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The following post is one of a series of articles I am writing detailing our recent cash purchase of a “new” family vehicle. From deciding which make and model to buy, to closing the final deal, follow along on our car buying adventure!
It is no coincidence that a Toyota 4Runner was used as an example in my case for buying a used vehicle. After test driving several 4Runners, along with other vehicles of the same spectrum, the 4Runner was placed first on our list of prospective vehicles. If we could find a better deal on another model we may consider it, but at this point we are focused on finding the best deal possible on a gently used 4Runner.
To say that our decision is based solely out of need is a lie. I will be the first to admit there are many vehicles that would meet our family’s needs for a lot less money along with a few that might offer better gas mileage. However, the reliability, capability, styling, resale, and relatively low ownership costs of the Toyota 4Runner were all factors considered in our decision.
Incidentally, one of the leased vehicles that I mentioned in the first article of this series was another Toyota 4Runner. Although leasing that 4Runner was the worst financial mistake I have ever made in my life, I loved almost everything about the vehicle itself, and regret that I hadn’t bought it under different circumstances.
Having been one of my worst financial mistakes, I learned a great deal about what not to do when buying a car and I look forward to incorporating these lessons learned into our current search for a “new” vehicle.
If you’ve been reading my website for a while, you may find it hypocritical that I am considering the purchase of a “large gas guzzling SUV”. To be clear, I promote getting the maximum amount of fuel efficiency out of any vehicle you drive whether it is a Hummer H2, Porsche 911, or Toyota Prius.
It’s not what you drive, it’s how and why you drive.
