I'm in a position to make a very difficult decision... (page 4)

oompa

I would prefer you go with a honda or toyota, but would still go for the saturn....that is gm's best attempt ever to meet or beat japan.....you will never regret it.....just do reg maintence and baby it as in take off slowly........oompa

ronin1

MeneMene is correct.

I have a 1990 Toyota Corrolla. I love my car and it has approx 260,000 miles.

The past two months I had to spend $2,500 because the transmission went, $700 on getting the brakes fixed, and a new battery- total: $3300.

We had a new engine put in about 2 years ago and that was a lot of money and we had other repairs done.- I cannot remember the amounts.

So think about the maintenance costs of an older car. Yes they last long, but with maintenance.

I cannot afford a new car and my husband & I do not want two (2) car payments. He already has a car note for his 2002 Ford Ranger. So we decided on spending the monies to keep my Toyota up-graded and maintained. But it was expensive.

And just because you have an older car, does not mean your insurance will be that much less than a new car. My annual insurance for Liability and PIP, UM on the Toyota is $1400 and the annual on my husband's Ford Ranger-liability, PIP, UM, Comp and Collision, rental reimbursement, towing & labor is $1700. ( State of Florida).

So think about all those things and the other posts comments before making a final decision.

Ronin1

JK666

FF,

The Devil is in the details. From you are telling us that you still owe 5 more years on the Taurus, it is a safe bet that you are "upside down." This means that you owe more for the car than its current book value. No one in their right mind would take over your payments and give you an older Saturn. If this is from a dealer, be even more skeptical!

If someone IS offering to take over your payments, BEWARE! If they decide not to make them, you are still on the hook to make them by the finance company. I know of people making payments and not having the car which the new owner trashed.

Unless you are absolutely sure, keep the Taurus. PM me if you need any more help.

P.S. I know what I am talking about, used to sell cars.

JK

Junction-Guy

I would say that unless the saturn is really old looking and embarrassing to drive, I would opt to sell the Taurus. You live in an area that is covered by bus service?

there is no shame in driving an older car, especially if it still looks decent.

SixofNine

I can't believe what I'm hearing when I see people saying to "keep the Taurus" or even refinance.

This is a person who, if nothing else is obvious from her explanation, CANNOT afford a new, or even newish, car payment. Keeping (or refinancing) the Taurus is a recipe for financial pain and eventual bankruptcy. As WanderlustGuy has pointed out, the difference, over time, is literally a fortune.

marmot

You're driving a Ford, which depreciates like a used condom. I'd say get out of it now and get the most basic form of transportation you can find.

I now drive a car that I bought for $400 and pay under $20 a month for insurance. I do as much of my own maintenance as possible. It's a lot easier than it seems. You only need a few basic hand tools, a jack and some jack stands and you can then do your own oil changes, change your spark plugs, change your oil filter, battery, etc. by yourself instead of paying a mechanic $50 an hour to do the same.

The rest of my money is going towards paying down debt from previous stupidity.

changeling

We bought Saturns for both our kids. They run great and have little maintenance issues. A paid for car is a beautiful thing.

changeling

OnTheWayOut

My opinion is to take the Saturn and don't look back. 5 years is a long time. Even if you just
walked away from the long-term commitment with nothing, you would be ahead. Look at the
Saturn as a "free" car. Even if it breaks down in a few months, it was free. Maintain it the best
you can for less monthly money than the payments. If you have to dump it later, get another
used car.

There is nothing wrong with buying new cars, but if it straps your monthly balance, just steer
clear of it. Some will talk about safety and the kids. Drive safely, obey all the common-sense
laws concerning kids. Be reasonable. If we had to keep our kids as safe as possible beyond
reason, we would have to strap them into a brand new large car, minivan, or even full-size van.
That would mean buying new every year. Just use reason, keep good tires and brakes and
wear those seatbelts. That's what keeps them safe.

FreedomFrog

Wow, lots of responses here. Thank you all for all your words.

Lisa's right, I'm barely making it as it is, though I am making it by "robbing Peter to pay Paul". If I got rid of the Taurus, that will allow me to get some kind of health insurance or even save up for emergencies. That will also allow me to get my kids clothes so they don't have to wear one pair of jeans every single day. (and yes I go to thrift stores...lol)

I have a friend who is a mechanic and he says the car looks pretty well kept. It's not a bad looking car...just old looking. It does need a muffler system so I need to find out how much that's gonna cost me. It's got a new transmission and a new clutch (clutch was put in about 3 years ago I believe) and I think a new starter system. It doesn't have any power windows/air and such so that will be less to break. It's a 5 speed standard. The wheels are in pretty good condition so I won't have to worry about that for a while.

I think I've made up my mind taking the Saturn but I'm still going to think about it a bit more just to make sure. The Saturn sounds like the smarter choice for me in my particular situation. If something goes wrong with it...well, I'll have to just take the bus or find a cheap throw away for that time but I really only have to make it last about 2 years because my plan is to start into my career at that time.

I'm really in financial hell right now but as one of my friends said to me last night, "you're in the middle of your financial hell...don't stop...push through it and you can get out".

marmot

You've got an '04 and you've already got ALL THOSE REPAIRS!?

Jayzus, you've either got a lemon or you've got dishonest mechanics who enjoy taking you for a ride. I had a 2000 Focus with a 5 speed that I bought used for $5500, drove the piss out of it for 2 years (but always did my own maintenance) and didn't spend a penny more on it aside from the usual brakes, oil, tires and a windshield replacement.

I then sold it for $4500 last month.

Seriously, I have no idea how a 3-year old car like yours should need a new muffler, starter, transmission and clutch (although you say the last 2 were already done.)

Or wait, are you talking about the Saturn?

I'm in a position to make a very difficult decision...

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