Cars. What does the typical audiophile drive?

I agree on the BMW warranty, it's the only way I would have invested in this vehicle.

No doubt the Honda would have been great because they are pretty much bullet proof, but every brand of car deprecates when you drive it off the lot and Honda is no different.

I figured with $5K down the BMW was set for little or no depreciation, I think payments will keep up with lost value, meaning I could get out in three or four years and owe nothing. If I keep it perfect, I might even get some money back.

All automobiles are a depreciating investment, the best one can hope to do is get something reliable that you enjoy and hope you can operate it with as little loss as possible. As you say, with the stunning BMW warranty I know I will only make payments, no repair bills at all.

The Honda was a close second. Good warranty and even after warranty it would likely give no problems, but the $40K was a choker, I remember when Toyota and Honda were bargains. Hard to imagine they now cost more than a 1.5 year old BMW X5 with Navigation and rear seat DVD system.

Like all luxury cars, the Doctor that owned the BMW before me took the big hit, I've owned BMW's before and although I've only gotten in 4 months driving experience, it's a hell of a vehicle to be a SUV.

09-04-02: Macrojack
My wife says I'm the only guy in America who paid more for his refigerator than he did for his car. I drive a 1987 Toyota Camry sedan that just turned over 200K miles and there's a Sub Zero in the kitchen.
She drives a 1987 Camry wagon.
Financially speaking cars are a loser so we don't allocate funds to them unnecessarily.
Dream car would be free to own and operate.
Macrojack (Reviews | Threads | Answers)

I still have both of these cars. I spend maybe $500/year per car for repairs and maintenance. The Camry sedan now has 275,000 miles on it and it doesn't burn any oil. I haven't made a car payment in 20 years. Of course, these cars aren't exciting, don't turn heads, and fall short on modern features, but they allow me to work part-time and buy other things that matter more to me. Still have that refrigerator too.
I'm probably not typical.

02' Maxima. Before that, an '89.