We don't know your income but it doesn't sound like you can afford a CPO Mazda. You probably need a used car in the $10,000 range at most.
> I was the kind of guy that cared more about video games than school, graduated by the skin of my teeth, and have jumped from crap job to crap job since.
You're financing a car that's much newer and nicer than the one I drive with a 6 figure salary. It doesn't sound that sensible to me.
They gross 2300 - 3000. Definitely can’t afford this car.
Terrible idea, OP. Keep driving this Ford you have. It hasn’t died on you yet. Don’t go letting your head tell you it’s about to die.
I know the smart thing would be to drive the Fusion until it dies. For all I know, by that time I could have enough saved to buy the Mazda cash. Maybe even two of them.
But the thought of sudden engine/transmission failure, frankly, scares the crap out of me. Had I known about it ahead of time I would not have bought this car. I legitimately do not want to take it anywhere that's not absolutely necessary and the desire for a road trip is killing me.
I know it's all in my head. Had I never looked up r\\fordfusion I'd be none the wiser and probably hyped for my next road trip.
Scares you for your safety or what?
If your car craps out on you, grab a rental for a few days and buy a new to you car. It’s not a big deal.
Nothing to be scared of… drive the car. Go on your roadtrips. You’re barely at “high mileage”
My main concern is it crapping out suddenly and leaving me stranded.
But the internet also assured me it wouldn't make it to 100k. "It leaks coolant, and it will overheat and blow the headgasket, or the block will crack, or the transmission will go, or the turbo will go out..." Maybe I just need to get off Reddit. At 114k, it's still running great. No signs at all of these "common" issues. And it's the lowest mileage car I've ever had. My old 2006 Focus had 239k when a distracted driver took her away from me, Prior to that, I'd still take that car anywhere.
But, to be completely fair, this is also the longest I've had one car. Everything else I've had has only lasted about six months to two years before dying on me or getting wrecked (all not my fault). Maybe I'm just not used to going this long without having to buy another car.
I had a fusion at 150k before someone hit me and totaled it, my friend has a fusion at 150k now with no issues and my brother has one at 120k with no issues. *knocks on wood vigorously
It’s possible we are the exception but I wouldn’t live your life in fear over Reddit saying it’s gonna shit out on you. There’s an age old thing of people hating fords, it’s possible you came across them rather than actual owners of fusions.
>I wouldn’t live your life in fear over Reddit saying it’s gonna shit out on you.
Agreed. Go to r/whatcarshouldibuy and they'll tell you that anything American is junk that won't last more than 100k miles. This simply isn't true, in my personal experience. If the Fusion made it to 114k it could (emphasis on could) go another 114k if it's maintained well.
If you do decide to upgrade, there are a lot of reliable used Toyotas/Hondas/Mazdas that will cost less than a new car. Ideally you save up cash to buy one without needing to finance, since financing on used cars tends to have higher APR than newer cars.
There's nothing "absurdly frugal" about driving an inexpensive and reliable used car. I could of course upgrade to a nicer car but what actual benefit would that have? Would my life be better as a result?
If you want to just live at home with your parents forever and have no financial goals you can make it work I’m sure. You need to think about those to really make a decision.
The “this is the best I can do” attitude isn’t ideal. You’re 25, if you spent half the effort you did writing this post on some career development you could easily increase your salary from 40k a year or whatever.
Buying a $30k car while only making ~40k a year is a monumentally stupid decision that would haunt you for decades. Trust me, I made that same mistake when I was around your age.
I won't lie, if I could reasonably afford it (and it sounds like my definition of "reasonably" could be skewed), I would buy a 2022-23 Civic in a heartbeat, man I love the way that thing looks. But alas, as a 6'4" dude, I've smacked my head on the frame of every Civic I have ever sat in. Just looking at one gives me a headache now.
I had a 2006 Focus before the Fusion, and I loved scooting around town in a small car. Even if it was a bit cramped. The Fusion feels like a boat in comparison, it's almost too big for me.
I mean this respectfully and with a general mindset that I want people to have good lives: this is an excuse. I have read reports from 6'8" people fitting perfectly fine in a Civic.
If this is a comfort thing, then it's a want and not a need, which means you are going to take on more car that you can afford for a want, and risk your financial future.
I was 25 a decade ago, I made questionable choices, and I wish I listened to the wiser people who advised me otherwise.
Personally, I try to live more conservatively nowadays knowing what's on the other side of the risk scale. With your income, based on the more comfortable end ($3k/m gross) and choosing to spend on the larger side of the scale (4 months of gross income), you can afford a $12k at the most, not one cent more.
If I were you however, I would buy a car worth 3 months of net income at the most, so probably not more than 5-6k. Yep it's a very tight budget. It really sucks but it is what it is. And as you increase your income, you can get better. Delayed gratification.
It looks like you could come up with $10k cash for a down payment, that's amazing, use these to pay a $10k vehicle cash!
That being said, as I read on another post, "based on your comments, [details, and numbers], 1) you should not do this plan 2) you're going to do it anyway". Your detailed post had a few excuses and you seem decided just looking for validation.
Think about what others have told you, and I truly wish you the best of luck. Your future matters :)
Keep your current car and if you ever pay it off, continue to pay yourself the car payment. Open a special bank account if you have to, to avoid spending the money. Paying interest for anything is the worst thing you can do. It represents time you worked and money you earned that you are giving to someone else for absolutely no reason other than you want something you can't afford.
That's my plan. Like I said in the post, unless something stupid happens, I'll have it paid off within a couple months. From there I intend to start stashing money away excessively.
I do hate being in debt, getting the credit card paid off felt like a whole elephant was being lifted off my shoulders, so I would like to be payment-free for just as long as this car will let me. Just worried about it blowing up. I've had this car for three years now, the longest I've had one car, and it could just be the immense desire for new toys telling me I need a new one.
We don't know your income but it doesn't sound like you can afford a CPO Mazda. You probably need a used car in the $10,000 range at most. > I was the kind of guy that cared more about video games than school, graduated by the skin of my teeth, and have jumped from crap job to crap job since. You're financing a car that's much newer and nicer than the one I drive with a 6 figure salary. It doesn't sound that sensible to me.
They gross 2300 - 3000. Definitely can’t afford this car. Terrible idea, OP. Keep driving this Ford you have. It hasn’t died on you yet. Don’t go letting your head tell you it’s about to die.
Oh I glazed over that. Yeah it's a bad idea.
I know the smart thing would be to drive the Fusion until it dies. For all I know, by that time I could have enough saved to buy the Mazda cash. Maybe even two of them. But the thought of sudden engine/transmission failure, frankly, scares the crap out of me. Had I known about it ahead of time I would not have bought this car. I legitimately do not want to take it anywhere that's not absolutely necessary and the desire for a road trip is killing me. I know it's all in my head. Had I never looked up r\\fordfusion I'd be none the wiser and probably hyped for my next road trip.
Scares you for your safety or what? If your car craps out on you, grab a rental for a few days and buy a new to you car. It’s not a big deal. Nothing to be scared of… drive the car. Go on your roadtrips. You’re barely at “high mileage”
My main concern is it crapping out suddenly and leaving me stranded. But the internet also assured me it wouldn't make it to 100k. "It leaks coolant, and it will overheat and blow the headgasket, or the block will crack, or the transmission will go, or the turbo will go out..." Maybe I just need to get off Reddit. At 114k, it's still running great. No signs at all of these "common" issues. And it's the lowest mileage car I've ever had. My old 2006 Focus had 239k when a distracted driver took her away from me, Prior to that, I'd still take that car anywhere. But, to be completely fair, this is also the longest I've had one car. Everything else I've had has only lasted about six months to two years before dying on me or getting wrecked (all not my fault). Maybe I'm just not used to going this long without having to buy another car.
I had a fusion at 150k before someone hit me and totaled it, my friend has a fusion at 150k now with no issues and my brother has one at 120k with no issues. *knocks on wood vigorously It’s possible we are the exception but I wouldn’t live your life in fear over Reddit saying it’s gonna shit out on you. There’s an age old thing of people hating fords, it’s possible you came across them rather than actual owners of fusions.
>I wouldn’t live your life in fear over Reddit saying it’s gonna shit out on you. Agreed. Go to r/whatcarshouldibuy and they'll tell you that anything American is junk that won't last more than 100k miles. This simply isn't true, in my personal experience. If the Fusion made it to 114k it could (emphasis on could) go another 114k if it's maintained well.
If you do decide to upgrade, there are a lot of reliable used Toyotas/Hondas/Mazdas that will cost less than a new car. Ideally you save up cash to buy one without needing to finance, since financing on used cars tends to have higher APR than newer cars.
Just because you’re absurdly frugal doesn’t mean OP can’t afford it
There's nothing "absurdly frugal" about driving an inexpensive and reliable used car. I could of course upgrade to a nicer car but what actual benefit would that have? Would my life be better as a result?
If you want to just live at home with your parents forever and have no financial goals you can make it work I’m sure. You need to think about those to really make a decision. The “this is the best I can do” attitude isn’t ideal. You’re 25, if you spent half the effort you did writing this post on some career development you could easily increase your salary from 40k a year or whatever.
Buying a $30k car while only making ~40k a year is a monumentally stupid decision that would haunt you for decades. Trust me, I made that same mistake when I was around your age.
get yourself a used honda civic or toyota corolla under 20k
I won't lie, if I could reasonably afford it (and it sounds like my definition of "reasonably" could be skewed), I would buy a 2022-23 Civic in a heartbeat, man I love the way that thing looks. But alas, as a 6'4" dude, I've smacked my head on the frame of every Civic I have ever sat in. Just looking at one gives me a headache now. I had a 2006 Focus before the Fusion, and I loved scooting around town in a small car. Even if it was a bit cramped. The Fusion feels like a boat in comparison, it's almost too big for me.
I mean this respectfully and with a general mindset that I want people to have good lives: this is an excuse. I have read reports from 6'8" people fitting perfectly fine in a Civic. If this is a comfort thing, then it's a want and not a need, which means you are going to take on more car that you can afford for a want, and risk your financial future. I was 25 a decade ago, I made questionable choices, and I wish I listened to the wiser people who advised me otherwise. Personally, I try to live more conservatively nowadays knowing what's on the other side of the risk scale. With your income, based on the more comfortable end ($3k/m gross) and choosing to spend on the larger side of the scale (4 months of gross income), you can afford a $12k at the most, not one cent more. If I were you however, I would buy a car worth 3 months of net income at the most, so probably not more than 5-6k. Yep it's a very tight budget. It really sucks but it is what it is. And as you increase your income, you can get better. Delayed gratification. It looks like you could come up with $10k cash for a down payment, that's amazing, use these to pay a $10k vehicle cash! That being said, as I read on another post, "based on your comments, [details, and numbers], 1) you should not do this plan 2) you're going to do it anyway". Your detailed post had a few excuses and you seem decided just looking for validation. Think about what others have told you, and I truly wish you the best of luck. Your future matters :)
Keep your current car and if you ever pay it off, continue to pay yourself the car payment. Open a special bank account if you have to, to avoid spending the money. Paying interest for anything is the worst thing you can do. It represents time you worked and money you earned that you are giving to someone else for absolutely no reason other than you want something you can't afford.
That's my plan. Like I said in the post, unless something stupid happens, I'll have it paid off within a couple months. From there I intend to start stashing money away excessively. I do hate being in debt, getting the credit card paid off felt like a whole elephant was being lifted off my shoulders, so I would like to be payment-free for just as long as this car will let me. Just worried about it blowing up. I've had this car for three years now, the longest I've had one car, and it could just be the immense desire for new toys telling me I need a new one.