I purchased a 2011 Ford Fiesta this past January. Although it gives me great gas mileage, I just do not feel like it is a car thats right for me. I drive to work Mon-Fri and when I am bored, I do like to drive around town. I am not picky, as long as the car gets me for Point A to Point B.
But lately I have not been feeling like that. In the near future I really want either a Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, or Ford F-150. I recently saw a Jeep Liberty that I really like.
Is me thinking this stupid? Should I try to trade in my car that gets 35 mpg for a Jeep? Or even possibly a pickup, even thought I really do not need a truck. My sense is yes, but on the other hand I feel like the Fiesta is not me.
I think I need to bite the bullet and go back to my old way philosophy, where I really do not car what the car looks like, as long as it gets me for point a to point b.
Not Stupid At All. Get The Car Or Truck You’d Really Like.
We have many cars / minivan in our family. All of them are larger, safer, comfortable cars that get decent, but not great MPG. However, it’s definitely worth buying more gas to drive what is right for you. I’d never drive an econobox and never let anybody in the family drive one.
The great comedian, the late Sam Levison told about a student who brought home a report card that said, “He is doing well for him”. As Sam said, “Now we have to figure out who him is”.
In your case, we have to figure out who you are. You have already indicated that you don’t need a truck. What are your needs? If driving a truck fits what you like to do, and you have the money, then do it. On the other hand, if you need something with good mileage, maybe you need a hobby or something else to do when you are bored.
Lemme guess, you bought the Fiesta based on fuel mileage alone, right?
Fear not though, you are in the same boat as lots of other people, mostly those that cashed in on the cash for clunkers deal(go from an F-150 and all they could do with it for a Prius that can’t carry much of anything).
Test drive several vehicles before you consider trading in. You may find you’ll wanna stay with the Fiesta, or you may find yourself wanting the new truck. Either way, test drive locally and out of town now, then again in the winter time to see how you feel.
If you don’t like the car, you’re likely going to find nagging things wrong with it and not take care of it, causing a big mess down the road.
No one has mentioned the real issue here. Did you purchase the Fiesta or did a loan company or bank purchase it for you, and you have to make big payments for years?
If you owe a lot of money on the Fiesta, one word describes trading it now. That word is “dumb!” A recent loan on a car often means you owe more than it is worth on trade-in. We get posters from time to time who are really financially messed up on a long-term basis because they decided to trade-in a car worth less than they paid for it.
And, what happens if in two months you lose your job and can’t find another one for a very long time? You will be walking or riding a bicycle.
Or, what happens if you do make the trade and in a year or two, you “feel” like a different car again? There are a lot of people who do just that. I knew some years ago a Cuban refugee who traded every six months. He was a total mess. And, most times after he traded, he realized he liked the old one better anyway.
On the other hand, if you are loaded (with money) then it doesn’t matter. Do whatever you “feel” like doing. Most of us have to look at the financial disaster that comes from trying to find ourselves. And, the fact you asked tells me you probably are not loaded.
Maturity often means learning to be patient and wait until the correct time for something comes, instead of a too common viewpoint called “instant gratification.”
I just remembered old Carl Kruger. I worked with him many years ago, then he died in his 60’s. He once told us he had wanted one of those little steam engines they sold to kids years ago, and you put in a fuel pellet to make it run. I asked him why he didn’t go buy one. He said he realized that it was nice to have a dream of wanting something special, and if he bought it, he’d have no dream left. It took me a while, but I finally realized Carl was a smart man.
May I suggest that you look for possible ways to make the Fiesta “you”. Maybe an aftermarket stereo might improve it for you, or a custom paint job or decal job. Wheels can be a form of expression too.
All this stuff costs money, but at least you will have something to show for it.
When I was in junior high school, I was really interested in short-wave radios. I had an old RCA console that my parents had given me. It tuned to 24 mhz. I put another capacitor in parallel with the tuning capacitor to spread out the band so I could more easily separate stations. However, I wanted a “real” short wave receiver. I finally found a used Hallicrafters S-38. I had worked hard to save $25 that I used to purchase the set. After a couple of days, I found that I wasn’t receiving some the stations I was able to pull in with the old RCA console. I removed the back from the Hallicrafters and found out why–it was just an ordinary kitchen radio with shortwave coils and some fancy switches on the front. It didn’t have the initial rf stage that the RCA had. I was really disappointed, but I learned a valuable lesson.
The Fiesta is a good car. Do you really want to give up the economy of operation for something that you really don’t need?