What would you do?

Hello everyone!

I've been a lurker on this site for about eight months now, just toying with the idea of getting a supra as my next car. I've read just about every post that the search engine throws up when asked about "reliability" "buying advice" "running costs" etc. The question I would like an honest answer too is:

Would you buy a supra in my situation?

I'm 21 and will be starting my final year of uni in September. By September I should hopefully have in the region of £6-7k saved up (following the sale of my ford focus and all my life savings). My plan is to get a loan (I have several friends/relatives in the finance world so I will be able to get as good a deal as possible). I would get a loan for about £10k for the car to pay off over however many years and use my savings to pay for insurance and try and maintain a £3k "buffer" in case I cant afford repayments or unexpected repairs etc. Buy this time next year I will have finished uni and be on my way to a proper full time job. I would ideally be after a UK TT auto or manual (not fussed). I have no other financial commitments whatsoever, not even a student loan/overdraft (apart from the misses that is.....).

Does this seem like a good plan or would you wait the extra year and then get it? I would just like some brutally honest advice before I resign myself to a summer of 60 working hour weeks.

Thanks in advance guys.

Lambo (Mark)

I know this is probably not what you want to hear but I'd wait until I got a job before buying a Supra.

Running a car that does 18mpg is no joke without a regular income!

Then again, when I was 20 I was running stupid cars, so its really a case of don't do as I did, do as I tell you

I reckon you could buy a decent car for just the insurance costs of a student running a TT Supra

It would be sensible to wait the year. Its not a long time. Get your study out of the way and reward yourself with the car.

On the other hand, you only live once and I doubt youd go bankrupt

Not very helpfull I know, only you can decide.

Totally agree with Geoff, I wanted a soop when I was at uni, but the fact I had already got myself a full time job before I left uni meant I was thinking differently. Remember that when you finish uni, a degree is not a sure fire job position. It may take you 6-12 months to get a job worthy of constant Soop costs, even now I know of several people on my course that are earning less that £12k a year - not quite soop running money.

Wait the extra year, or at least search for the right soop in that year. Don't rush in to anything, if you're after a UK, be prepared for a wait.

Ben..

Mark,

Welcome to the site, If its only a year then I'd wait, Im 20 and was looking at 19 for one its been around 18 months now!, buying one isnt a problem but the running costs will be, im now waiting till im 21 in october (for insurance reasons) but even then I reckon a load of money will be going into the car and im not even a student so I think it would be a silly move, I'm desperate for the car but i've taken a step back and looked at it realisticly, my mind has changed several times regarding which one to buy as there's so much to learn before buying one of these cars, so my advice is wait a year learn more about the car, drive a few(if you havent allready) every type aswell whether its n/a or turbo auto/manual choose which one you like most and start the hunt once financially settled, make sure you try j-specs aswell regardless if its just the uk your after as I dought you'll actually be able to find a uk car to try unless someone on here can help.

Hope this helps Mark!

Tom.

Thanks for the quick replies guys!

I thought this would be the response and I'm glad you've all been honest about it. I earn about £130 a week part time and I knew deep down I wouldn't be able to fund it till next year (just needed a slap to wake myself up ). Never thought about trying the different models long before I bought one though...... I just assumed I'd go for the UK TT.

Soooo..... it looks like a year of research / planning / saving is in order! Anyone know of any friendly dealers / importers who let you test drive (or even test sit in!) the different types of Supras? Prefferably in the East Mids?

Thanks for the wake up call!

Mark

P.S. This is the best owners forum I have ever visited! of any type of car!

if you really want a supra why not wait until you finish at uni, and with 7k to spend you could always get yourself an mr2 gt turbo, and believe me you will be grining from ear to ear every time you go out for a drive in the mr2! you could pick a decent one up for around 5k leaving you with enough for insurance!

mr2 gt turbos have a spec of 147mph max speed, 0-60 in 5.27 seconds with power in the region of 245 bhp trust me they are very quick! and because the mr2 is alot smaller than a soop it will feel quicker

Only trouble with the MR2 turbo is that it will be a jap import and so will probably shaft you insurance wise.

I'd keep real eye on the autotrader website (at least every thursday as this is when the majority of new ads appear) over the next 6-9 months.

you'll get a feel for what cars at various miles etc go for and be in a more knowledgable position when it comes to actually buying one. You may also see at some point a really cheap Uk spec car thats worth a look, especially as your savings will pretty much cover you for a year of all the possible supras expenses, so if you were near the end of your studies and the right car came along, you could go for it rather than waiting to hunt for one after your studies which could take 3-6 months easily.

being up for having an auto should make finding a uk car that much easier. In my experience of searching and buying supras there are definite bargains to be had, ie cars that you can own for a year or so and lose no money on resale. I know this is of no benefit while your running the car but if things don't work out it will save you from any depreciation losses.

BTW you should be able to blag a ride in a locals sup i'd of thought......do i take it you've never been in one but just like the look?

I've liked mkiv supras for ages. My dad bought me a car magazine once when I was a lot younger to keep me quiet on a road trip to Southend to see the relatives and it had the road test of the soop in it (think i was Autocar? bout 1993). I've liked them ever since but I havent really seen / heard much about them till I saw Fast and the Furious (holds head in shame) and since then I've been trying to work out if / how I could afford one.

I love them because they look superb and to get similar, reliable performance you would have to look to some much more exotic machinery.

Despite liking them for so long I've actually never sat in one. There is a red J-spec that parks near my uni and I'm normally late for lectures because I've been squinting through it's window for ages!

But the need is getting too great now and for the last six-eight months I've trying to convince myself that I can go without drinking or takeaways or anything else that comes with being a student.

I think I'll save as much as I can and try to get a test drive or even a test ride in as many different types as possible over the next few months and then take the plunge.

After all, you can sleep in your car, but you can't race your house.......

Old fart mode on. NEVER get a loan for anything that will not make you a profit. A Supra is unlikely to do this, especially as you want one to use, not trade on. IMHO it's the sort of car you buy when you think "Hmmm, got this wodge of cash and no immediate use for it, and I also have an ongoing excess of income over outgoings, I'll look at a silly car to blow it all on...".

I wish I always listened to my own advice

Originally posted by Chris Wilson

Old fart mode on. NEVER get a loan for anything that will not make you a profit. A Supra is unlikely to do this, especially as you want one to use, not trade on. IMHO it's the sort of car you buy when you think "Hmmm, got this wodge of cash and no immediate use for it, and I also have an ongoing excess of income over outgoings, I'll look at a silly car to blow it all on...".

 

I wish I always listened to my own advice

Dam Chris! It's like you just wrote down what I did last year! And TBH mate, I wouldn't change my decision for the world. I would only of thrown the money away on crap and beer.

Ben..

Originally posted by Chris Wilson

Old fart mode on. NEVER get a loan for anything that will not make you a profit. A Supra is unlikely to do this, especially as you want one to use, not trade on. IMHO it's the sort of car you buy when you think "Hmmm, got this wodge of cash and no immediate use for it, and I also have an ongoing excess of income over outgoings, I'll look at a silly car to blow it all on...".

 

i know where Chris is coming from but i've had finance on all mine!

fact is i've had four in just over two years and on Chris's (probably sound!) advice i'd still be saving for the first!

I think you just need to be sensible. In my eyes as long as you put enough 'cash' into it initially so that if you had to sell it not long after buying it then you can at least just clear off your 'debt' (and just suffer the cash loss) then thats always been good enough for me ( ie avoid negative equity)

Tricky this dude, welcome by the way.....

You should be sensible, and you know you should, and at times I know I should, but Im a little reckless sometimes and probably make the choice that most would advise not to, but as long as it has good reason in my head and I can live with myself, than thats all that matters, lifes too short to be worrying if your doing the right thing or not, its your life, live it how you want. If you can do without all the beer, takeaways and other no commitment luxuries for a Supe to be parked up outside, than go for it.

But maybe this is me giving bad advice, but I know what I would probably do......

Loved the 'you cant race your house comment'......

Originally posted by Chris Wilson

Old fart mode on. NEVER get a loan for anything that will not make you a profit. A Supra is unlikely to do this, especially as you want one to use, not trade on. IMHO it's the sort of car you buy when you think "Hmmm, got this wodge of cash and no immediate use for it, and I also have an ongoing excess of income over outgoings, I'll look at a silly car to blow it all on...".

 

I wish I always listened to my own advice

good lord, I would be sitting in an empty house with no cars on the driveway if I did that

My thoughts are you only live once, if you can afford the finance and the running costs then do it, you may never have the chance again. I got my mkiv before I had kids which is the only reason I could afford one, if I have to buy another one now then its going to be a LOOONG loan period.

JB