What car would you get?

What car would you get with the following budgets (assuming you had to buy one right now)?
$5,000--a decent Gen 2
$10,000--a decent Gen 2 and 555 shares of SOFI
$15,000--a decent Gen 2 and 1110 shares of SOFI
$20,000--a decent Gen 2 and 1665 shares of SOFI
$25,000--a decent Gen 2 and 2220 shares of SOFI
$30,000--a decent Gen 2 and 2775 shares of SOFI
$35,000--a decent Gen 2 and 3330 shares of SOFI
$40,000--a decent Gen 2 and 3885 shares of SOFI
$45,000--a decent Gen 2 and 4440 shares of SOFI
$50,000--a decent Gen 2 and 5000 shares of SOFI

What can I say, lol. I'm a Gen 2'er at heart and been building a long term position in SOFI for the last 6 months or so. !

 

Last month I bought a 2017 BMW i3-REx as a backup for the Tesla Model 3.

On the Model 3, I am doing long deferred but time consuming maintenance and enhancements:

• changing cabin filters - a real bitch
• fully enclosed wheel hub caps
• underbody panel replacement - after 115,000 miles, it comes due
• after market, cell phone and auxiliary instrumentation
• investigate 'hotel Tesla', fully reclining passenger seat
• further improve exterior, silvered bubble wrap, sun screen
• passenger side door, all weather, standup privacy tent
• aerodynamic enhancements
• updating my 'bug out' kit: field tools; spare clothes; medical, and; hotel Tesla stuff
• anti-tailgater kit

Bob Wilson

 

just got a 24 camry hybrid 35k

was thinking about base model 3, 31k after tax credits, but ordered a bolt, 23k after tax credits

considered a corolla because cars were so scarce

prime too small for me

 

2023-2024 Ford Maverick XLT Hybrid. Fully loaded- around 38K

 

What's in this? Spikes? Smoke? A gun? Is it basically like in James Bond's DB5?

If such a thing is available for the Model 3, I might have to abandon all my prejudices and get one.

 

There's no way you could do this in Australia. Gen IIs all get snapped up for export to the Pacific Islands, so it's pretty much impossible to get one for less than about US$8,000 or 9,000.

 

Prices here are very different. But this is a very interesting thought experiment. Thank you for posting it.

But going with these figures in USD:

$5,000 - JDM import 2012-2015ish Nissan Cube for my daughter. (I'm actually doing this in just over a year when she gets her full licence - she's a big fan of them.)
$10,000 - Honestly, dull as it sounds, possibly a two- or three-year-old Kia Rio. Maybe put it in my Airbnb as a Turo-type rental.
$15,000 - The two cars above.
$20,000 - No idea.
$25,000 - I think possibly an Ora Funky Cat / Good Cat / Cat. Smallish EV - and the cheapest on the market in Australia - with a lovely interior.
$30,000 - Definitely a BYD Atto 3 / Yuan Plus. I'm actually thinking of getting one next year. Great value EV SUV with loads of room, loads of range, nice cabin design and really intuitive, easy-to-use tech.
$35,000 - I reckon the Atto 3 and the Cube.
$40,000 - Maybe a Nissan Ariya or a Skoda Enyaq, once they finally go on sale here.
$45,000 - A slightly fancier Ariya or Enyaq.
$50,000 - A two-year-old BMW iX3. As long as I could find one with the right colour combination. Or wait a bit until I can get a two-year-old Genesis GV60.

 

Mounted on a 2" receiver, a cooler decorated with:

I might use a box cover for Black Cat firecrackers or bottle rockets. The upper box is 'strike anywhere matches.'

Inspired by:

Ray Scott, “The Prayer”

And now, ladies and gentlemen,
If you’ll just bow your heads in prayer
We shall now pray for the governor.

Oh Lord
Let the governor have a 17 car accident
With a gasoline truck
That’s been hit by a match wagon
Over the Grand Canyon.
. . .
And if that’s not bad enough for the governor,
Lord, let him suffer
Make him live in agony

And when he wake up tomorrow morning,
Oh Lord,
Let him have nappy hair and be black like me.​

Bob Wilson

 

That looks ideal.

 

Sub $10k I'd be looking for a Hyundai Accent, probably a 2006-2010 model.

Why?

Owned one previously. Got to know them pretty well; can repair most of the things at this point.

They aren't particularly nice cars, but I was astounded by the value in the design. Very little garbage to break in those models. I had no worries taking it on side trip Philly-to-Boston shortly before we sold it in 2021.

Ours was in excellent condition when we sold it to somebody who needed cheap wheels, and we still see them in it around town.