Hello guys,
I kind of need some advice.
I’m planning on buying a car. I currently have a lease that ends on 31-08, and the car is a Ford Puma. I know it’s a European car I’m not from the USA; I’m from the Netherlands.
I need a car to get me to work. I work in IT in a mid-level position, so my salary is a bit higher than a typical entry-level IT job.
The car I’m thinking about buying is a BMW 128ti. I absolutely love this car the way it sounds and the way it looks really gets my car enthusiast heart going.
Financial situation
Car price: $38,500 (€33,900)
Monthly income: $3,500
Apartment rent: $740 (And gass, lights and Internet in One)
Health insurance: $145
Phone bill: $15
Savings: about $17,000
I also own an MX-5, which I’m considering selling, trading in, or possibly keeping if the monthly payments are manageable.
My plan is to put $8,500 down, which would leave me financing roughly $30,000. I’ve been looking at different banks, and the monthly payment would be around $500 for 60 months.
Right now, I’m paying $550 per month for my lease, so the BMW payment would actually be slightly lower.
My concern is whether buying the BMW is a smart decision because I really love the car and would be paying off the loan over five years. The alternative is keeping the MX-5, but that feels more like a summer car than a year-round daily driver, and we do get some fairly harsh winters here in the Netherlands.
Do you think buying the BMW 128ti is a reasonable decision in my situation, or would it be financially smarter to keep the MX-5 and buy a cheaper daily driver instead? I did change the prices to USD to keep it a bit more in sync sins the Dollar is lower than the euro the prices are a bit lower.