I see this all the time. It's where a guy waits years to buy the dream car , saves up for it , and gets ready to buy it and in his effort to save 5 grand ends up with the wrong car. At the 100K level .. it's a costly last minute hiccup.

Then for however long he has it he wishes he bought the one that he didn't . It's --the one with the special option , or bigger engine, or whatever else bothers him every day that he has the car he ended up with.

I know this . Been there myself and have figured out a solution . It's very simple .. if one has to compromise on something --imagine how you'll feel after the novelty erodes . Think it through and if the stretch is so great to buy the car that it's just too much .... then wait . Just don't buy the wrong car and spend three years trying to talk youself into liking it .

If anyone wants to add or substract from the solution I suggested that would be great.

 

I would agree with your comments - assuming the person has put enough seat time in 911s to be that precise. Personally, I had always liked 911s, ridden in a few (including the back seat of one on one occasion), but when it came to buying one last year, I made my decision based on reading magazine articles and taking a 2 hr. test drive.

Obviously you and the other very experienced Porsche 911 owners on this Board have a far more in-depth understanding of these cars than new owners, but one thing I would also like to point out, is that from a driving experience perspective, I can't imagine anyone new to these cars being disappointed in buying any model in the 911 series.

 

larry,

your thoughts can be applied to any purchase. However the higher the price tag the less you should try to settle for less whenever possible.

.

 

at 100K don't think the last 5K should be the deal breaker. if it really is that much of a stretch, then perhaps save a little longer... compromises never work out... that's my 2 cents...

 

Larry, you have to stop watching chick flicks!

I think that too many times people buy the cheaper item in an attempt to tell themselves how much money they saved. It is kind of like someone buying something on sale, because it is on sale.

I know what I want, and am always happy to get a deal, but I will not waver on buying what I want even if it costs more.

 

It's hard to tell yourself to save a little more when your (almost) dream car is right in front of you and you can somewhat afford it.

Personally, I would never settle for less. If I can't afford a car w/ the features I want (mainly the engine and a sports package if available), then I just stick to what I have and wait a little longer.

 

I nailed down colors and options BEFORE I started looking for our TT. It made it a lot easier to find the perfect car.

 

I completely agree with the sentiment, and experienced it 'up close and personal' a number of times. The ingrained and memorable one was years ago, when I was buying a new Saab. I wanted the turbo, but the 'S' was $4k less. Who needs a turbo - which came with leather interior, better audio, on and on? I drove the car for 13 years, now my college-age son drives it (he was 20 months in a car seat when I bought it). Pretty much every day that I had it I said to myself, "I should have had the turbo". Never again.

 

Was it white?

 

OK, I'm going to play devil's advocate here (for the fun of it =) ).

There is always going to be a better car out there. To be sane and healthy, you need to be able to not always be constantly beating yourself up over what you could have gotten had you just reached a little further. Maybe I could have gotten an 09 ... maybe I could have gotten the GT3, GT2 ... maybe a Ferrari with a longer lease term ... it never ends.

But, if the better car is at a price point that is psychologically within reach, then it starts to get painful. People start feeling a real sense of loss here ... and this has been proven! If the upgrade looks impossible (like upgrading your girlfriend to a Sports Illustrated cover model), it doesn't psychologically impact you.

What makes your example more relevant is that if it's a difference between 5K on 100K, the possibility of making the extra leap exists. That's how dealers nickel and dime hundreds and thousands of dollars out of people at the dealership too ... fee here, lease terms here, add an option there ... because you're dead set on the car. It all adds up. 5K is certainly a lot of money too for most people ... I wouldn't just drop it out of my pockets on the street!

But Porsche purchases are pretty much 100% psychological. Speaking to your point directly ... any buyer for which the Porsche is a major purchase (aka, not a sultan in an oil rich country) is not doing it out of practicality ... and the car purchase will be a major financial event. I cannot really think of anyone who *needs* a Porsche. To many, it represents a passionate love of cars or a reward to themselves for reaching a certain place in life.

If I needed another car, I would have bought another Toyota. I *wanted* a Porsche.

It's not the end of the world. If one is really worried about options, there are ways to mitigate the risk. Make some friends and really drive each kind of car to understand what it is that you're missing. Figure out which options are locking you into your current car and which ones can be added after the fact ... and then pay closer attention or give a little priority bump to the ones you can't fix easily later. Buy used so that you eat less depreciation on a trade-in or upgrade in a couple of years when you REALLY know what you want. (Tho I say, always buy used!) And finally, leasing is always an option if you are the type that can't be happy if you aren't driving the newest car.

Know yourself. Ultimately, this all comes down to how comfortable you are in your own shoes. I think everyone is better off in life if they can accept there will always be something better out there and be comfortable with what they have while still striving for the next big thing in a healthy way. Again, where does it end? What stops me from going another 5K on top of that 100K + 5K? If I have to end up financially stretching myself before I can stop the nickel and diming ... well, I don't want to be that kind of person in my head, and that's just a personal opinion. If I'm lucky, maybe the next model up is in the "psychologically impossible" range and I end up stretching only a little bit to get to the top of my model range.

If you take an honest look at yourself and can say in the past that you've spent a lot of time regretting past purchases where you compromised, then yes ... you should consider reaching farther. But this is a decision for each person to make on his own.

To me personally, owning a 997 is an honor. Brakes, 30 extra HP ... who cares! I've got a Porsche 911!!!! Now obviously I didn't throw caution to the wind when buying, but I think it helps to keep things in perspective.

 

Excellent post.

I do see Larry's point though and agree that some amount of flexibility should be in there and getting hung up over...well I don't like to think in $$$ so much as percentages. $5K is 5% in this example and to me that is relevant - might not be a deal breaker, but certainly more to consider than 1% or $1k.

And while I do think too much compromise could lead to buyer's or owner's remorse, rkuo illustrates that on some level, there's likely always a compromise; the ones that are actually real decisions and those that are so far out of reach, you don't think "what if" so much.

Good points from both points of view to consider.

 

Agree with Larry in his post. I think this is more so in the used car market and especially so in the last few months as the good used cars are getting snapped up quickly. I think if you're in the market for a used car right now, you need to be prepared to act a little quicker than late last year/early this year.

I know when I bought my car back in May, I had looked for about three months and lost out on two cars because I figured they'd still be there in a few weeks. Today, a good used car priced correctly can be sold in a few days. When the seller of my current car and I came together on a price, I might have been able to get another $1-2k off but he was a great guy to work with and it was the car I was looking for in terms of what I wanted. Great that he was a stand up guy because from the time he promised me the car to when I was able to pick it up (three days later), he got two offers on the car (including one guy who called him as we were standing at the bank making the transaction).

End of the day, if you're buying this car to drive and not an investment and you plan on keeping it awhile, what's a few grand to get the right car.

 

Here are some factors that weighed on my decision. About 10 years ago I bought a Mustang GT, because I wanted to move from a sedan to something "fun". Regretted the decision from the day I brought it home. As a daily driver it was to noisy - (annoying drivetrain noise, etc. - not good exhaust note ). Forced myself to keep the car for a couple of years.... punishment.

Fast forward to present day search for a Porsche. Started looking at the Cayman S, figuring it was a not too expensive "weekend toy" When I test drove it for a third time I realized I was "settling" and didn't really like the Cayman. Found it uncomfortable, too noisy (drivetrain again - engine right behind the driver). Next I drove a C2 coupe. Within 2 minutes, knew it was the right car. Not wanting to make the same mistake as the mustang - I passed on the Cayman.

Of course I wound up with a C2S CAB:
1) Figured that CAB would be a great "weekend toy" - was spot on with that one!
2) No intention of seeing a track
3) As far as the S goes - like the red calipers, silver gauges, slightly bigger engine, not much more $$$ on used market, better resale, didn't want to have any regrets...

Bottom line - get what you really want, as long as you can afford it.

My $.02

 

Agree . In fact I feel quite often people settle with what they have chosen but spend years wondering about the one that got away.

That why the choices made on day one must factor in the long term projected sentiment and if there is even one shred of doubt I say pass on the item entirely .

 

That statement applies to alot more than a 'purchase'......I got to watch what I write right now....wife is breathing down my neck...LOL!!!

Never settle......there are always things I can't afford but if it is a differnce of $5000 on a $100,000 ride.....I would find a way!


Stacy