First thread, someone help convince me to buy one of these!

I would wait. Get settled into your job. See if you are even gonna like your job. People change when they are confronted with staying in one job as a career. I know it's hard, But wait see how things go. Toyota offers incentives all the time. The 1000 bucs off is just to lure recent college grads into being in debt over their heads after graduation and stimulating business. I used to tell young recruits once they started to not to blow your paycheck on boats, cars, dogs, and crap like that. You will be drowning in debt before you know it.

 

Take your time, grasshopper. What other debt do you have?

 

i love this advice. you dont even know if you will have a job, love your job, etc.

i say wait. instant gratification with shopping..time to get over it. learn it young, and you will kickass on pretty much anyone your same age.

 

I understand the "wait" advice. I really do, and that is what my gut has been telling me I should do. I've always been really conservative about money and always do the "right thing." This was going to be my, "F it, I'm tired of always doing the smartest thing," thing.

My other debt is student loans I will be paying back. I am not concerned about liking my job. I have spent the last 2 summers working there, and love the work (large scale commercial construction)

Thanks all for the help.

 

What are you getting for the 99 4runner in the trade in?

 

I wouldn't trade it in. Craigslist or through a forum. Hopefully make a bit extra.

 

keep that 4runner and see if you can put 10k in the bank over the next 1.5-2 years. You will still get the college discount and you'll have a big leg up on the payments

OR... say f-it, buy the truck and let the chips fall where they may, at least you're buying a truck you can go live in the wilderness in worst case

 

I get the "f**k it" thing. But $30k is a BIG "f**k it"!

Some of the best advice I could ever give someone starting out is work to build a cushion ASAP. You never know when you'll need it .. especially in this economy. Start with a Roth IRA (or other retirement account) and contribute at least $100 a month to it. And then work toward getting $10k in the bank.

Not saying don't have fun along the way. If you really want to "f**k it" drop $3-4k on that 4Runner. Lift, lock, regear .. whatever! Then treat yourself to a post-graduation trip to Moab. At 160k miles, you've got a lot of life left on it.

New vehicles are nice. But they're also generally money losers over the long term. Consider not only payments, but also your state vehicle registration. It will skyrocket. I was paying $30/yr on my 86 4Runner. My first year registration on my 2010 was over $700. Two years later, it's still 12 times what I paid for the 86. And if you don't have full insurance coverage on the 4Runner, you will have to on the Taco (the loan company will require it). That could be significantly more expensive too.

This is why I said take your time. Not saying don't do it. Just saying you have a good, dependable vehicle with a stellar reputation for long life. Consider that if your payment on the Taco is $400/mo that's $4800/yr that you could be earning interest on. Imagine what you could buy in 5-10 years. Like a house. How awesome would that be?

 

1) Get settled for a few months first. Get your housing, your bills, your necessities all budgeted. THEN check and see what kind of payment is realistic for you.

2) If the 4runner is paid off, keep it, don't trade it. Trade-ins only make sense when you can't use the vehicle you have, or you're underwater on it.

 

Damn you;ve had some good stuff lately, may sig...


OP, get a Taco and start again knowing that you can go just as far as you would your 4runner. As other people said, with buying new you can get all the TSB's done. And you know you will need a bed at some point

 

I believe that Rick Flair would beat Chuck. I mean, who else is still wrestling at the age of 80 and kicking ass?

But really, buy a taco. Just don't buy right off the lot. Find a 2011 or 2010 that has low mileage from a stealership. Find a good credit union that will give you a better APR than them also.

 

thread revival...what if I happened to have the cash to buy the truck? Would your opinions change?

 

Any thoughts?

 

I would keep the runner for sure, pay half as a down payment. Then finance the other half. Mod the crap outta the runner

 

Haha. I'm gonna be living in a little house. The last thing I need is 2 trucks

 

EDIT: I would keep the runner for now then.

 

Not as glamorous as it sounds, trust me. I'm not snotty like that or anything