What's the most you've paid or would pay for a car?

[Mistee]

Most I have ever paid for a car was $15K. It was a Buick Century Custom, 4 dr and I loved that car!

My next car will be a Buick LeSabre and whatever it costs will be the most I will pay for a new car!!!

[GREENBACK]

At this point in my life I could buy an expensive vehicle with cash. I don't see any point in spending lots of money for a depreciating item. I'm not out to impress anyone. I do mostly buy large 4wd drive vehicles but it's because I use them for the way they were designed. I would never buy a Surburban to take my kids to soccer practice or to go to the grocery store but I know too many that do this

[rizzmo]

15k for a Chevy Aveo, put 4k down, paid off in 1 year.

[maat55]

I paid 14k for my truck 4 years ago. I would not do that again. I will only pay cash and will attemp to walk away with golf money. I expect to only pay no more than 14k 4 years from now, including taxes.

We will be paying cash for my wife's next car in about 1.5 years. It will be around 14k after selling her existing car. We will be able to buy her next car before we sell the existing, using our EF as a time buffer.

[StressLess]

I don't think we've ever paid over $10,000. The last one was a used 1998 Dodge for $6000, before that it was a new 1992 Plymouth and I can't even remember the price.

I'm aiming to have $10,000 saved by DH's birthday in August, when he'll be shopping for a PT Cruiser to replace the Plymouth. With everything so crazy in the car business, and new stimulus bills being passed all the time, I don't what I expect to spend when the time comes. If Chrysler is still among the living, and we can get a good deal plus tax incentives, we might spring for a new one and finance the overage.

But as a general rule, I'd like to keep with what I read in a Dave Ramsey book--whatever 25% of your yearly income is, don't let the value of your vehicles exceed that. Our income is the highest it's ever been, but 25% of it split between two cars doesn't get you that much, especially if you want a brand new one.

[tripods68]

2003 Nissan Murano paid $31,400 for it- We traded this car when we had our second child for an Honda Odyssey 06 (with Nav/DVD) paid $32,500 ($300 above Invoice). We plan to pay this car off by October of this year. We can't wait to have any more car payment.

[ezme]

The most i have paid for a car is £1k, but then again i am a student. If i ever manage to get a nice well paid job then up to £50k will do me . It would have to be a hybrid, hydrogen, or whatever they have in 5-10 years time

[Fizgig]

I paid $26k for a new Mini Cooper S in 2007. Paid it off in 17 months and I can't imagine spending more than $25-30k.

It was a completely out of character extravagance and I feel NO regret whatsoever! I needed to buy a car because my previous one was totalled in a hit and run accident (they ran, not me!), and I had been pining for a Mini for five years. Sometimes things CAN make you happy and that silly little car puts a grin on my face every time I open the door.

In theory I believe in buying used, but the Minis just don't depreciate so there wasn't an advantage to buying used in this case.

Edit: Before that I had a '97 Mustang purchased in 2001 for $6800, and a 1983 Buick Skyhawk wagon purchased in 1996 for $1300.

[wnlbutterfly]

I have been married 25 yrs, the most we have paid for a car was $4k, that was my daughters 2001 Sunfire. Of course we buy used. We are thinking about stepping up and buying something a little newer (not new, but newer than we have been getting) and thinking the range of $8k-$12k at the most.

I keep hoping that maybe they will pass the "cash for clunkers" so we could trade in one of these, but they are running and get us where we need to go.

BTW, DH has a Buick Century, fully loaded, and we paid $3k for it. Actually good on gas mileage and rides very nice.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by wnlbutterfly

I keep hoping that maybe they will pass the "cash for clunkers" so we could trade in one of these, but they are running and get us where we need to go.

If they come up with a deal that lets me trade in my old car (1998) for something newer but not brand new, I'd probably consider it. It sounds like they're just pushing new car purchases, though.

[Pitman]

1. What is the most you have ever paid for a car?

I've only had one vehicle, my current one, I paid $12.5K. I put half down, and paid off the car in two years.


2. In current dollars, what is the most you think you would ever pay for a car?

I'm about a couple days away from purchasing a "new" used vehicle, the price I'm looking at is around $24K, but I'm negotiating the price. The car I really want is the 08 BMW M3, but I simply can't afford one right now.

[wnlbutterfly]

I have read different versions, all different amounts of vouchers and different requirements. One was "new" used cars, just had to met the standards they are setting.

Oddly though, the older the clunker, the less the rebate, you would think the older cars would be worse as far as emissions, but guess not.

If it is only new cars, then we won't use it either. But there will be plenty that will.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by wnlbutterfly

Oddly though, the older the clunker, the less the rebate, you would think the older cars would be worse as far as emissions, but guess not.

I guess they figure that the older the car, the more likely that the owner was going to replace it soon anyway and the less need to incentivize them to do so.

[Seeker]

The most we have paid for a single car is just under 30k including interest and payments over 3 years (for my now 10 year old CR-V), though DH's 2007 Civic has come pretty close to the same. But both are paid for.

With our combined 120k/year income, 30k would make D.Ramsey happy since it just reaches his 25% max limit.

I wouldn't want to go any amount over $30k in current dollars, because it is a depreciating item that the only real critria to be met for me is that when I need it, it works, and it gets me there relatively safely.

I don't expect to be replacing my auto in the next five years, but should we need to, we should be able to buy outright.

[sandrark]

Originally Posted by Seeker

The most we have paid for a single car is just under 30k including interest and payments over 3 years (for my now 10 year old CR-V), though DH's 2007 Civic has come pretty close to the same. But both are paid for.

With our combined 120k/year income, 30k would make D.Ramsey happy since it just reaches his 25% max limit.

Not entirely true. DR says that the total of ALL your motorized vehicles (cars, motorcycles, boats, jetskis, etc.) should not total more than 25% of your income.

We're outside that guideline too.

To answer the OP's questions:

What's the most you've spent on a car? That would be the $31K I paid for my 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser in 2006.

Prior to that, a Subaru Legacy wagon, which cost $18.2K in 1997.
Prior to that, a Saturn SW2 wagon, which cost $15.2K in 1993.
Prior to that, a Nissan Stanza hatchback, $3K in 1990.
First car: 1982 Chevy Chevette, which cost $1500 in 1986.

What's the most that you would pay for a car, in today's dollars? Well, I'm considering a Lexus RX350, which will run ~ $42K, so I guess that's my answer. I'm struggling with it.

Sandi

[Caoineag]

I am definitely an outlier on this one.

1. We paid $1300 December 2008 for a 96 Subaru. Before that, we received a car for free from my husbands parents. (For the longest time, my family never paid more than 3k for a car so I come by my cheapness in this area naturally).

2. Not really sure. I definitely wouldn't pay over 30k. That is just too much money that could be spent elsewhere. But I think a newish car might be nice for the next one so that we can keep it longer. We will see.

Can you tell I am not a car person?

[quizbiz]

7000 is the most because it was/is the only car i own/ed

[cschin4]

I bought a new Toyota Sienna Minivan in 2005 and paid cash about $25 K. It has leather heated seats, etc. We paid about that or a little more as well for a new O5 4Runner but financed that at the low % because I couldn't stand to write another check like that. We plan to keep these cars at least 5 more years and will not trade them in. When our kids hit college age, we plan to give them the cars and then we will go get something else.

[davrobins]

Depends on the car though, id go with about $20K