whodidntante wrote: ↑Fri Aug 02, 2019 12:11 pm
Kenkat wrote: ↑Fri Aug 02, 2019 12:08 pm
It’s not allowable to post about a potential sports car purchase without posting which car it is you are looking at. This gives the other forum members the opportunity to either 1) live vicariously through you or 2) recommend a different car, typically the one they drive.
Some Tesla fanboi will be along shortly. And someone will suggest a Toyota.
This is neither here nor there but I gotta say, I was the biggest Tesla trash-talker before I test drove a Model S a few days ago. The thing is absolutely stunning and will convert you into a Tesla-vangelist(TM) immediately. It is an extremely smooth ride, it feels like you're driving a hovercraft or a spaceship and it is extremely fast. The torque was amazing as well, it whips around turns phenomenally. The autopilot was really neat too; that would be useful for long drives or traffic jams when you prefer to relax a bit. But the ride itself is what is really a cathartic experience. All the worries about electric cars are being alleviated now as well, the charging station network has expanded tremendously (except in North Dakota), and the Teslas can go hundreds of miles on a single charge plus you can charge them at home overnight. On very long distance drives, the navigation system also will plot out a route that includes when and where to stop for charging. Updates are made automatically via software so you're not really missing out as your Tesla ages. Routine maintenance, with the obvious exception of tire maintenance is not really necessary as the car is all electric. Of note, all-wheel drive comes standard now.
I'm a young single guy making some money now as well; I was looking at Porsche, BMW etc but in a split second I was converted and my next car when I do get one WILL be a Tesla. In fact, I don't think I'll buy a gas vehicle ever again and it's clear to me that electrics will phase out gas cars in a generation. Before you go down the "sports car" road, you have to at least test drive a Model S! Consider the model S Performance which is not really a sports car in terms of looks (still elegant and beautiful) but behaves like one with a peak 0-60 acceleration of 2.4s (MotorTrend got this down to 2.28s); even the slower accelerating long range model is so fast and smooth you'll feel like you're crossing into another dimension when you hit the pedal. Also, if you are up for the cost, hold off and take a look at the Tesla Roadster planned for release in late 2020; it's extremely sexy and is going to be the fastest production car EVER with a peak 0-60 of 1.9sec. Bear in mind, at $200K it's about twice as much as the Model S Performance which, as it exists today, is already faster accelerating than Ferrari, Lambo, Bugatti and every other hypercar!
Other thing to consider is the impractical nature of a lot of "sports cars." I was seriously considering a Porsche 911 before I discovered Tesla but was apprehensive because I couldn't imagine myself using it on a regular basis. I can't fit even a week's worth of my groceries into the limited space. I couldn't fit a medium-sized suitcase in it on a drive to the airport or a long distance drive; I'd literally have to rent another car. The thing that most bothered me were those sham seats in the back. It's like, yes they're technically seats they're just not meant for actual sitting. Philosophically, I can't stand non-functional structures. And I totally understand folks who use it as a daily driver in conjunction with perhaps another larger car, but I imagine most young, single, affluent guys have no line of reasoning that would lead them towards a need to possess multiple vehicles. Like, if I'm a young single guy (which I am) and I have a nice car, I want to be driving that one car around all the time! It's basically a toy car, a thing that I'd "play with" but not "use." Don't get me wrong, it's a great car, but as someone who lives quite a bit out of my car, I realized it was just wildly impractical for me personally and that my daily frustration in working around this impracticality would quickly surpass the, no doubt fleeting, euphoria that comes with driving a Porsche.
But, all that said, back to Boglehead's fiscal sobriety mode: I personally don't consider a car affordable until I can afford it both in terms of cash flow and mental capacity. Last thing I need in my life right now is an exorbitantly expensive car that takes me 20 minutes to park cuz I'm scared I might nudge it on the curb (although Tesla also parallel parks for you) or the ever-simmering anxiety of hoping nobody hits my car while I'm at the Outback Steakhouse with friends. I'd need not just the cash but the ability to say "oh well" if the car was damaged somehow. In those terms, I'd guess most people are able to afford/tolerate a car that's worth around 10-15% or their net worth/salary. If I have $50K in the bank, I feel like I can say "oh freaking well" to maybe a $5000 dollar car, but I'm already starting to feel a knot in my stomach at $10,000.