My significant other came home the other day with a 2006 Ford F-350 with a disel V-8 engine. It has 44,000 miles and he got it for about $27,000. We live in the city and have been struggling a little financially. So, I don’t think this is the best idea. However, he is from Texas and in love with the truck. Is this a bad choice or do I need to stop stressing over how much we will be spending to fuel this beast?
We don’t have enough information to know if it is a good price or not. Is it a regular cab, extended cab, or crew cab? What options besides the diesel are there? Auto transmission? What is the condition? All that may not matter since you now own it. If it turns out the truck was overpriced, selling it will noly mean an instant loss. And poor mileage is not a big issue if he doesn’t put on a lot of miles. Maybe you should just let it go.
Well, you haven’t told us if he really NEEDS a truck. If not, then not a great choice and the only way this is a good deal is if he sells it for a profit. You can check the price on kbb.com or edmunds.com with all options.
If this is what he has wanted all his life, going to be his toy, then I guess you have to let it go as mentioned above.
You should go out and buy a few pair of Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo shoes and a couple of Louis Vuitton purses. You may not need them either, but we are talking about wants, not needs here.
A good deal is when the purchaser is happy and satisfied with the transaction. Very plain and simple
“We live in the city and have been struggling a little financially.”
Tell him to back off the testosterone pills and get nice bicycle.
I have always struggled with one partner in a marriage making a significant purchase like a car without the consent of the other…especially when finances are tight. If I did this in my marriage, the truck had better have a cap and a place to sleep…I would be using it.
The truck has an automatic transmission, 4-wheel drive, leather interior, four doors, and is a “Limited Edition”. I’m pretty sure the price is good. I’m mostly worried about the gas money.
@cigroller, He also does triathlons. So, he has a very nice bicycle already.
Thanks for the advice!
@bigtruck, since he has a bike already, he should consider buying some respect for his partner…along the lines of what dagosa said. I won’t tell you what kinds of emotions to have about it, but I would be livid.
The $27K price looks pretty good from what I can tell, so consider that cold comfort to the 14 mpg average Fuelly.com shows this vehicle getting. For 12,000 mi/yr that is $3400 a year in fuel, or ~$300 per month just for that one truck. Since you are in the city, that might be generous; he could get only 11. In which case it’s $4400 a year in fuel! I hope his commute is short or that he needs this truck for a lot of towing/hauling. Don’t ask how much replacement tires are.
I think I would be more concerned about the selling price of the truck, though. If he put 20% down, at 6% interest on a 5-year loan, the monthly payment would be $420. That’s a lot of money for a family with tight finances, particularly if he did not need a replacement vehicle in the first place (an assumption on my part).
I can’t fathom the decision making skills or lack of consideration for one’s family that would lead a man to buy an unneeded $27K vehicle that gets 14mpg simply because his Texan roots yearn for it. But you don’t seem too upset about that so I won’t make any more assumptions or belabor the point further. We all have our vices and I’m as imperfect as the next guy, if not more.
“A good deal is when the purchaser is happy and satisfied with the transaction. Very plain and simple”
Except this purchaser doesn’t live in a vacuum, so his financial decisions impact his wife.
For city living this is one big truck! Hopefully you have a big parking space, and room to manuveour this “beast” in parking lots. I think spending $27K is an issue that both spouses should consider together and be OK with BEFORE the deal is done.
This truck willl use a lot of expensive diesel fuel, and maintenance on a diesel is pricey too. It is a great vehicle for towing things like a big travel trailer, or a 5 horse trailer, or a mega sized boat. Is he going to be buying any of these soon too?
I guess this wouldn’t be best time to bring up the several design flaws that the 6.0L Powerstroke has, and the several thousand dollars it will take to correct them…
Did he need a new vehicle? If not, he must think you aren’t in as big a financial hole as you claim to be.
Did he use his own money or out of a joint account? If he used his own money, let him deal with the problems that’ll come along with it.
It sounds like a series of bad choices have led you to financial struggles.
This is just the latest one.
Good luck, you two.
Since you asked, it certainly doesn’t seem like a good choice to me. First, people struggling financially should be looking at less expensive vehicles than that, both in purchase price and fuel cost. Second, I’d hate to have a vehicle this size in a city. Third, and most important, making a major purchase without consulting you is clearly a big red flag for the relationship (but I suppose you were asking only for automotive opinions here).
I have a '97 F350 crew cab diesel but only for towing. I would never choose one just for getting around. I live in the country and I know I have to get reservations for parking in town during tourist season. Let him have his fun but keep hinting for something a little more ‘functional’, just call it “Sexy”.
This was an early 2012 thread. I don’t know why Captmatt wants to start it up again.