# The time to buy cars is now



## tom2021 (Feb 10, 2021)

Inflation is looming. Interest rate will climb very soon.
So, the time to buy cars is now.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

Yeah, but there's a shortage of new and used cars now, and with BMW's they've suspended a lot of options due to the lack of components. BMW of Bubbaville only has 46 new BMW's in stock. They usually have more than twice that.

Depreciation is the 600-pound gorilla in the room. The worst of it is over for my 2014 535i. Driving it another two or three years should save me $20k over buying or leasing a new one now.

Inflation could be a problem but that's a 100 pound chimpanzee, and he's hiding behind the couch so that the gorilla doesn't kick his ass.

60-month car loans are still around 2% from credit unions. Increasing interest rates would be a 20-pound spider monkey.

I'm waiting until this post-lockdown start-up mess is over before I even think about going car shopping. Pend up demand and supply disruptions will likely make it a seller's market for a while to come.


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## hipiva (Mar 10, 2020)

Buying a car cannot be an investment. It is rather a necessity. I think you should buy cars when you need them.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

My goal is to sell my cars the day after they hit 100k miles (161,000km), ideally with them having the original brakes, a well-worn second set of tires, and an old battery. My 2014 535i is just over seven years old with 72k miles, new tires, a new battery, new OFH and valve cover gaskets, a NAV update, a new spare tire, 7mm of rear brake pads, 10mm of front brake pads. I only drove it 5k miles last year due to the lockdown-smackdown. But, I got my shots, so I'll likely do 9k miles this year. 

So, my plan it to resist my urges to get a new one and keep it three more years. But, that's requiring more and more self-discipline.


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## XChallengeRdr (Jul 15, 2020)

hipiva said:


> Buying a car cannot be an investment. It is rather a necessity. I think you should buy cars when you need them.


Buying a Duesenberg or an XK120 is an investment. Buying a CPO BMW is a toy shopping, for me at least. The best "just transportation" car I ever owned is a contest between a Corolla and a Saturn.



Autoputzer said:


> I'm waiting until this post-lockdown start-up mess is over before I even think about going car shopping. Pend up demand and supply disruptions will likely make it a seller's market for a while to come.


Sage advice. Industry is overly excited about the coming months. I'm going to let it play out, but it is a good time to raise prices.


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## tom2021 (Feb 10, 2021)

When the inflation and interest rate are several percent higher than now, the price and the cost to finance cars will be more expensive.

Car is necessity. When you find yourself in a situation have to buy cars in the future, you will pay more for less.


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## crazy4trains (Mar 30, 2011)

Autoputzer said:


> My goal is to sell my cars the day after they hit 100k miles (161,000km), ideally with them having the original brakes, a well-worn second set of tires, and an old battery. My 2014 535i is just over seven years old with 72k miles, new tires, a new battery, new OFH and valve cover gaskets, a NAV update, a new spare tire, 7mm of rear brake pads, 10mm of front brake pads. I only drove it 5k miles last year due to the lockdown-smackdown. But, I got my shots, so I'll likely do 9k miles this year.
> 
> So, my plan it to resist my urges to get a new one and keep it three more years. But, that's requiring more and more self-discipline.


My goal is to buy your car! 😉


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

crazy4trains said:


> My goal is to buy your car! 😉


PM me with a good e-mail and phone # you know you'll have for the next few years, and you can be #7 on the waiting list.

My 535i is a unicorn:

Luxury Line
Merino Leather (Amaro Brown)
Red Sycamore Wood
*Dynamic Handling Package
Luxury Seating Package*
Premium Package
*Manual Transmission*
Side and Top View Cameras
H & K

I sort of built a 300 h.p. M5, after I ditched the Goodyear LS2's for Michelin PSS's (now replaced with PS 4S's).

In two or three years, it should be worth about $10k. The first one as I go down the list who comes up with the KBB value gets it..

Here are the BMW Configurator pictures. Other than corroded exhaust tips inner lips, it looks almost new. I'm on my third set of OE tips (replaced twice under warranty), and they all corroded shortly after being installed.

Because I made them deliver it unwashed and still in the wrapper, the paint looks new... better than the loaners I get with 400 miles on them.


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## OnlyGerman (Oct 16, 2011)

never a good time to buy a car lol...And in US, now is NOT.


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## OnlyGerman (Oct 16, 2011)

Autoputzer said:


> My goal is to sell my cars the day after they hit 100k miles (161,000km), ideally with them having the original brakes, a well-worn second set of tires, and an old battery. My 2014 535i is just over seven years old with 72k miles, new tires, a new battery, new OFH and valve cover gaskets, a NAV update, a new spare tire, 7mm of rear brake pads, 10mm of front brake pads. I only drove it 5k miles last year due to the lockdown-smackdown. But, I got my shots, so I'll likely do 9k miles this year.
> 
> So, my plan it to resist my urges to get a new one and keep it three more years. But, that's requiring more and more self-discipline.


New ones are ugly, your F10 is timeless..Keep it.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

OnlyGerman said:


> New ones are ugly, your F10 is timeless..Keep it.


BMW's making their designs more complicated... fussy. I like the F30's looks better than the G20's.

We're building an new house next year (if lumber prices come back down). I'll have an attached three-holer with a lift in the middle bay, and maybe a detached one-holer. So, keeping it will be an option. 

I'm kicking myself for letting go of my E46 M3 coupe. But, I got 12.5 years and 115k miles out of it.

The configurator pictures don't do the Amaro Brown Marino leather justice. It's color is much more vibrant in person. The car was parked in BMW of Bubbaville's service department's portico while I was finishing up the paperwork after delivery. There was a procession of their employees and customers coming by to look at the interior. The same thing happened when I got home and had it in the driveway for it's first bath. The upgraded seats and leather cost more than my first new car (1976 VW Rabbit).

My car was built on February 24th 2014, and they stopped putting manual transmissions in 535i's on February 28th.


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## hipiva (Mar 10, 2020)

You're right. Of course there is a different class of car. Someone invests in a car, and someone just uses it for travel. Several times I have been at the exhibition of rare cars, the cost of which was very high. And over time, the price will continue to rise.
I appreciate the car in terms of practicality, convenience and comfort for travel. I recently looked at a review of the ford bronco outer banks models. Interesting style and design. Now manufacturers are significantly changing car modifications.


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## twka90 (Aug 2, 2021)

tom2021 said:


> Inflation is looming. Interest rate will climb very soon.
> So, the time to buy cars is now.


Counterpoint: the time to buy a car is in three-four years when electric charging infra matures, and folks other then tesla figure out how to build BEVs. Even today, why would you buy a new car that explodes several thousand times a minute? It's so... barbaric.


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## XChallengeRdr (Jul 15, 2020)

Time to sell a car is now. I'm about to put our farm truck, a 97 Explorer, on the market. 250K miles, rebuilt motor 30K ago and a myriad of minor problems common to a high milage car. Pulls like a Newfoundland. With four cars on hand plus a bunch of other motorized junk at the farm, I'm tired of fixing things.

An EV is definately in my future, but no hurry. On a side note I'm settling my fathers estate this week and I spent some "quality time" with my step brother who seems to think that EVs will never work. Twenty minutes of him repeating stuff he heard from various news opinion shows and not a single original idea or observation.


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## The Wog (May 31, 2021)

Autoputzer said:


> My goal is to sell my cars the day after they hit 100k miles (161,000km), ideally with them having the original brakes, a well-worn second set of tires, and an old battery. My 2014 535i is just over seven years old with 72k miles, new tires, a new battery, new OFH and valve cover gaskets, a NAV update, a new spare tire, 7mm of rear brake pads, 10mm of front brake pads. I only drove it 5k miles last year due to the lockdown-smackdown. But, I got my shots, so I'll likely do 9k miles this year.
> 
> So, my plan it to resist my urges to get a new one and keep it three more years. But, that's requiring more and more self-discipline.


Wouldn't you sell it the day before hitting 100k miles?


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## bearniter (Jul 27, 2021)

I think that people buy cars as needed. My car for me is, first of all, the ability to comfortably get from one destination to another. And I really enjoy traveling.
And when buying a car, do not forget about Towing and other accessories RV and Camper Accessories - Free Shipping & Discounts | Autoshopping24 which may come in handy on the road.


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## The Wog (May 31, 2021)

twka90 said:


> Counterpoint: the time to buy a car is in three-four years when electric charging infra matures, and folks other then tesla figure out how to build BEVs. Even today, why would you buy a new car that explodes several thousand times a minute? It's so... barbaric.


Whenever you buy a car, you will be hosed on depreciation. A current shape 750i is worth around 25% here at 4 years with around 60T km / 40T mi. That's going to cost Aussies $1000 a week. I can buy an investment unit in the centre of Melbourne for $80/wk on an I/O - there's no way any rational person would choose the BMW over 12 investment properties.

BUT if you want to talk about timing, the time to buy an ICE is before they are abolished. We couldn't give away large Aussie 6-cyl sedans. 3 year RVs of 25-30%, volumes that would shame a Ferrari factory. As soon as the factories closed, they're suddenly collectables. My friend's daily driver Falcon turbo is worth more today than a decade ago. Immaculate sports models that cost $100k are selling at auction for $1m+.


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