Buying a car can be a thrilling experience. You get to play around with a new vehicle and if it’s new, you drive home with the satisfaction that the driver seat is free from anyone’s farts but your own. It’s often reported that the average price of a new car in America is expensive and is getting only more pricey. That gets me thinking, what’s the most expensive car you’ve ever purchased?
Admittedly, my fleet has grown to such a size that I keep a note on my phone about my vehicles and their current status. Many people wonder how on Earth I’ve achieved keeping so many vehicles running and driving. A part of my secret is the fact that I live in one of the cheapest apartments in my area. I also share expenses with my wife, freeing up money for vehicular shenanigans.
The other part of it is the fact that I almost always buy a vehicle at the bottom of its depreciation curve. I don’t shop on Bring a Trailer, Cars & Bids, or any of the specialty online car markets. No, I search the bottom of the barrel on Facebook and buy cars with tons of miles, rust, or a mechanical issue here or there. It’s telling that the nicest car I’ve purchased used was the Bishop’s 178,000-mile 2007 BMW 530xi wagon.
New cars are a different story. I’ve been lucky enough to purchase four vehicles in my life thus far. The two motorcycles were a 2023 Royal Enfield Classic 350 purchased for $5,850 and a 2024 CFMoto Papio SS for $4,500. The two cars were a 2012 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe and a 2016 Smart Fortwo Edition #1. The 2012 Smart stickered for $16,200 new and after financing, I paid about $19,200 total for the car. The 2016 Smart was about $17,000 and change when it was new, and I got a stellar 0 percent financing deal on that one.
So, I’ve spent $36,000-ish on two Smart Fortwos, which basically means I got one real car out of the other end. I still have both of those cars today and I plan to take them to the grave with me, so I think it’s money well spent.
Here’s where I turn things to you. Are you one of the Americans to have spent over $48,000 on a new car? Have you gone all of your life never spending more than $10,000 on a ride?
Hmm so my new cars were
2016 Chevrolet Cavalier
2000 Nissan Frontier
2002 Hyundai Elantra
2010 Toyota Tacoma 32K
2012 Toyota Tacoma 32K
2018 Toyota Tundra 43K
2023 Hyundai Palisade. 48K
Still own the Tundra and Palisade
In 2019 I bought a diesel, crew cab, long bed, F-350 Lariat for about $67k so that I could haul a 5th-wheel RV around the country. Three years and 40k miles later, I sold it back to the same dealer for about $65k.
I drove the same car for damn near 35 years. I bought my accord 6-6 2016 back during the pandemic for the princely sum of 24k with 52000 miles. I had to get a car as my original one won’t pass emissions with the change in laws.
I financed a 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT back when I knew nothing about cars, that was like $23k. It did its job just fine for 10 years and then I sold it to Carvana for $8k.
Aside from that, it’s been a whole bunch of old BMW’s that are $6k or less, with a lot of the recent BMW’s being $1500 or less as I’ve gotten poorer.
Ive had 3 cars Ive paid $65k for, a used 2013 Porsche Carrera, a 2017 Shelby GT350 and my wifes 22 Hyundai Palisade.
I love how the first two prices make sense and then you see the hyundai and it’s all wtf.
yeah she bought it peak covid prices with a $5k markup, I was trying to convice her to get a Pilot but the Palisade is a Calligraphy with all the bells and whistles Honda didnt have.
My 05 cobalt was 13,150 and my 2011 thunderbird storm was 13,700. everything else ive gotten used and beat up so they were much cheaper.
Definitely the F250 bought for $3000 a few years ago, because I’m counting the $8000 engine rebuild it just had. I guess not so bad from a TCO perspective.
Though the Subaru Outback bought for $2500 with a FAKED receipt for a head gasket job was also kinda pricy after the engine swap.
My series of Nissan pickups have been pretty dang cheap though.
<cries in minivan> 2024 Kia Carnival SX Prestige at MSRP. $49k
Minivans rock.
Most expensive was my 2014 Kia I purchase new. First car I’d ever purchased new. It was a bait & switch model to get people in the show room. Base model that cost me $12,900 out the door. It’s still my daily driver.
My wife’s 2022 Hyundai Elantra SEL Premium. $32k…
In 2020 I was fortunate enough to buy my all time dream car, 2005 Lotus Elise for $28k. Other than that, it was my wife’s 2013 sienna for 24k, the vast majority of my cars have been under 10k though and that’s what I’m most comfortable with. I can afford more, I just don’t see the point.
I’m just diving down here to read how the most expensive car someone bought was a BMW outside of warranty. Mostly so that I can drive out the thoughts in my head of buying one.
I think it’s probably the $800 Porschelump.
I’ve had a combination of “ain’t broke” (good!) and “no extra money” (I hate my life and everything about it) my whole life, so yeah. 🙁
The most I’ve paid was around $20k, after taxes, fees, and all that nonsense, for a 2017 Kia Forte5 SX in 2019. It’s an outlier, because the next most expensive was my 2010 BMW 335d, which was about $6500 out the door. The other 37 cars I’ve bought have been $4200 and under, many sub-$1000.
9 years ago I bought a ’74 Alfa Romeo 2000GT for A$25000. It’s also been the most reliable and cheapest to maintain car I’ve owned.
I paid $10K ($17K adjusted for inflation) for my 1996 Subaru Legacy Brighton with the manual transmission in 2000. I needed a car immediately, so I went to the Subaru dealership (had loved my previous car, a Loyale wagon), and picked out a used wagon in the dark, and didn’t even negotiate. Wrote a check for $10K for it. I later looked and found that I paid $500 over KBB price, but price wasn’t a concern. I also didn’t look at the car in daylight or I would have noticed the right headlight mounts were cracked, the grille was was cracked and loose and that there was a chip in the hood. However, it was still a great purchase—reliable, tough, spacious, incredibly low total cost of ownership, and still my daily 24 years later.
My two car purchases since then have cost considerably less. A 2010 Prius for $7.2K in 2016 (no longer have), and a 2003 Legacy wagon in 2019 for $2.1K (still have, also excellent, but on the other side of the country where my girlfriend is driving it).
Paid around $42k for my wife’s Highlander Hybrid last year. It hurt to: 1) Pay $42k for an unremarkable low trim Toyota and 2) Pay MSRP. Strange times we are living in.
Same price on 2 different vehicles a KTM 2 stroke new in 2020 and a 2002 Subaru Legacy GT wagon in 2012. $10k is currently my limit.
$10,000?
Nah… no thanks.
$6,000 is my cut off point.
Used to be $3,000
Times have changed and I’ve adjusted my expectations to match with inflation.
I’ve never paid a dime over 5k on any car I’ve owned to this day.
No banks own any of the cars in my fleet.
My car payments go to parts stores, tools and hours spent bloodying my knuckles in the driveway.
Most expensive: The Autopian-certified Holy Grail BMW 740ld, for which I paid the princely sum of 22,000, and for which in return I got the car, several cases of wine, and a full tank of diesel (and also got to see Encinitas, which I love).
Cheapest: The $500 1986 Mazda 626 I bought in high school. Two functioning doors, two functioning windows (note: not necessarily the windows in the functioning doors), and absolutely glowing in primer gray.
Best value: 1999 Toyota 4Runner SR5, 5-speed, 4×4. $4,000. Any young readers, take note: I have met more, and more interesting, women driving this than I ever have driving the BMW.
Good call on the 4Runner. They’re pricy for a reason. And aww…Encinitas. Coastal north County is the best.
Love it! Greetings from Encinitas!
Leased a new 02 z06 corvette. Was newly divorced and flush with freedom and cash. Was a great car 3/4 of the year. Black on black fast and fun, grest value for the mone imo. IIRC it was about 60k.
October 2022 I purchased a used 2022 Audi S5 Sportback with 9K miles for $60k. It was the finance managers car at nearby dealership, Premium Plus with all available options. Traded my 2018 Golf R which had 45K miles, they offered me $35K and considering I paid $40K for that new, I was happy. I like the S5, but loved and miss the R which was APR stage 1. The R was just more suited to my driving style, better handling, just as powerful as the S5. Both are excellent on gas as I average 36 mpg at 70 mph on trips between FL and NJ. I’m likely going to purchase a 2025 S3 when available next fall, same MQB platform as the R, a bit more quiet hopefully like the S5, likely will be similar handling to the R although that remains to be seen. I am a very long time VW fan and owner, have had no more issues with that corporate brand then any other I’ve had except for Honda / Acura vehicles which were uber reliable.
I’ve been fortunate, a lifetime of hard work, good decisions, and priorities have enabled me to buy some really nice cars and trucks. My latest and most expensive, a 2023 BMW M850i, had a MSRP of 116k. That is a long ways from my first car, a 67 Firebird with a 326 power glide in 3 different colors. $1100 in 1978.
I picked up a Civic of some sort a month ago for MSRP.
I think both my 2011 Silverado and 2017 Bolt were $18k used. Before that I paid $14k for a Volt and $12k for a Civic Hybrid. Not particularly spendy, but then I’m not really an expensive tastes kind of guy for the most part, and I definitely don’t need a car that’s new off the lot.