I need to stop myself from doing something stupid

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein) 10/26/2015 at 13:07 • Filed to: None

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I have two cars: a leased 2013 BMW 135is, and a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Hemi that I own. I’ve stored the 135is the past two winters. Since my lease ends June 30, 2016, I’m trying to unload the 135is now and avoid paying for it through another winter of not driving it. Instead, I’ve come up with a very stupid idea.

Yes, I know it’s silly to store a leased car. That wasn’t my plan when I got the thing. I thought I would drive it year-round, but when the time came to buy snow tires and wheels for it, instead I bought the Jeep.

Because I have the Jeep, I’ve only put about 14,800 miles on the 135is. I hoped I’d be able to get my local BMW dealer to buy it off me for something close to the payoff amount on my lease. Edmunds and KBB both gave trade-in values a bit lower than the payoff, but even if the dealer gave me a bit less than the lease payoff, if I wrote a check for $1000 now, I’d very quickly recoup it through the lease and insurance payments I’d avoid down the road.

But those Edmunds and KBB trade value numbers don’t take a little thing called winter into account. I’m in Wisconsin, and any dealer that takes a trade on a rwd performance car with summer tires is pretty much going to have to park that car on their lot for several months, or auction it. My local BMW dealer told me as much when they said they really couldn’t even get close to my payoff amount on a trade.

Aside from saving money, I want to get down to 1 vehicle because I’ve been looking for jobs in places like Chicago and DC where it makes sense to only have 1 vehicle. The smart things to try and do at this point are:

Post the car on BMW forums to see if someone wants to take over the rest of the lease, because BMW (unlike many other car companies) lets you fully transfer a lease. If that second person fucks up on the payments, that’s their problem, not mine.

Try to get a dealer somewhere warm to buy the car from me, since they don’t have winter to contend with.

I’m trying to accomplish both of these things, but this freaking guy keeps popping up on my shoulder.

HEY, CAR DEALERS WILL DO MORE DEALING IF YOU BUY A CAR FROM THEM. YOU WERE ONLY GOING TO USE THE MONEY YOU SAVED BY DITCHING YOUR BMW TO GO BUY SOME OTHER USED SPORTS CAR DOWN THE ROAD. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE STUCK WITH AN OLD GRAND CHEROKEE AS YOUR ONLY CAR? GO BUY A USED SPORTS CAR THAT HOLDS ITS VALUE AND USE THAT AS LEVERAGE TO TRADE IN YOUR 135is .

(Yes, my inner car-buying monologue is a guy in a cheap “devil in a smoking jacket” costume photoshopped next to a Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso.)

So....now I’ve been looking at used Honda S2000s and trying to figure out what kind of numbers make sense to take out a loan on one, as long as the dealer works things out to my satisfaction. Of course this S2000 needs to be blue, and a 2006 or newer since that’s the first year they had drive-by-wire throttles which gives more ECU tuning flexibility. I found one, at a dealer that’s a 9 hour drive from me, and has a silly front lip spoiler (the fact that it’s OEM makes it slightly less silly maybe?) that I would likely scrape to all hell on all the super-steep Wisconsin driveways. But it’s the right color, has a fresh replacement convertible top, and is totally stock except for an aftermarket headunit with bluetooth, and the little speakerphone microphone is perched on the steering column.

This is a terrible idea of course, because while in the short term my monthly costs would go down by perhaps a couple hundred bucks if I play things right, long term, I’d be spending a lot more money on a car that even though it holds its value well is still a depreciating asset, that I would still store in the winter, and would still be more vehicles than I should have if I move to Chicago or DC.

And yet..................

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:12

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You’ve come to the wrong place if you’re trying to get us to stop you from doing something like that.

Nibby > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:13

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Post it on BMW forums, let someone take over the lease, buy yourself a shiny 1987 Ford Tempo.

Nibby > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:14

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sell everything... buy this

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7-…

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:14

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Honest question.

Why would you store a leased car if you do not plan on keeping it after the lease? Why not just daily drive the thing as long as you don’t exceed the mileage?

TheHondaBro > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:15

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Jcarr > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:15

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Obvious answer, sell both and do this:

nerd_racing > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:19

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I noticed a multi thousand dollar dip in KBB value of my 1 series as soon as we crossed into October on KBB in the Buffalo NY area. I feel your pain.

LongbowMkII > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:20

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Get a modest project car instead. Keep it in the family and get a BMW 2002 or something along those lines. That way you aren’t storing it through the winter, you’re cleaning it up/working on it. plus you’re likely to have it appreciate while you wait to move.

CalzoneGolem > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:20

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Pretty sure you aren’t going to want to daily a s2k through DC traffic.

Textured Soy Protein > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 10/26/2015 at 13:20

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Well I figured since this is the place most likely to encourage me to do the stupid thing, if people here actually tell me the stupid thing is stupid, then I know it’s really stupid.

Textured Soy Protein > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 10/26/2015 at 13:23

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Originally I planned to drive the 135is year-round. When it came time to buy snow tires for it, instead I bought a Jeep.

Textured Soy Protein > Nibby 10/26/2015 at 13:23

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That is...nowhere near anywhere I live now or would plan to move.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:23

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Driven one yet? I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with mine.

shop-teacher > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:24

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Why would you store a lease car? Drive that sumbitch!

Textured Soy Protein > CalzoneGolem 10/26/2015 at 13:24

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I wouldn’t, since I’d have the Jeep and/or the subway.

maximillious > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:24

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As aa new owner to the s2000 I cannot tell you enough how badly you need this car.

Unless you hate:

smiling every time you walk up to your car

enjoying every drive (even in heavy traffic)

Giggling like a school girl every time you punch the accelerator

Then this is the car for you.

I had a brand new 2014 focus st that I sold and went carless until I found my s2k. This was the best decision I have made in the last 5 years.

Buy it and you will see just how right I am about all of this.

LongbowMkII > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:25

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*applause*

Nibby > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:25

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;_;

We will never live within 20 minutes of each other!

WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Textured Soy Protein > LongbowMkII 10/26/2015 at 13:26

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The only reason to get another silly car is to use the buying of said silly car to encourage a dealer to take the 135is off my hands. So unless you know of dealers that will both sell me an old project car and buy out the lease on the 135is, well...

TheHondaBro > Nibby 10/26/2015 at 13:27

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Not enough windows.

Textured Soy Protein > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire 10/26/2015 at 13:27

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I have, many years ago. I know they’re loud and cramped and bumpy. The main appeal is that they hold their value really well.

Nibby > TheHondaBro 10/26/2015 at 13:27

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Fine, you can get this one

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/20…

CalzoneGolem > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:28

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Ah, thought it was a winter/summer dd dealio you had going no. So you dd the Jeep and lease a car for funsies?

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Nibby 10/26/2015 at 13:28

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buy me that :D

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:29

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it’s really stupid...so does that make it extra really stupid? Do the extra really stupid thing!

Textured Soy Protein > shop-teacher 10/26/2015 at 13:29

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That was not my plan when I leased it. At the time, I was planning for it to be my only car, but when winter approached and it came time to buy snow tires and wheels, I said screw it and bought a Jeep instead.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:30

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Winter tires would of been sufficient me thinks.

I never had any issues with my SRT8 Challenger in the snow.

Too many M's > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:30

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If you can lower costs that's always a plus. And if you can get into something that's already near the bottom of the depreciation curve you'll be better off when/if you want something new.

Textured Soy Protein > CalzoneGolem 10/26/2015 at 13:32

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I leased the 135is first, planning to drive it year round. But then I bought the Jeep instead of buying snow tires.

Textured Soy Protein > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 10/26/2015 at 13:32

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Well sure, snow tires would have been the smart thing instead of buying a whole second vehicle. But...I didn’t do the smart thing.

shop-teacher > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:33

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If you can find somebody to take over the lease, great. Otherwise, if the snow isn’t flying, get out there and use up those leased miles you paid good money for :)

Textured Soy Protein > Too many M's 10/26/2015 at 13:34

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It only lowers my costs during the period of time I would otherwise have still been paying for the 135is. I have 8 more months on the lease. If I save $200/mo for those 8 months that’s $1600 saved, short-term, but I would be paying for the S2k for longer than 8 months so my total money spent would be much higher.

Nibby > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 10/26/2015 at 13:36

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sure, but only if you pay the taxes

LongbowMkII > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:36

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fair point.

New Miata? New Miata.

blah blah value blah blah blah

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:40

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We’ve all been there my friend. Buying the Challenger was not one of my smartest moves either.

Textured Soy Protein > shop-teacher 10/26/2015 at 13:41

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Really it’s an issue of parking more than anything else. The first winter I had it, I lived in an apartment where I had 1 garage space. So I kept the 135is in my garage and parked the Jeep outside. Which, ok, I had to dig out the thing from time to time, but that’s what I signed up for with getting the second car.

I now live in a townhouse with my gf where we have my 2 cars plus her 1 car, and a 1-car garage. We alternate weeks of using the garage. It wouldn’t be fair to her to keep the BMW in the garage all winter. So last year I stored the BMW.

This year my plan is to ask my landlord if there are any vacant units in our neighborhood where I can park the BMW, instead of getting an actual storage unit.

Either way, if I tell my insurance the BMW’s stored, that’s like $80/mo off my insurance. It has to be stored for 21 days consecutively to qualify. If I drive it while it’s “stored” for insurance and get in an accident, that’s bad news.

I just prefer driving the Jeep in the winter anyway. When I’m all bundled up in a huge winter coat there’s not a ton of room in the 135is, and even if it’s not snowing on a particular day, it’s cold enough here that there’s always snow and slush on the ground where you track that shit into your car. My Jeep has plenty of room and rubber floor liners to contain the mess.

Textured Soy Protein > LongbowMkII 10/26/2015 at 13:44

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The resale value is the whole reason I can sorta kinda maybe but not really justify buying an S2k now even though I wouldn’t drive it in the winter.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Nibby 10/26/2015 at 13:52

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I’ll pass

Almost A Wooden Bird > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 13:55

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I think you have three options here:

1) Sell the Jeep and the BMW, get an S2000 with some legit snow tires and a sandbag for the trunk
2) Sell the Jeep, by some snows, drive the piss out of that BMW all winter and give it back at the end of the lease
3) Do one of the above

Too many M's > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 14:06

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True but where will auto jollies come from? Bad decision second car is the only answer.

Textured Soy Protein > Too many M's 10/26/2015 at 14:10

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Well, the Jeep is at least a Hemi...

Textured Soy Protein > Almost A Wooden Bird 10/26/2015 at 14:17

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I’m keeping the Jeep since it’s cheap and practical and also since I’ve spent a decent amount of money on doing cheap and practical maintenance and repairs to get it in very good shape for a vehicle of its age.

Matt Kirsch > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire 10/26/2015 at 15:09

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In what way? I picked one up a few months back and am curious how your experience compares.

RWS Motorsport > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 15:32

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TheNeonDriver - Now with More BMW! > Textured Soy Protein 10/26/2015 at 15:55

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I had a Heep, and a summer car (not a leased BMW, but a 2004 SRT-4 Neon). I traded both for public transit and a 2012 335xi M-sport.

The car is as fast as I need it, it can get around in winter with tires, and its a CPO, so it costs less than a lease with all of the warranty and none of the fees to get out of it.

That’s what I did, it may not be applicable, but I moved from a rural area to Toronto, Canada, and I haven’t looked back.

Key to this plan, heated garage with car wash, to get the salt off when I do drive it in the snow and winteryness that is Canada.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > Matt Kirsch 10/26/2015 at 16:06

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Main thing for me is the noise at freeway speeds. Could be partially tire noise but it’s also some exhaust droning.

Textured Soy Protein > TheNeonDriver - Now with More BMW! 10/26/2015 at 16:40

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I used to have a Mazdaspeed 6 that I drove year round, just switched winter and summer tires. I got rid of it because of Mazda’s terrible rust-proofing. What really makes the most sense is to ditch the BMW, drive my Jeep for a while, and save money.

Matt Kirsch > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire 10/26/2015 at 17:28

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Gotcha. Honestly, nothing is worse than freeway noise on a soft top Wrangler, so that has fortunately/unfortunately prepared me for the S, but I definitely see what you mean. I can appreciate the drone too. It doesn’t help that we’re turning 4,000 rpm at freeway speeds

TheNeonDriver - Now with More BMW! > Textured Soy Protein 10/27/2015 at 12:10

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Oh yeah, without question, that makes the most sense. Is it what I did? No, of course not. I wanted a BMW, godamnit!