Dude, I’m on your side. But what about your parents, and who’s paying for all this?
$3,000 trade in with 234K miles? Wow, they must really love F-150s in Wyoming.
Now the Nissan sounds much better. Why didn’t you tell us the whole story from the beginning?
At the price you quoted the car is a bargain, assuming there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s way below Kelly Blue Book price for either retail sale or private party sale. Look it up for yourself:
I wonder why that is?
Maybe it’s just because this is a rare car in your area, and demand for it is low. This works to your advantage.
Or maybe there’s something wrong with the car. Hard to tell from here.
Thanks. I actually haven’t worked out the actual purchasing of the car from my parents. I think that considering the truck is theirs, if I trade it in that will count as their half (if we split the bill) and then I’ll set up a loan with them. (I’ve kept a 4.0 GPA since middle school so that should provide some sway) And the $3,000 is the actual Kelly Blue Book value of the truck, I’ve also been to the site and found that the value of the car is closer to $8,200. So if the mechanic checks the car out and says it’s okay, I might be persuaded to get the Nissan. But if things don’t work out, and the car is proclaimed a lemon by the mechanic, then I’ll stick with the truck until it goes south. Hopefully I’ll have some dough saved up for a new ride. Thanks again.
Using average EPA mileage numbers, which are great for comparisons like this, it will take you 125,000 miles to make the fuel savings of the Sentra equal the price of the car. Strike one. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) data shows that the average cost of collision repairs is 1.5 times as high for a 2003 Sentra compared to a 1997 F150. Your insurance costs will be substantially higher for the Sentra on that count. Note that this is for all Sentras, not the SE-R Spec V. Given its sporty nature compared to the other Sentras, the insurance will be even higher. Strike two. Medical costs for the Sentra (IIHS data again) are 2.3 times higher for all Sentras than the F150. The comments concerning the sporty Sentra apply here, too leading to even higher insurance costs. So, if you are in an accident in the Sentra, you are much more likely to be hurt or worse in the Sentra than the truck. Strike three.
I think that the truck, properly driven and maintained, is a much better option for a young male driver than the Sentra SE-R Spec V. When I was your age, I wanted a Roadrunner or Super Bee. It’s a good thing Mom didn’t cave in at that point. As if we could have afforded them anyway.
Oh, and before you ask I used 2003 IIHS data for the Sentra and F150. The 1997 and 2003 F150 are the same generation, so I think the comparison is valid.
That’s an excellent point. I’m a member of the school debate team and I know how important proper research can be.
I do need to check with the family insurance agent to figure out what the rates would be.
My mother’s main point was that she wanted me safe, and under the same 2003 IIHS report, the Sentra models scored acceptable, while the f-150 (from msn autos) scored poor.
I can easily see your point, and maybe it would be more cost effective to either find another car (I actually really love the styles of the 1980’s BMWs. Call me crazy) or just drive the ford until I either find something else, or it gets totaled. (my definition of “totaled” is needing repair that would cost more than the total value of the vehicle)
The biggest issue is insurance. 16 year olds are gonna be VERY expensive to insure, boys even more so.
Sure the Sentra may seem like a nice car, with the bells and whistles, but what good is it if it’s gonna cost you $1000 every 6 months to insure? Talk to the agent and ask them what cars you should look at. While the ones they suggest might not appeal to you, they have low rates for a reason.
edit: didn’t see the 2nd page before I typed this up