New life.... should I change up my car?
 

Just moved to the Twin Cities, cut my commute from 100 miles and 120 mins a day to 20 miles a day and about 35 mins.... and have the new car itch.

Current car is a 06' IS250 awd with 110k on it.... runs great, no problems (knock on wood) so the logical part of me says -" Keep it til it dies" ...... the little kid in me says "I'm bored with you"

Since my commute is so much less and MPGs aren't a huge deal anymore, I am strongly considering a CLS 500 (07 or 08) in the 30-50k miles range.

Pros: BEAUTIFUL CAR, more roomy, more zip despite being much larger
Cons: Maintenance, I would have a small payment, RWD


Am I stupid for buying a used Benz and/or considering this switch

Keep the car. There is something to be said about not having a car payment. Why not save that car payment money back every month and when you have enough cash available go purchase a vehicle then?

I wish I got worse fuel mileage said nobody ever... I'd keep it, used benz would be sweet but I'm the practical type and like to spend my money on activities, not stuff... just personal opinion

You're 20-something years old. You've got a really nice car that's only 50% used up. You need a Mercedes? Do you want to build your net worth faster or do you want to look flashy? You knew that'd be the consensus answer on here. But, it's a free country and it's your money. If you want a new car, go for it. You don't need WW approval for making life decisions. Trust yourself, you already have all the info you need (you're not asking for info in the post anyway) and your opinion is the only one that counts.

Doesnt your fiance or wife have the final say anyways?? Lol :)

Keep it simple and don't let your possessions possess you. (For background, my DD is a highly reliable but rusty '95 Jetta)

I know but being young I would rather take knowledge from those who have been there and maybe learned a mistake the hard way.....

I guess I was more looking for if anyone has experience with CLSs or that specific engine and its reliability.....


Haha, she gave me the green light on something new as long as it didn't interfere with the wedding. She also thinks the CLS "is pretty" so that helps

This thread feels familiar...

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showt...ighlight=is250

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showt...ighlight=is250

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showt...ighlight=is250

It seems like you consistently want to get rid of the Lexus, so I would go for it. Personally though, I would keep it. I would keep my 04 IS300 until it died if I didn't have to get a tow vehicle for next season. Changing vehicles on a whim can become a costly endeavor.

My friend bought a used Benz off of a Dr that she works for. It was always dealer maintained and had 35 k on a four year old car. They have tons of off and on trouble with it. She loves the car but it is constantly acting up. Some times it won't start. Sometimes the remote fobs don't work and she is having tyanny issues. The car also sometimes goes into a limp mode of sorts. It is a piece of crap and her husband hates it. I don't think it is a 500, but I would stay away from a Benz unless u can spend big money on repairs. I would think resale would suck too based on the fact that people that buy them don't usually want a hi miles used one.

Keep the IS.. You'll look like "that guy" driving a CLS to work, they are ungodly expensive to repair (not talking maintenence here) and more importantly - you'll look like "that guy" being 26 driving a CLS.

Did I mention you'll look like that guy? Wait 20 years.

Dont do it...keep ur IS. Ive driven many of cls, theyre not that great.

I just get antsy and bored with cars, I get it from my dad.... every time I go to his house he has a new one, genetics is the only reasonable explanation.

I think I have way less debt than a normal American, I need to step up my spending.

I got such a screaming deal on the car I have now, I could sell it for equal to what I paid + maintenance for two years no problem... what I paid is 2k less than anything else listed in the area and mine would have less miles and more options.... get out even while I still can

Sounds like you already made up your mind. Does the CLS come with a certified benz warranty?

I say if your gonna get a new car get somthing that Says somthing!!. A BENZ says NOTHING. its like a ROLEX watch "everyone has one and no one is impressed" . I say you get somthing Most Rolex wearing BENZ driving golf club swinging Joe's don't have

76 PACER, Get the DONK eddition!

Why bother posting on WW then? Just get on with it.

But since you did ask: 8 peep's on WW (so far) say don't do it. Zero peep's say it's a good idea.

I like Grant's idea!!

Financially it's probably not a good idea, but like they say "you can't take it with you"!!

I guess this question is very personal. I myself don't give a crap about car's. I drive a Prius if that say's anything about how much I care about cars, 10 years ago it was diffrent story I loved cars and I would not be caught dead in a Prius. Now a day's Boats and House's are what cars were to me years ago, So asking here your going to get a grab bag of answers depending on how much value people place on car's. Sorry I couldn't help you more all I can do is post again and bump it to the top. But I say keep the IS my wife has a IS 300 and its a awesome car. Buy a new Boat. The lime Green Bass Boat metal flake Bu would look great on any lake!

Go for it.

We bought my daughter a used 04 c320 4matic. Meant to get a honda element or a subaru, but the price was right with 75k on the clock. One owner car with maintenance records, how could I go wrong?

In the 16 months that I've owned it, the local independent benz guy knows my name on sight. Not a good thing.

I would not buy a benz out of warranty again ever. ever. ever.

Unless you hate your money and really like repair invoices. In that case, the benz would be a great "investment".

you've already "justified" to yourself that you need a grandpa sized sedan....

I will patiently await the "what do you think of the SLK?" thread.

You wanna step up your spending and create debt, then buy a boat! That will have you spending money all day long...

As many have said, it looks like your mind is made up, but being that you seem to have an attitude a lot like I did in my 20s, I'll give you my opinion.

Since graduating from college 8 years ago I have bought the following, '03 Acura TL, '04 F150 Lariat, '05 Acura TSX, '07 F150 FX4 SuperCrew, and an '07 Infiniti G35x. Though I enjoyed all of them, last month I was driving home in the Infiniti and just started to think, I'm tired of getting 18mpg, I never use the car to the fullest potential, not one person I associate myself with gives a crap what I drive and I'm just over it. The whole thought I think got started because someone on here stated that he wanted something exciting, preferably not a Honda Accord or something to that effect. I thought, what is so wrong with driving an Accord. It's practical, bulletproof, etc., though they have never really excited me. So I dropped by honda.com and found the Honda Accord Sport. I bought it a week later. The car doesn't look bad at all, gets 29/37 mpg for me right now and has every option I need. I haven't missed one single thing about the Infiniti. Also, I have nearly tripled my salary over the 8 years and could drive pretty much anything within reason that I wanted, but I enjoy driving by the gas station every day and not having a huge payment. I understand wanting a nice car, but to me it came down to how often do I have the need for a 300hp, AWD luxury sedan, and that answer turned out to be almost never.

I guess what I'm getting at is I think you've got a nice car and if you keeping scratching that itch, it will never stop. The grass is always greener in a new car until you get it. Personally, every time I see a 20 something in a Benz, I just think who is that guy trying to fool.

Welcome to MN. Rear wheel drive with alot of HP in the snow....bad news. Today was just a taste of the morons in the snow!!

Wait...its snowing in places??

Snowed here in the Twin Cities last night and this morning. No snow in Tampa?

yeah i remember when i was 21 (back in 2006). i had been eying the new corvette Z06s for over a year. practical? not in any way. was i gonna be a 20 something with a vette? oh yeah! when i went into the dealership after test driving and what not, i called my insurance company to see how much my "dream car" would cost to insure me at 21 years old (as a 20 something i overlooked this) the cost to insure my dream car slapped me straight! went back a month later (with the mentality that if i cant have a badazz car, ill get a badazz truck) and bought a new bodystyle duramax loaded w/ insurance being half the cost of the vette. looking back the vette was expensive and totally impractical. although at the time of buying, the truck was overkill and impractical BUT now at 27 it has come in handy and i love towing my boat with it. i used get the urge to sell the truck to get a newer duramax but why would I want to finance and do that crap again? now i get the urges to also get a better commuter car with an awesome mpg. my friends with expensive rides love to flaunt there wheels, but i really hear is how expensive it is to repair upgrade gas etc.
dont be that guy showing off how you can start your car with an iphone...

I'm with Todd on this one. I'd take AWD or RWD any day of the week when dealing with Minnesota roads. Idiot drivers and miserable conditions here in the cities aren't just a joke... I pull out the Yukon as much as possible during the winter.

Why not go for an Acura RL or TL, both sweet cars. The new TL is kinda ugly though

^^^ Best advice in this thread.

Also, I'm not a fan of the CLS, especially for a young guy like yourself.

^ I was hoping to hear these types of things about Benz, I figured more often than not, German cars were going to end up like that...

That is the one big plus about the Lexus, 110k and I have done nothing to it except brakes and spark plugs.... it does sound like 07+ CLS have the bugs worked out though.

The one I had my eye on (great deal) sold yesterday.... I'm in no rush, so if I do anything I will certainly wait for the right deal to come along.


..... side note, I hit my "quota" for saving for the wedding.... I could take what I was putting to that savings account and it would cover the payments on a new GTR over 4 years.... heck, that is AWD, so why not?

Amen to that.... it was amazing how .5" dusting caused chaos..... can't wait for the first +8" snowfall .....ugggg

People here crack me up. Everyone is talking like they're the most frugal people on the planet when you're considering buying a 5 yr old car that you would use 7 days a week/365 days a year. But when it comes to boats everyone wants to have the newest baddest wake machine where $60k is considered a budget boat and its something you use 1-2 times per week only during the warm seasons.

Get whatever you want, its your money and your life. Just beware German cars aren't known for reliability.

Nick, I feel your itch to get a fun new car. My wife and I are considering moving to a better school zone, which would put us up on Signal Mountain, Tennessee. It's a little further from the water, and entails driving up and down some pretty curvy and steep roads. If we make that jump, I'll end up putting my boat on a lift at a marina somewhere. If I did not need to trailer the boat everywhere, I would not need as nice of a tow rig. I've tossed the idea around trading in my Denali on a fun to drive sedan/sports car that gets better than 13-14 mpg. I've looked at slightly used m3's, C63amg's, 911's, etc. The problem with nicer luxury vehicles that are also performance vehicles is the looming potential disaster of an out-of-warranty repair. My suggestion is not to buy anything in that genre of car that is not still under warranty and/or eligible for an extended cpo warranty.

I bought a CTS-V back in '06 that was a cpo vehicle. The sales guy talked me into spending 2500 on a 3 year 40k warranty. Thank god I did. I had two rear ends and a transmission replaced under warranty before I sold that car. I really want a 911, but the premium for a cpo vehicle with a warranty is steep. Still, it's probably less than the cost of a minor repair on that vehicle.

As for insurance, the younger you are, the more an import sports sedan will eat you alive. With a clean driving record and once you hit 30, it's not so bad. You may want to wait a few years before pulling the trigger on a nicer, faster, vehicle. To give you an idea, my '07 Yukon Denali costs me $596 every year for full coverage ($100k /$300k limits). A 2009 Porsche 911 s would cost me $990 each year for the same coverage - or roughly $200 extra every six months.

The other consideration for you is whether or not you can stomach the depreciation of a nicer vehicle. I'll never buy another car or boat that I can't just write a check for. While you lose the same amount of money in depreciation regardless of how you pay for a car, that last thing you want to do is wind up a few years down the road with a loan that is greater than the value of the vehicle.

Nice boats, cars, etc., are money pits. Unlike a nice house, they will never appreciate or hold their value. Just keep in mind that you will be flushing a large amount of money down the toilet. If you are ok with that, and feel that the experience of driving a nicer sportier car is worth it, and you can afford it, go for it. Just think it through.

What part of the cities are you in?? I'm NW in Buffalo.

Just ask this guy about depreciation...his $62k suv 6 yrs later is now worth $12k. I wish I didnt have that car/toy fascination like others. I spend a large chunk of my day in them so theyre always on my mind. Its become worse since I kicked my ex to the curb.

Seems every 2 yrs I want a new car but cant lease bc of mileage. Hell I cant even keep a phone ir gopro for more than a yr.

Seems like you have ur head on straight though!

I live in the North Loop and work in Bloomington.

DO IT!!! just have this Lorinser 500 shipped your way.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/3285481711.html

I always like to buy luxury cars that have the pictures taken along side the highway!!

^ That is a little much for me

hahaha, I know...weird that he's trying to sell it parked on the street with tacky signs. Autotrader.com must be pretty expensive these days?!

I think the stock CLS in white is one of the most beautiful sedans you can buy..... the lorinser is just overdone to me
http://images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/60744319.jpg

You already have a great daily driver. It's reliable. It gets decent gas mileage without being a Prius. It's comfortable, has a nice interior, and decent room without being a huge grandpa wagon. It’s still relatively fun to drive (not as anemic as a Camry). It has also taken its largest portion of the depreciation hit, so you are about to get the most value out of keeping it. Keep the IS as a daily and put the money towards a better use.

How about saving up for a down payment on a lake house? How about a nicer boat? Maybe an older/cheaper weekend car that you can use for track days (Miata, older Porsche, older M3, etc) to fulfill your car itch. How about a motorcycle if you just want something fun to ride? I have an 04 IS300 that is my daily driver and I will keep it until it dies. I would love a new Audi S5 but right now I would much rather put that money towards the other things I just mentioned.

I love German cars and have owned several. I would never own a newer German luxury sedan outside of a warranty.

What does this have to do with boats or tow vehicles??? Shouldn't this be in a different section? Maybe the ego stroke section?

This will be my tow vehicle....

David feel free to move this to whatever section you feel it best fits.... unless of course that is here, then just leave it please.

I missed that on the topics/forum list ..... could you please provide the link to me?


Oh by the way, thanks for your input on the subject, I appreciate it!



The lake house probably won't happen again for another 5 or so years. With the Mrs. new job it is far more practical to live downtown... I think once kids are a legitimate thought, then maybe.... but until then it is the condo life for us.

Truthfully I love love love our SAN / Supersport 210.... this is one thing I don't get antsy with. The boat is just perfect for what we need and honestly the only thing I would considered (in a reasonable budget) would be a used Epic - to maintain the wake shape I love. I thought about picking up a "summer car" when I lived in Wisco and had garage space for days, but now with the downtown Minneapolis living, it just isn't worth the hassle of parking / juggling the two.

End game of a new car was -
more space, the IS is a bit cramped and since this is the only car, hauling anything in it is near impossible
more zip, the IS250 is just a bit of a bumkin.... I certainly don't need a fast car, but it is just more fun
.... but like everyone said, German car maintenance can be a nightmare and my car now certainly isn't a bad car.

.... I've got a Vegas trip coming up, so we'll see how that treats me, if things go as planned I'll be driving a new Ferrari back.... but things rarely go as planned in Vegas.

the 100k check up on that car STARTS at $ 1500. and rear wheel drive in Minnesota? not a good idea for a winter driver. All wheel drive or front wheel is the only way to go here dude. Wait until you have experienced 20 days below zero in a row with a foot on snow on the ground and ice everywhere. it's coming very soon...

My wife and I must be related to your Dad...she changes cars every 18 months or so. Right now she is on her 5th Benz, a CLK 350 coupe. We always buy CPO units from our local dealer. The Pros: dealership is awesome. We work with the same sales guy everytime, and don't have to play the car guy game each time. Service and repair is sweet.... Espresso bar, snacks, loaner car every single time, never an issue. The service experience there is first rate.
The Cons: we are far too familiar with the service department. We know our service writer too well, hell we even have his cell phone number. If going in for service wasn't so damn pleasant, I'd be constantly pissed off. We've never had a major breakdown, it's usually some ticky tack little electrical issue or something with a window regulator other minor issue.
The bottom line: used CPO Benz's can be had for 50 cents on the original dollar. We've loved every single one we've had. As long as the service continues to be as good and as comprehensive as it is, we will keep buying them. Just make sure you buy it right, and plan on turning it over as soon as the warranty is up. If you buy right and keep it for 1.5 to 2 years, you shouldn't get hurt too bad on resale. We have an offer on our current CLK that is 2400 less than I paid for it 22 months and 32K miles ago.

I like the idea of the GTR that you can pay off in 4 years but hey that is just me. I know you had to of grown up driving in snow and dealing with bad winters being from Wisconsin. However a RWD car for Minnesota doesn't make a ton of sense. I would at least look at the benz's that come in 4-matic. No idea which models come in 4-matic but seems like if you want a benz the 4-matic route makes the most sense.

how about this boring alternative? take the monthly payment money and start socking it away into a "new car" fund. $500 a month. Best bet is to set up an alternative bank account and have your employer direct deposit that money to the other account. That way the money never hits your paycheck, you never see it. In a couple of months, you won't even miss it. Five years from now you have $30K cash to put down on your dream car (or more likely, the kid-hauler of your dreams).

You only live once, so if you can afford it (which I know is a relative term) then buy in and rock it.

Why then were you trying to sell it for the past year or so?

No offense meant by this, but based on the three other threads you debating dumping the IS in (all for different cars at different times), you seem like you change your mind about material items a lot. I would say wait for a good buy, and pull the trigger. You will be debating a new trade for a different ride a year later on here anyway, so you will probably avoid the costly MB repairs.

I did sell it this summer.... but it was purchased by my Mom/Brother, who lived like 3 houses down from where I use to.

.....I was moving and wasn't going to bring the boat (don't have a truck) so I cut them a deal and they bought me out. The boat sits about 200 ft. down the lake from where it use to, just moved the lift down a little ways and it was good to go. Now when I go home in the summer I will still get to use it as much as I always did, and was able to put 15k in my pocket. Win win.

Haha, isn't that the truth!

Nice - "Hey ma, buy my boat from me for 15k even though I still am the primary user/owner"

It was more my brother.... the harsh realization that the boat he had been using for years was about to disappear (his main form of getting girls to hang out with him) he went into panic mode, and scrambled to buy it from me. It was basically sold... a guy from Craigslist had looked at it twice and wanted it the second showing but only had a personal check.... so I told him get a cashiers check or no deal.... the guy planned on coming back that following weekend to buy it (for 18k so that is the deal I gave to my brother, and I threw in the lift/canopy since I wouldn't really need it anymore).... in the mean time my brother got a loan for 10k of it, my mom spotted him the remaining 5k and he bought it.

I rarely use it now that I'm a few hundred miles away.

You've been "a few hundred miles away" for like 10 days dude.

... busted.

I honestly have only been on a wakeboard like 10 times in the last two years, 4 of those have been cable.... it was time to set the 210 free. I need to find someone to mooch a boat off of up here now, part of the reason I should get a new car.... my board only fits in the back seat and when it is wet and stinky, being able to fit it in a trunk would be great

^^^still not a good enough reason to buy a used Benz without a cpo warranty.

You and Harley could match...

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/11/16/y6udegyb.jpg

I kicked the German car habit after 2 vehicles. Glad I did it. Since your car is over 100K miles it has taken a resale hit because it is harder to finance. I would hold it but make payments to myself for my next car. Good financial practices will make you much richer and happier as time passes. Call it cheap but you will find your financial opportunities and toy list grows if you have cash in your pocket and little debt. Save the debt for your house and nothing else.

if you really like cars and you can afford it , why not? you have the rest of your life to drive pratical cars...refer back to grants post earlier. Once other responsibilties start adding up the car thing moves to the bottom of the list. Not to mention new/used car rates are ridiculously low right now. it's almost free money in my eyes. I was offered up to 100k , 72 months at 2.75 a few months ago on a used car.

its it the smartest financial move?...NO, lol. Enjoying life isn' always about makig the smartest financial decisions:)

You would look like an a$$hat in that car.

^Ditto. You are too young to roll in that car. Yeah it's good looking, but again, you'll look like "that guy".

^^^ ha! this kinda of stuff reminds me of my old boss tellig me I shouldnt' be allowed to make as much money as I did b/c I was too young, lol.

Your right about enjoying life but I don't see the almost free money in your scenario. Take that 100K and spend it on a depreciating asset that will be worth 45K in 4 years. Where are you going to find some more "almost free" money to pay for your now upside down expired warranty purchase that needs replacement. Almost free money is when you take that 2.75% money and invest it in something that returns more than 2.75%

Sometimes I wonder; when people say that poor guy needs a dollar or nice old couple or poor old lady give them a break, help them out, "assist them across the street". I am compassionate because we are all headed to the same place but sometimes I wonder if that particular person was a out of control a-hole, drug user or frivolous in their spending for most of their lives and now their situation is stark or harsh and we should feel sorry for their condition.

2.75% interest is pretty close to zero to me...lol. hence the almost "free" :)

ur numbers are close...but I'll explain how it works. i buy my 100k car (used)...or close to it....keep for 3 years...i only owe 40k , car is realistically worth..55-60k( very conservative) . i dump at 50k ( b/c it's a great deal for someone) and b/c of my almost free money I'm way ahead of the depreciation curve b/c of the insanely low rate. my point being is my last stmt. and u still have 2-3 years left in warranty ( dealer will cpo car).

or tade it on a brand used honda civic ... and have no pmt:)

Wrong. I'm 25. I own an Axis a22 free and clear, will make $115,000+ this year in the real estate industry.

I'm all for having nice cars. But that car will make the OP look like a clown.

^thats all I'm sayin. I don't care if you win the lottery, a 26 year old looks dumb in a CLS.

Wow, so many haters in this thread. What, he's too young to own a nice car? Who's 'that guy' ?? A spoiled brat? A drug dealer? Or maybe just a young successful guy who likes the nicer things in life?

It's funny because in many people's eyes, you may look like 'that guy' in your newer HD pickup towing your flashy wakeboard boat. I guess you need to be old before you own a boat too, because you wouldn't want to give off the wrong impression while driving down the road or stopping at a gas station.

If you are young and own anything nice, people will judge. Personally, I could care less. Will it work well in the snow, no... does it make financial sense, not really (what nice toy/vehicle does anyway)... but if you like it, buy it. I don't think you are going to get a straight answer on WW, people are too busy arguing about things.

Just for my sake help me out here WW'ers.....

When I see a CLS (no matter the driver), I am seeing a beautiful sedan with the potential for reliability issues (German stigma)..... but most of you see a popped collar and a upside visor. Why exactly does a CLS scream - asshat, that guy, douche, clown, etc etc etc? What am I missing?


Financially I am about as sound as someone can be at 25 without having a trustfund.... I could go buy one new, but as stated above, I'm not going to be the guy taking the hit, I also hate having the pain of the first scratch, dent, etc.... I have in the past, and will continue to (until I get burned) scoop up a screaming deal car that has been used 2-4 years and lost 50% of the value, so when I drive it for 2-4 more years the hit isn't so severe.

I dont know bc all the CLS around here have some uglyass chrome 22s on them or theyre sitting on shady used car lots. Its good to hear your financially sound bc most your age around my neck in the woods are making like 45k and acting like millionaires and its all about what u drive or who ur with.

I dont fit the stereo type of my car either but why should I care. Whats going to happen when I buy a early 60s car?? Am I going made fun of? Hell my dad was only a few yrs old when they came out.

Do it if it makes you happy.

Around here all the all i see is milfs taking there kids to school in CLS's lol, but id drive one any day!!

I am all about getting input on something, but your just sitting here justifying to yourself that you should buy it... your a big boy (or atleast you make it sound like it). Go buy one. I am CERTAIN, you are willing to accept the maintinence issues that go along with it

Heck, I've wanted a subaru WRX (probably the wagon) since I was 19 (soon 28 now) and I accept the boy street racer sterotype that goes along with it.

Go buy the car already and let me borrow it when I want to impress older rich women.

amen

The only dudes who have said to go buy it so far are
1. OP
2. 26 year old who bought new Land Rover
3. Dude with a Maseratie

Add me to list of people who say buy!

Add me to list of people who say buy!

Add me to the list as well! If I'm that successful at 26 I'll sure as heck be rolling in something German :D

I bought my first fast car at 26 too! Don't let the 47% hold u back!

If you want it and can afford it, get it. I'm sure there are a ton of people on here that think I'm a major ding dong for buying a G23 at the age of 29...but you know what, I love the boat and enjoy it multiple times a week. I bought my first boat (2000 XStar) before I bought a house, and I bought the G23 before I'm married and before I've had any kids (both are in the not so distant future), and I can bet that most of the wiser people on here would say that my priorities are a little out of wack. I wouldn't change any of the choices I've made.

I made a comment about a car earlier here- rear wheel drive-and expense. I wouldn't care about the expense if you can swing it and really enjoy it. I have a porsche 911 for 7 years when my oldest sone was 2 1/2 and had another baby on the way- People probably looked at me like they do you jay ;) - but I LOVED the car and it provided a ton of fun and memories. It was a toy- i had another car for daily driving and I lived in Seattle where winter driving didn't matter.

All I would say now is that if you're looking for a daily driver and and this will be your only car, then get AWD. I want to buy another 911 now- and I will definitely get a C4 as I plan to drive it every day.
Kidding about your boat Jay- I am jealous and want a pull dammit!!

I think you are doing it right Jay. I was there right with you when I was your age back in the late 90's. Enjoy it while you can if you plan to do the others(wife/kids). Because it will all go away. Wife and kids are expensive. More so than you can ever budget for. When you have kids your riding multiple times a week will stop. The first few years when they are little you won't do much. They just can't. If you have one it might take you out of it for a couple years. But if you do like many of us about the time one is a little bigger and ready for things you have another and it starts all over. I wouldn't change having my kids for the world, but it changes what you do and how you do it especially from baby to about 3. Heck price out what it costs to put a baby in kinder care for a week. Last I knew around here it was about $400/week until they are 1. That will kill alot of disposable income. Not saying you can't take a baby on the boat, but your sure not taking them all day, or when it's cooler, or too hot, etc.

So if you want to and you can afford it, do what makes you happy. It will all change someday when you have a family. Might as well enjoy it while you can.

Just give me the lexus, and go buy a damn new CLS so you dont have too much money and nothing to do with it.

But really, by the car already, or just get a hummer if you're looking for something that gets worse gas milage and has more room.

Also the simple "answer" to the original question -yes-

Absolutely, you should get a new car if you want one.

You only live once
You can always make money you can't make time

Exactly! Priorities will change and you can always go back to a Civic if need be, but for now, live life!

I disagree on a number of these points:

"Wife is expensive" - get a wife that has her crap together so that she contributes to the family instead of being a drain. Mine paid for half of our boat (hence it being our boat, as opposed to my previous boat which I purchased before we were married).

"$400/week until they are 1" - that's not true for most folks. I live in a pretty nice area and pay $250/week for someone to come into our home and watch our daughter (now 23 months, started @ 3 months). We are about to put her into daycare so she can get more time with other children; found several very nice places between $200-250/week. Don't forget, you can also deduct a few thousand in childcare costs from your taxes and have money set back pre-tax for child care as well, which helps reduce that cost by a bit.

As for going out boating, our daughter has been doing that since 6 months and there has been only a couple times where the boat was out without her. She loves being on the boat and is good for a few hours...she also loves watching people ride.

Overall, having a kid hasn't taken away from me owning toys at all. It has taken away from going out to dinner, date nights, etc. but not boating. They do drain some of that spare cash and a good chunk of my sanity.

You raise some good points. Mine was mostly that it changes things drastically. For the average person getting married is expensive. I am in a situation like you. My wife makes just a touch less than 6 figures. If anyones the burden it's me. I would never have bought new without her. She also has expensive taste and does cause me to buy more expensive things I wouldn't buy without her. Love her dearly but give her crap about it. Example we bought the RZR vs the R20. I would have bought the R20 as it's 10K cheaper and the same business parts(what makes the wakes). She liked the prettier RZR, so we own a RZR.

I personally have never paid $400 a week for childcare. But when we looked thats what the big centers wanted, kinder care and the like. So let me get this right you employ someone to watch your child? So do you take their taxes out of their pay check like they are an employee or 1099 them as a contractor? I also couldn't help but notice you aren't paying the federal minimum wage of $7.25. That would be $290 for 40 hours of work. I assume you work 40 hours a week so they must too, right? Are they licensed? Because if you can't answer yes to all those you shouldn't be taking the childcare credit on your taxes or using pretax flex spending to pay. If you get audited its going to be disallowed. Thats my income tax and payroll classes talking. Or maybe the IRS tax conference I was at Monday and Tuesday. The IRS is really looking for every way possible to close the tax gap(difference we pay and what they think we should pay) they know alot of people cheat and their trying to catch them. There are no more "random" audits, if you get audited you had a flag. But at only 2%, chances are low and people will take the chance. But I will share that childcare is being watch closer this season than ever before. Not busting your chops, but trying to help. Alot of people are doing things that are considered tax evasion and don't know or understand. If you are employing someone you either need to be taking out taxes or giving them a 1099 at the end of the year. You may not get caught if you pay with cash..but lets not go there. But then you also can't deduct it like you mentioned.

My kids all love the boat too. What I'm saying is little ones have limitations.

So what I was saying is the same as you, our lives do change. I'd say for the better. I would probably be an alcoholic if not for my kids. I used to love the bars and partying!! Totally agree about the sanity...some days they push push push!!

Sorry for the Jack Nick!!!

If you want it and can afford it....why not!! Buy it!! Sound financial advice, no but you know and understand that. You only live once and your certainly only young and single once!! At least young!!

do whatever makes you happy, and get what you want! you're gonna be the one driving it.

if you decide on a new car, do your research and make sure you know what your getting yourself into. know the pros and cons of your decision too.

What should you do?

In order to change your mind...

1. Call a MB or repair shop and ask for an estimate for a brake job and/or a head gasket or major service. Better yet, buy 2 dozen doughnuts and go visit them, tell them your looking to better understand the cost of ownership. I think you'll find that maintenance is often and it's expensive. Also be prepared to have a second car, because sometimes they are in the shop for a few days. Your Lexus is one of the most reliable vehicles on the market, the MB is at the other end of the spectrum. Lexus has the highest rate of repeat customers for many reasons...

2. Test drive 10 cars in the same price range. The MB will be one of the most comfortable rides, no doubt they are a high luxury car. But pick 9 others so you sample the menu. Then narrow down to a few and repeat step 1 with the others. For kicks and giggles, test the GS 430 from Lexus, the BMW 535/545 and Infinit G37x.

3. Go to Edmonds.com and read up on the reviews of your short list.

Finally if you make the decision to go with the CLS, at least you'll know what you're getting into. Good luck.

My vote is to buy rims for the IS, change the air filter and maybe put on a sport exhaust.

I always thought MB was the high end of luxury, performance, and quality. The cost of ownership isn't a surprise, but so many people saying they have quality/ reliability issues is a surprise. Quality as in the drive line durability. I always thought they ran like a swiss watch and needed nothing but oil changes and routine stuff. My wife has had VW's for years and those German cars are far better reliability wise than the same american ones I owned in the same time frame.

your wife must be lucky with her VWs cuz my wives VWs crapped out on her. all 3 of them!

She really has. All Jetta's with the non turbo inline 4's. The worst one was a A/c compressor and a electric radiator fan. Otherwise they have been pretty well bullet proof. We run them for about 4 years and 60K-80K miles.

My boys are 22 months apart and between their ages of 2 and 6, we were able to put a grand total of about 10 hours on the boat. Not 10 hours per year mind you, but 10 hours total in all of those years. The challenges were as follows:
-potty training. Hard to be out on the water in a ski/wakeboard boat with a porta-potty.
- they could sit still in increments of 90 seconds.....on a good day.
-our lake doesn't have a good beach area, which leaves us swimming off the swim platform. Scary with little ones who want their independence and want to swim without a jacket. Translation- no jacket, no swimming. Thus, no swimming and crying wanting to go in.
-the patience of them not wanting to watch anyone doing anything.
-bringing friends on board who also had kids of the same age. After all who in their right mind without kids, would want to hang with my wife and I with the little ones in tow. (cute infants and toddlers much different that stubborn per-schoolers).
-did I mention that one of these friends brought their three kids one day and 2 of them got motion sick all over my boat!
Wow, glad those years have passed. Now my boys are 11 and 9 and like to shred every chance they get. Unfortunately, they still enjoy tubing every bit as much as boarding.
-did I mention they cannot drive the boat, so all activities are very one sided.

Love being a parent, I really do, but lots and lots of sacrifice, both emotionally and financially. I make very good money, but there never seems to be enough. College funding....never too early to think about.

Bottom line, get the car you want now, as their will be years when you will get the car that makes the most sense and is the mot practical.

I am right with you. You matched my post exactly in different words. You just can't do it with kids that age or won't want too. Not even to mention what it does to your disposable/ discretionary income. Mine are 11, 10, and 8 now and love it. Your right about the one-sided.

Tim is right on...do it while you can if thats your desire.

This is much more common than the guy up above

Its almost been a couple weeks what is the decision?...those hot deals go fast did you snap it up?

I posted a while back, the car that was in question (great deal) has sold.

This thread is eerily similar to your "so serious" house thread you made earlier in the year..

big talk.

I made two offers last year, one was accepted but the home inspection came back less than favorable... I got out.

There will probably be a similar "where to buy property" in the twin cities thread coming up in around 8 months, get ready.