Husky606

Hey guys. Well, today my first time behind the wheel of a Z. All i can say is that I am completely in love. I never thought that a car for 30K could peform so well. I stand corrected. I drove up to the dealership, i had my mom's mercedes for the day (im 19 years old) and i figured i would go drive around for a bit looking at some Zs since im probably going to buy one in the near future (hopefully). So i get out of the car and a salesman walks up to me before i can even get to the Zs. He walks me to it and it turns out they only had one left. It was a 2007 Touring Edition in redline. I get into it which i didnt even think i would be able to since i doubted any dealership would take a 19 year old serious about buying a 30K sports car. This salesman had no problem letting me start her up and i must the say the growl of the 306 HP engine is something else. Now just as i was about to get out of the car, he asked if i wanted to take her on a test drive. I was in disbelief. She only had about 25 miles on her and this guy was about to let a 19 year old kid take it out on a test drive. Well after my initial shock i was able to get the words out of my mouth..."ummm, yes sir". He throws on a dealer plate and we are off. I thought it would be a quich 5 minute loop around the dealership but we were out for nearly a half an hour. I had the absolute biggest smile on my face the entire ride. He took me on a bunch of backroads and assured me that the police never come all the way back her. So after some initial getting used to the handling and power, i stretched her legs a bit but nothing too crazy. Took her out on the highway and oh my God can that thing FLLLYYYYY. You hit the gas and you are GONE. I was like Overall i love everything about this car except the blindsports, those things will definitly need time to get use to. Im a big guy, 6'5", 215 lbs. But the Z fit me well and much better than i thought it would. We got back to the dealership and punched some numbers and he gave me a rough figure that he said we can still wont with. Although im not buying a Z right now which i told him before i took the test drive he was completely understanding. He gave me a rough figure of $33K but he said we could def still work on it. It came out to around $505 per month with a $10K down payment and i believe he said 6.5% APR. Now im curious, is that a good deal by most standards? Either way, this is going to be my next car. I have a 2004 ford taurus that i got when i was 16 for my first car, never even been pulled over before and my driving history is perfect along with my good student discount. It has about 50K miles on it since i got it as a demo car with about 3K miles on it and it still looks brand new because even though i may be a spoiled kid that is given everything to by his parents, i take exceptional care of all of my belongings no matter how i attained them. I got an insurance quote for about $245 per month from progressive. Unfortunatly both of my parents have 2007 cars so it will go under my name hence why the quote is so high.
Sorry that i wrote so much.I just had a lot to say. I have wanted a drive one of these things since they came out and today was my lucky day. I am completely satisfied with everything about the car and all of its hype. This car has it all and im planning on getting one soon. My dad said he would buy it for me but i straight up told him i want the responsibility of paying for it and the insurance so i feel more mature and have some real responsibilities. Anyway, it was definitly a good time and i cant wait to join you guys and become a real member. Im thinking san marino blue!?!?!?! Thanks guys Oh and by the way, i think the only reason he let me even get in the Z was cause i pulled up in the '07 Merc E350, otherwise i bet he wouldnt have given me a second look. Oh well.

Armitage

iTrader: (15)

So your giong to be 19 tied down to a $505/mo payment which doesn't include insurance or gas or regular maintenance costs.

Do you live at home? Are you going away to school? Do you have a job? Do you really think you'll be able to afford this month in and out?

rhynesimpson

Glad you liked the Z. I felt the same way the first time I had driven mine. Hope this deal works out for you! Good luck.

kaizenro1

iTrader: (3)

Wow. I test drove an '06 and was blown away. I was sold. But the dealer thought we were dealing Porsche.

$505+245= A lot of money.

I'm scared to see what my insurance will be at 30yo w/ a clear(ish) record.

Husky606

all fair questions and i immediatly thank you for asking them in a polite manner. yes i live at home, i commute to college which i go to full time and which i also received partial athletic and academic schlarships to. i play soccer, and yes, that is a real sport. and yes i work 2 jobs. i work part time as a soccer coach/bartender and another job working with my dad at his business. he owns an aerospace engineering machine shop and i work with him as much as possible. right now (late fall/winter/early spring) i only make around $250-$300/week but during the summer i only work with my dad and i average around $500-600 per week. ill just have to work a little harder over the summer so my money will last me through the winter when i dont make as much. as i stated, my dad offered to pay for my Z in full but i told him i would feel more responsible and appreciative of it if i did everything myself. i feel that i can pull this off on my own. my desire for it will drive me. thanks guys

bofa

iTrader: (23)

Its good to see a person like yourself willing to work for it. Good luck.

kaizenro1

iTrader: (3)

Soccer coach/bartender? No wonder there's so many hooligans!

Put your numbers down, run them, see if you're able to save any $ for your future, then go from there.

Good luck!

asugradinwa

iTrader: (2)

You can get a great used one for under $20,000 The insurance is just way too high. Just think, before you put a drop of gas in the tank you are paying $750 per month. At one tank of gas per week you are looking at $950 per month. Nevermind the oil change, maintance, and new sets of tires needed every 2-3 years. Plan for AT LEAST $1000 per month on just your car.

What year is your focus? Is it completly payed off?

With a 10k down payment you could easily get a great used car or a pretty damn good new car with a 3 year payment term. One of the most often qouted car buying tips is that you never want to go for a payment cycle of longer then 36 months.

I guess what I'm saying is that unless you are one of the few 19 year olds that are making BIG money (over 50k per year) or your parents are going to pay for a large part of the car (like $750 a month) I would recomend against getting a Z at 19.

You can do what you want but trust me when I say this- within the next year you will regret getting the Z for the financial reasons.

Hope that helps. And if you NEED a 350z then go find a used one. You could get one for half the price plus the insurance might be less.

fr0ng

the 2003 fully loaded touring with a 6k down payment is costing me around $200 a month. i suggest you get a used one.

bacalhau16

iTrader: (32)

The only thing that Im not sure of is the $33k price tag with $10k down. This means OTD financing would be $23k. With a 6.5% interest rate, Im going to say that the monthly payment should only be about $450. I didnt punch that into a calcualtor, but Im pretty good with this stuff, and it sounds about that.

If you can save your money right, you should not have that much of a problem being able to pay off the car. It is going to be tough, and you may not be able to do that much stuff leisurely, but you will have an 07 Z!

Husky606

i thought about getting a used one. unfortunatly there is something about buying a used sports car that does not make me feel "secure". too many questions come up into my head and both of my parents agree that if i am to buy a Z, new is the way to go.

asugradinwa- i completely understand what you are saying. a new sports car for a full time 19 year old student might not be the wisest decision but i still have time to think it over. i mean, the only person that wants me to buy this asap is me. im in no rush right now so i am reseraching all of my options and posting this is one of my forms of research. thanks for the help. by the way, my '04 taurus is payed off. also, the insurance cost between a '04 used Z and a new '07 Z is a differance of about $20 per month according to progressive which so far has given me the best quote. but an extra $20 per month will not kill me too bad since that will accumulate to about $1200 over 5 years. as of now, i am rather set on buying new but we will see what happens. thank you for the stats and numbers, i think needed to see the "$1000 per month" as a reality check. thanks for the help guys. keep the comments coming

Husky606

yea i guess you are right. i just threw the numbers into a calculator and that seems rather accurate. ill give the salesman a call tomorrow to confirm his calculations. thanks bacalhau16

Skorch

iTrader: (1)

I felt the same way when I first drove the Z. The only reason he let you test drive it is because he saw you pull up in your mom's Mercedes.

asugradinwa

iTrader: (2)

okay so here is my question, why get rid of the 2004 focus? If it is giving you problems then I can understand. But to get rid of a 3 year old car for another is totally impractical.

In my line of work I find too many people who try to keep up with the jones family down the street and get rid of cars just to have the next bigger & better thing without ever thinking of the future.

I'll also let you know- If you think you are getting a car that hasn't been raced in a new car then think again. When I sold cars duruing college there wasn't a day the guys I worked didn't have the fastest car in the lot out on the freeway bouncing off the rev limiter. And if the Redline is the only Z there you bet it has been rode hard and put away wet already.

Here is another idea- put $5,000 of that down payment into an IRA and save the other $5000 and what would be your monthly payment in a high yield savings account for a down payment for a house or condo. If you earn 8% per year in the IRA you'll have a nice $108,000 at age 59. Invest it and hit the average of 10% and you'll have $226,000. If you invest wisely and hit an average of 12 % you'll have $465,000. Plus in 5 years that other $5000 with those $505 monthly payments would be a whopping $40,000 ready for a house or condo assuming you get it into a 5% savings rate. Oh and if you REALLY want the Z then you can pay for it in cash, like what I did at 24.

So hmmm buy a new car and pay $505 per month for the next 60 months or be able to buy just about any car when you retire and get a down payment for a place to live?

No matter what I'd start putting away that $1000 a month and see how your life changes without that big chunck of change and if you like it.

usmanasif

iTrader: (4)

Good to see a level-headed teenager! I think you will do just fine as a Z owner, just as long as you don't overlook the long term financial commitment a car ownership is.

P.S.: Get the redline. It demands attention in a way other colors don't, good or bad. You won't regret it

ChazzReinhold

I think there awesome

joe645733

iTrader: (3)

my insurance is only 75 bucks a month on mine.

my payment is about 600 without a downpayment though

JDMFairladyZ33

iTrader: (37)

That's pretty close to mine. When I was paying my car (After down payment I was financing ~$21500) it was $420 for 60 months. I paid $900/mon and got it done for about 2 years.

Tenac1ousZ

iTrader: (2)

I second that monthly estimate ^ $500 a month -- assuming it's a 60-month loan with $10k down -- is too high.


- Husky606 -

Since you're in school, a base model '07 would be the best for your situation I think, and trust me, you are NOT getting a handicapped version -- I test drove a base '07 a few months back, and they are fast and have all the important stuff: HID, new VQ-HR engine, 6mt....

With a base, you can get under 30k out the door, and with $10k down (which is a good amount) and 6.5% interest for a 60 month loan, your payment will be under $400. And with car loans, if you have extra cash, you can pay additional amount toward your principle, on top of your $400 monthly payments. So, a 60-month loan can be paid off a lot sooner, or it can flexible when you're short on cash. But whatever the case, good luck with the decision!

Husky606

Only one problem with that, im too greakin big to drive a 6mt. i tried but within 50 ft. i realized that everytime i hit the clutch the knee hit the steering wheel and that was just simply unnecessary. with that being said, i must now jump right up to the enthusiast/toruing package. i would have no problem with the enthusiast except the leather seats seem to accomidate my large body somewhat better and im planning on keeping the Z as STOCK as possible. im not into the whole modification scene so i want the bose stereo system as well. the only things i plan on ever putting on the Z are; rims, an exhaust, a nice touch screen CD player, and a whole bunch of carnuba wax . i realize that the price difference between a touring and enthusiast is about $3K so i guess when the time comes to but one ill see what is available and go from there. thanks for the help guys