by "Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
Published 12/21/2017 at 13:40
by "Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
Published 12/21/2017 at 13:40
Tags: Personal Garage
STARS: 8
After about 7 months of researching and running through every possibility, I have finally determined that a (likely) 2010 Cadillac CTS Sportwagon with the 3.6L V6 and AWD is the car that best suits the next steps in my life. The plan now is to wait until one pops up anytime after the first week of April. The goal is to spend $8,250 to $11,000.
There are a ton of odd criteria to cover when it comes to my tastes in a personal vehicle. I’m all about the GT life regardless of price point and having vehicles that fit my lifestyle rather than changing my lifestyle to fit a vehicle.
The last generation CTS has the style of interior I prefer. Im also charmed by the center screen integration which pops up for backup camera and navigation and retracts into an abbreviated display for media.
The largest thing I look for with personal cars is will I love it more the longer I have it. This is definitely one of those cars but I need to find my spec and a great value.
On a related note, continuing to place a car payment into an automotive savings account after cars are paid-in-full has been a dramatic financial change.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
12/21/2017 at 13:49, STARS: 4
Not a Kia, this wobbles my mind.
"BeaterGT" (beatergt)
12/21/2017 at 13:53, STARS: 1
There’s one down the street from me in the red color above, catches my eye every time. I also like your idea of still making “payments”, even if only to yourself!
"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
12/21/2017 at 14:00, STARS: 3
I still have a Kia Amanti so I’m pretty much at the pinnacle of automotive excellence as it is. Plus, my favorite brand is Maserati so I’m trying to set myself up to survive consecutive trainwrecks.
The 2014 Quattroporte GTS is about to dip below $40,000! A four year old, 191 mph sedan with a 523 hp, crossplane crank and wet sump version of the California T and 488 GTB’s F154 twin-turbo V8 is already the same price as a V6 Kia Stinger!!
"Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle" (1500sand535)
12/21/2017 at 14:00, STARS: 0
I wanted my wife to try one of these before she got absolutely dead set ona hybrid and one thing that perplexed me was the cargo space. It’s about 25/58 seats up/down. It’s kind of small for a wagon. Off the top of my head I remember the older BMW X1 being about the same for cargo space but in a smaller car.
"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
12/21/2017 at 14:03, STARS: 0
It’s less about the cargo and more that the wagons are in far better conditions than the sedans and coupes.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
12/21/2017 at 14:07, STARS: 0
I thought maintaining an M car was bad enough, couldn’t imagine servicing one of those.
"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
12/21/2017 at 14:07, STARS: 0
The self-payements method has been an incredible financial move.
"Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle" (1500sand535)
12/21/2017 at 14:10, STARS: 1
I believe it, funny how similar cars have better owners. My comment on cargo space is less a criticism and more of an observation, also the wagons look fantastic.
"BeaterGT" (beatergt)
12/21/2017 at 14:12, STARS: 0
I’m a finance-minded guy and it always interests/amazes me what methods work for different people. Do you do a fixed amount per paycheck or something along those lines?
I currently don’t have a lot of expenditures so all of my financial stuff is automated for the most part. Which is nice because it keeps my car spending in check.
"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
12/21/2017 at 14:23, STARS: 1
They aren’t so bad. The problem is that people don’t drive them enough, or hard enough. Maseratis are weird cars because they are GTs with sportscar powertrains. It’s completely counter-intuitive to flog a giant car but that is legitimately the best preventative maintenance you can do on Maseratis. Even the old F1 transmission cars will triple their clutch life if you keep them in sports mode and work them out.
Still expensive maintainence, but then they are around M car, AMG, and Porsche levels of need.
"ZHP Sparky, the 5th" (e30s2k)
12/21/2017 at 14:34, STARS: 1
Man those things have aged so well and are such beautiful cars. And that price sounds like amazing value for money too if the range you had stated is what these are going for. Might have to keep this on the radar sometime down the road...
"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
12/21/2017 at 14:45, STARS: 0
I keep saving whatever the old payment was from any debts (separate from an emergency or retirement fund). Then whenever the savings is more than some other debt I use that accumulated saving balance 5o pay off that debt and I start the debt savings account back over now including the new paid off balance. Example:
Round I
Savings: $0 per month
Debt 1: $200 per month
Debt 2: $375 per month
Debt 3: $444 per month
*
Round 2 - Paid off Debt 1
Savings: $200 per month
Debt 2: $375 per month
Debt 3: $444 per month
*
Round 3 - Paid off Debt 2 w/ Savings
Savings: $575 per month
Debt 3: $444 per month
*
Round 4 - Paid off Debt 3 w/Savings
Savings: $1,019 per month
**
It’s the Debt Snowball Method but has kept me from increasing my living standard after I pay off something. It also makes a savings account solely for avoiding debt including cars and a future (eventual) home purchase.
"BeaterGT" (beatergt)
12/21/2017 at 14:51, STARS: 1
Anything to avoid debt I think is great! Good point about the eventual home (read: garage) purchase, I need to start planning that out.
"SPAMBot - Horse Doctor" (spambot2002)
12/21/2017 at 15:22, STARS: 1
I hear basically the same thing. A friend with a GrandSport said he gets about 1000 miles per 1% of clutch life. Currently has close to 80K miles on the car. He has the F1 transmission software upgrade and drives the car properly. If you stay on top of the scheduled maintenance and give the car an Italian tuneup every once in a while, they can be surprisingly reliable.
"Poor_Sh" (ar4x)
12/21/2017 at 17:42, STARS: 1
Been doing the same thing for my home down payment but the savings goes into a variable rate CD so I can’t touch it for 6 months at a time... just in case haha but I’m heavily considering continuing my car payment as a car payment when I own my current one. Still, I’m at $600 a month currently, aiming for $1000 next year.
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
12/22/2017 at 10:53, STARS: 0
first thing to budget for is timing chains, if they haven’t been done already.