I’ve never heard of this but I just read up on it and Ford will continue to make the Focus as well as the Mustang. All I have to say is that this move is very shortsighted and frankly, stupid. Horrible business decision. The only reason they can make such profits on SUV’s is the chicken tax and if that’s ever repealed they’re going to all be bankrupt without cars. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax |
I'm sure you know more about the auto market than all the MBA's at ford
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This is absolutely insane. As in, orders of magnitude more insane than leasing cars for $45k a year - that guy presumably can afford it. |
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2014 BMW 535
2017 Porsche Cayenne Both paid cash. |
You mean those same genius MBA’s that had to be bailed out a few years ago while Toyota continued to make profits selling Camry’s? Yes, yes I do. |
Looks like you’re right, they will only have one car. They were going to build the Focus in China and ship it to America (making it the only car other than the mustang for sale by ford) but Trump’s tariffs and trade war with China has forced them to cancel those plans. FYI, most of the “SUV’s” sold are actually “CUV’s” (better known as crossovers). True SUV’s have a truck chassis. Crossovers use the chassis of a car (and often the engine as well). For example the Ford Focus chassis is used for the escape while the Tahoe has a truck chassis making it a real SUV. Most crossovers are just station wagons. |
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2015 CPO Lexus bought last year, financed at 2.4%
2018 Honda Accord bought this year, it's DH's and he buys a new car virtually every year, no idea what his interest rate is Strongly considering trading my Lexus for a CR-V and paying cash via HELOC. The regulars on this board understandably are going to jump all over this idea, but we are on the verge of splitting and I'd rather start off on my own with no car payment and slightly less profit from my share of the sale of our house (it's not a 50/50 situation) vs with a $575 car note. |
How so? 1) I'm paying my own retirement fund (and not 100% of my intake goes into stocks. I split it between company stock, regular stock, a self-managed brokerage account laid out in high-yield stocks, and the safe value fund) instead of (random bank here.) 2) Yes, I'm taxed on that money, but I'm also taxed on the money I'm paying to (random bank here.) I've also improved my immediate cash flow. 3) Most assumptions of "ZOMG you'll lose out of all teh gainz from the market" seem to think the stock market only goes up. Well, as 2000-03 (I was 24-27 then) and 2008-11 (corresponds with my oldest kid's being 1-4) showed up it doesn't always happen that way. So a 401k loan as an appropriate part of a balanced portfolio is insane ... how? 4) The real risk is that I'll be screwed if I am (a) laid off and (b) don't find another job in the appropriate timeframe to pay off the loan. 5) But then, the sum is under 5% of my own 401k which is one part of my family's total assets. |
Only in Trump's America would a random on the internet claim to smarter than the senior management of a multinational corporation
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Just answering the original question
We have a Toyota Sienna bought used and paid cash and a Subaru Outback bought new and paid cash. In both cases we had a trade in so we were not paying the full amount in cash. Our next car will either be a 2019 Toyota Rav4 or a new Subaru Impreza, it just depends who gets to pick it. We think that buying and paying cash or financing with a low rate is best. |
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all bought new, still own all
- 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee- cash - 2009 Toyota Camry- 0% 5 yr loan (would have paid cash, but can't beat 0%) - 2014 Honda Odyssey- cash you shouldn't buy an expensive car if you can't afford to do it with cash. big waste of money |
But you have an old car
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I'd like to know how you could get any one of these cars for $45k let alone all three. Thank god we live in a free country where people can buy what they like, not what some government thinks we need |
1 car, 1 mini suv, 1 mini-van. own. paid cash or got 0% financing. $100k total cost basis. |
This isn't uncommon at all in wealthy neighborhoods. |