mileage and its a tank as far as reliability is concerned. I had a 2006 RL come on my radar recently for a great price (father of a co worker selling). I also found a 2001 Porsche Carrera 4 in great condition, low miles and great price available. What should I do?

Sajeev Answers:

The answer is easy, in a dream world: get the Porker. You want something more interesting than your current ride, and you gave us plenty of justification why. But your choices stink: even with AWD in mind, who cross-shops an RL with a 911? If one test drive doesn’t tell you what type of vehicle you want, check your pulse. Or, more to my point, your pocketbook.

You might be avoiding the big picture, so let’s go there: future cash drains such as a wedding, kids, college funds, mortgage payments and who-knows-what else lie in your future. And if you believe honeymoon periods are short and sweet, prepare for a double whammy when you buy a 9-year-old Porsche on your way to marital bliss. Even a 911 with a truckload of service receipts shall not last longer than true love. And that’s putting it mildly.

My advice? You got more important things to worry about than your next ride. So don’t. For the love of all that is holy in this world, don’t change horses in the middle of a stream.

Steve Answers:

Wait a second. Aren’t I the tightwad around here? I guess Sajeev is channeling the Lang spirit these days. Anyhow he also happens to be right. I don’t see a mile commute justifying a five figure purchase. As you already mentioned, driving around Chicago pretty much sucks. So why throw any more money at it?

What you may really want is a change of scenery. To just get the hell away from your native habitat and find something with a bit more bang for the buck. Costa Rica? Maine? Seriously, if you have all this money to blow on a car you can pretty much do twenty journeys into what interests you and be all the better for it. I hear Greece and Thailand are especially cheap and invigorating these days. I would go there, but then again I always like to try to hit em’ where they ain’t.

So with that in mind, if you must get a car… I would go for the truck. Get a Ram 2500 with a Cummins Diesel or Hemi, a nice large camper with all the features of home, and see the world. Or at least the American version of it with great food, beautiful scenery, and a hot chick. Hopefully the one you’re dating at the moment. You will always have the memory of wonderful adventures and who knows? Perhaps the experience will open your eyes to a bigger world.

Need help with a car buying conundrum? Email your particulars to mehta@ttac.com, and let TTAC’s collective wisdom make the decision easier… or possibly much, much harder.