I’m getting married in 2 months and I drive a 2008 Nissan Versa SL and he drives a 2007 Ford pickup truck. F150 I believe. We would like to sell one of the cars to not have that payment. He was given a Prius for a company car through his company he just got hired on with. He thinks we should sell my car and I think we should sell his truck. His is handy, mine is practical. So…which one goes?
I think more information is needed here:
- Do you owe more on either of these vehicles than what it is worth?
- What kind of driving do you do? Are you commuting to a job? How many miles in your commute?
- Trucks are handy, but do you really need the truck? If you are building house on you own, the truck would be useful. However, if you are just furnishing a house, you can have the furniture delivered for much less than the cost of maintaining a truck.
Critically examine your needs and you should be able to find an answer.
Suggest you assess your driving requirements first. If you only need to commute, don’t do a lot of DIY or hauling, then the smaller car makes sense. Our family always needed a station wagon when we were younger because of the long distanced trips and home remodeling we did to provide additional equity in the house we owned. We don’t really know enough about your plans or habits to know which is really a correct choice.
We would be doing more commuting. We will be living in an apt so no DIY projects. My car would be less on gas expenses but he said we would already have a sedan car (the Prius) and could use the truck. I told him in the next 2-3 years we might have the sound of pitter pattering of little feet and where would stick Jr…in the truck bed? Our car payments are about the same.
Company rules will probably prohibit you from driving the Prius. Even if the company does not prohibit it, then any use of the Prius by you is legally taxable as income by the IRS as is any personal driving of the Prius by him. Only company/business miles are not taxable.
That takes the Prius out of the equation. If you really feel you have to get rid of one of them, I would keep the truck, but I’m a he and there are a lot of other factors here. Can you drive the truck? Are there children involved? Planning any in the near future? Do you need the truck to support your lifestyles?
If you only use the truck for occasional moving of furniture/appliances, you might be Ok with a small trailer for the Versa, and I do mean small and light weight.
You might get around $11,000 if you sell your Versa to a private party. A stripped F150 with auto transmission is worth about the same. It seems to me that what you can get for either is important. Tell us what trim level and options are on the two. Also, what cab configuration for the truck? A 2007 F150 loaded SuperCrew would be worth over $21,000.
Why does he drive a truck? Is it because he tows or hauls large loads on a regular basis, or is it just because he likes driving a truck?
Are you allowed to drive the Prius? If so, would you be happy driving the Prius instead of the Versa?
Well, as Click and Clack might say - How you solve this could be an indicator of how your marriage will work.
He is driving the company car, a pretty small boring Prius. So, he’d like to keep his truck. But, this means you are stuck driving a truck. You like your car. You are comfortable driving your car, so keep your car. Either the truck goes, or he keeps it and you make 2 car/truck payments. I don’t think selling your car should even be on the table.
Are the vehicles paid for? If so then keep them both. What if he gets sacked or the co. car is taken away?
Why don’t you sell both the Versa and the F150 and look for a Ridgeline, a compromise vehicle. Otherwise, you could get a compact 4 cyl PU in 2wd which handle well and get better mileage than the full size trucks.
Keep them all, I say.
But that’s just me with 2 drivers and 3 trucks in the family.
The 79 Chevy pickup is the only pickup of the fleet and it’s a welcome choice to have many times. The others are SUVs and tall items don’t haul well in the 06 Hybrid Escape or the 08 Expediton. ( I did tote a couch in the Expedition but it was quite a chore getting it in and out. )
The company car will leave with a job change…then what ?
How often is the truck used for hauling? Often enough to warrant keeping it? If not sell the truck, or compromise and sell both and by an “inbetween” vehicle. Maybe an SUV or crossover type.
I’m thinking he needs & wants the truck as a reminder of his manliness after driving a Prius 5 days a week…Which I don’t blame him! Both of our cars will be paid off around the same amount of time, I can drive the truck and I like to, we will probably be having kids in 2-3 years (because we all know that babies come when we plan on them to…) The truck would be handy but living near the Charleston area, it would be a pain to park whereas my little Versa get’s in and out of more tight spots than those kids from Scooby Doo. We’ve talked about selling both and getting like a Murano or a Suburu something-or-other. I just want one less car payment!
I’d go with keeping both - what the heck. The plus is that you know how each of your vehicles has been driven and maintained. If he changes jobs and the Prius is taken away, you won’t have to shop for something new. I also get it about wanting one less car payment - any way to pay one of them off early? It might be worth it if you makes you both happier.
" I just want one less car payment!"
Make sure you understand how much your car or truck might sell for and how that compares to the payoff on both loans before you sell one of them. If you will owe something after the sale, do you have the cash to pay for it? You don’t have to tell us, but you need to know.
It depends more on how you plan to eat. If it will be out all the time instead of in, you might be underfunded. If one of you cooks and you are in six nights a week and don’t spend on smoking, spend much on drinking or drugs, you can keep all vehicles. Two can live cheaper together than they can apart. You just need five or six simple rules IF two people can stick to them.
I see a minivan in your future.
@dagosa----nooooooooo!! Not a minivan!!! I’m still in my 20’s and can’t be in a minivan yet!!
We married at 18 & 19 in 1975 and have never gotten trapped with a minivan.
You can do it…we can help 