OT: What's your Car Payment?

[CamEdwards]

I went car shopping again yesterday... and I found the car I want (Ford Focus wagon with all the sport features). Anyway, the dealer and I are still about $100 a month apart on the car payments.

This got me to wondering... obviously I'm a cheap bastard who isn't willing to pay enough money to drive a nice car. I drive a 2000 Chevy Cavalier right now, and I pay $185 a month. This doesn't hurt my wallet, and it gets me from point A to point B. I'd be willing to pay $250 for a car payment, but not more than that.

How much are you paying for your car and what are you driving? I guess I'm trying to see what I can get for $250 a month.

[Dutch]

I was paying 297 a month for an Isuzu Rodeo...but I made my last payment about 2 months ago! Woohoo! One down and one really nasty credit card to go!

Of course, now that I'm done paying for the truck, I've hit a tree that broke the back door, cracked the front windshield, and the paint on the hood and roof are gone.....sheesh, Murphy's Law kicks ass... :)

[sabotai]

I don't pay anything, nor have I ever. I have a 92 Dodge Shadow that I got when I got my license as a hand-me-down. It was my great-grandfather's. He died and gave it to my dad, who didn't need it so he gave it to my brother when he got his license. A few years later, he got his truck and I was a few months away from my license, and so I got the Shadow.

[McSweeny]

$0/month

[McSweeny]

double post... doh!

[FBPro]

On one hand is Camry 1997 310.00 or so, on the other is 1996 Ford Ranger -0- per month.

[SackAttack]

Ditto the $0 per month on my '98 Ford Ranger, which my parents bought me in May of my sophomore year of high school (to any academic slackers on the board: getting good grades CAN be a good thing :D). Couldn't really drive it 'til I got my license junior year though. Dad got that one paid off remarkably quickly, but that may have just been the length of the 0.9% financing, I dunno.

Josh

[MJ4H]

180 a month for my Ford Focus Sedan. I love my car. People can joke about it, but Id rather drive it than any car Ive ever driven, and Ive driven some nice rides. Its a great car.

[ShovelMonkey]

Don't mock me....$575 a month.

[Gwalyn]

"Don't mock me....$575 a month."


Does it blow you when you put the key in the ignition?

[ShovelMonkey]

Does it blow you when you put the key in the ignition.

I tried to get it to once but all I did was hurt my back...

[Fido]

$0 - pay cash and save on interest.

Though I DO drive a POS. :)

[Mustang]

$300. 0% financing.

[Qwikshot]

I pay $500 a month, though I could pay less...I want to get it paid off as soon as possible.

[Cringer]

i pay $295/month for my 01 Dodge Van....or, a.k.a. the family roadster

[Radii]

$320/mo, ~$22,000 car purchased in August, $7500 down the rest on a 5.5% interest loan. Saving as hard as i can to dump another $10,000 on it sometime in the next few months and get it paid off in less than 2 years.

[JW]

Zero. Paid my last car payment in 1989. Now keep my vehicles about 10 years, trade in and pay cash for a new one. Currently own a 99 Jeep Cherokee and 98 Geo Prism (Toyota Corolla in disguise). Save up some money in anticipation of the new vehicle down the road, drawing interest on that money and not being bound by a car payment. Not a bad way todo it.

BTW, I tried 'fast reply' and it didn't work. Is that function working?

[GrantDawg]

I don't know if I should admit this. $416 a month. Of course, it is a shorter term loan with 3.8% financing.

[Dr. Sak]

I pay $379 a month for a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta. 5-speed turbo.

[Jets80]

400 per month for 03 Jeep Grand Cherokee

[kcchief19]

Cam -- you're going from a Cavalier to a Focus? My god, do you ever feel like kicking your own ass?

Car payments are a sticking point in my household. I had no car payment for about five years after I paid off my 92 Cavalier, but I upgraded before the engine and the clutch exploded and I pay around $275, mostly because I didn't have much of a downpayment when I bought it.

Nancy is one of those no-debt freaks, so she is still driving a 92 Sentra that is one of the most god awful POS I have seen in a long time. I should take pictures of this thing and post them. It's hysterical. But she is refusing to get a new car until the Sentra catches fire.

[CamEdwards]

Originally posted by kcchief19
Cam -- you're going from a Cavalier to a Focus? My god, do you ever feel like kicking your own ass?



Not sure exactly what that's supposed to mean, exactly...

I drive approximately 1.5 miles to get to work. I'm in my car approximately 15 minutes a day. I really don't want to spend 400 bucks a month for something that's not that important to me.

At the same time, the Focus station wagon was bigger than the Cavalier, it had enough space for my wife and kids to use it when they go to New Jersey this summer, rather than drive the minivan with 89,000 miles on it. Looks like I'll be renting a car for them for that week rather than getting a new car however.

[Ksyrup]

I just paid off my car, and the wife's 2002 Odyssey is running us $480 a month.

Cam,

You should not be negotiating with the dealer based on monthly payment. If you are, you've already gotten a bad deal. Seriously. Before you go to the dealer, you should know how much the car costs at invoice, how much you are willing to pay, and an idea of how much X amount financed at X percent will be per month.

You should negotiate the price of the car separately from the financing (and separately from trade-in, if you have one) - that way they can't compensate themselves in one area by screwing you in the other. Nail down the price, know how much you can afford per month, and then work with the financing from there (or have financing already taken care, ideally). If you are working off of a monthly amount that you have disclosed to them (probably as a result of their seemingly innocent question), they will screw you.

[JPhillips]

Ksyrup is right. Don't negotiate price per month. They can hide a lot of fees that way. Start off with trade-in. Don't wait for that. Get a good price on trade first before you go to the car price. Next get your car price nailed down. Be pretty aggresive here. Don't be ridiculous, but know what the average seling price is in your area. There are some really good web sites that can help. Only last should you worry about financing.

Through everything remember that you can always find another dealer. Don't get caught up in the sales pitch. Finally, a good piece of knowledge that I learned. A car that has been on the lot for a few months is a problem for the dealer. If you can sacrifice a little, a long term lot car may come cheaper. Good luck.

[JeeberD]

Only $156 a month, but that's because my credit is so shitty that my Dad had to co-sign for me...

[sooner333]

I'm using the family car, so this isn't really my discussion...I'm just glad you're not following the guy to Fowler, those have the be the most annoying ads ever. For those of you not living in OKC area, ignore this post.

[Rich1033]

$189/Month for a 97 Jeep Wrangler that I bought in 98. I think I am pretty close to paying it off by now, or at least I hope so...

[bbor]

I was paying $377. a month Canadian for a ford exploder.....i loved that truck...but what a gas pig....so i bought myself a suzuki vitara..and paid it off....i decided i hate to see money go out every month..i rather just be broke to begin with.

I hate buying cars...good luck with yours...BTW..try a 4 wheel drive...i guarentee once you try one you'll never go back.

[daedalus]

Originally posted by bbor
I was paying $377.

What is that? US$7.25? :)

[GrantDawg]

Originally posted by CamEdwards
Not sure exactly what that's supposed to mean, exactly...

I drive approximately 1.5 miles to get to work. I'm in my car approximately 15 minutes a day. I really don't want to spend 400 bucks a month for something that's not that important to me.

At the same time, the Focus station wagon was bigger than the Cavalier, it had enough space for my wife and kids to use it when they go to New Jersey this summer, rather than drive the minivan with 89,000 miles on it. Looks like I'll be renting a car for them for that week rather than getting a new car however.

You couldn't get it down to $250 a month? That doesn't seem right. Are you trading anyhing or putting anything down? How many years are you trying to go. I know that I could go to the local Ford dealer and get that deal made (as long as you have decent credit).

[Bee]

Originally posted by CamEdwards
I drive approximately 1.5 miles to get to work. I'm in my car approximately 15 minutes a day. I really don't want to spend 400 bucks a month for something that's not that important to me.



I think this is really important when looking at what car to buy. At my old job, I used to do a lot of driving and a lot of networking in my car (taking clients out to lunch, etc). I no longer do that type of thing with my new company and basically my car is now just for commuting and personal trips. I'm seriously considering downgrading my car when I trade it in next time (maybe not as far down as a Focus though ;)). Currently I pay $600/month (Lexus), and we have a 98 Camry that's paid off.

[cuervo72]

Lets see....this might take the cake. About $625/mo on a 2001 Mazda MPV. It was 0% financing for only 36 months, and needless to say we didn't put a lot down. Finished paying off the '98 Cherokee last September, and our '93 Saturn SL2 (which is what I drive to work) :) was my wife's from long ago.

[Ksyrup]

My car is my personal stereo system, the only place I get to decompress by myself while blowing my eardrums into oblivion, so it means more to me than just transportation. I've got a 1999 626 LX V6 (with after-market stereo system, of course) that I just paid off, but I intend on keeping it for (I hope) another 4 years, until my student loan is paid off and my wife's Odyssey is, too. Then I'm gettin' me something REALLY nice. I just hope I still have my hearing by then.

[Fidatelo]

I'm paying $450 Cdn a month over 4 years to pay off my car. It seemed reasonable when I bought it, but now that I'm getting sick of apartment living and dreaming of a house it's making saving for a down payment pretty tough. Only 27 payments to go! :(

[Craptacular]

Originally posted by sabotai
I have a 92 Dodge Shadow

Oh my! What a P.O.S. that is ... my '92 Plymouth Sundance is sooooooo much better! ;)

[44Niners]

$685