So, here is my problem and I need your help. It’s about my car… or maybee soon-to-be ex-car.
I use my car a lot, about 120km every day and I need it to get to work and back home.
My current car is a 2001 VW Polo with 212.000km driven. I bought this car almost 7 years ago. I love it and it still drives me around, but it starts to have issues, ie not starting properly after a rainy night.
A friend of my parents, B, has a 2006 VW Polo (32.000km driven) to sell. He wants 8.800€, which is ok as the car cost 14.000€ two years ago (at least that is, what I researched). My Mum basically talked me into calling this guy, because I did not see the point in buying a new one, when mine is still doing ok. But she said I should at least call him and so I did. It all ended with H, my parents and me driving to B’s house, to have a look at the car. I actually thought “Well, I will be polite, look at it and tell him, that I do not have 8.800€ and that I am sorry that I won’t buy the car”.
So, I had a look at the car (looks great, 5 doors, silver, all electric stuff a car could have, incl GPS (good for me, who gets lost EVERYWHERE)) and drove a few hundred meters without even thinking to buy the damn thing.
My stepdad drove the car too and loved it. As he is the business man of our lovely family, he asked B about the price and all. And that’s where my misery started. B actually offered me an interesting-free loan if I would buy the car off of him. I was puzzled. All my oh so clever “Sorry, I actually do not have the money and don’t wanna pay a whole lotta interest to a bank” lines had been torn apart with that offer. He even offered me to name the monthly payment myself.
I mean, it’s a great offer, the car itself is worth more than I would pay. I would have to buy a new car in less than 2 years anyway, so I might as well spare me some nerves if my car breaks down. No one will give me an interesting free loan in two years (who does that anyways???) and there is no way, that I safe enough to get a good new car in that time space, either (yeah, I know, I could’ve started saving earlier, MUM).
My brother would buy my current car for 700€ or so… so that would be taken care of.
What would you do? Buy that car and pay off 130€ monthly plus directly giving him my tax return, when I receive it and that kind of stuff, so that I will be done in a three years or something? Or just keep on driving my current car until it falls apart? Also the likliness that my current car will have some more issues, that will cost me a lot of money to repair, is a lot higher than the new cars…
I am lost, help me…
UPDATE: I won’t buy the car. This special car-range of VW Polo has a huge history of breaking after 50.000km. With a motor to be replaced. Can’t afford that. I am sad…