[jetlagged]

I posted a similar thread in the forester forum back when I was interested in the forester. but the few response I got said don't do it, dont buy a new car. I agreed with them, and lost my interest. Now that I'm leaning towards the outback, and about to go for it, I'm saying to myself whether I'm making the right decision all over again.

A little about myself. I've always had dreams of just quitting my full time job and just traveling around the world for a year or two. it's something i think about everyday, and i now have the funds to go for it. Now a part of me wants to buy a new car as well. I'm looking at a 2013 outback 2.5 limited, which will run me $32.5K with TTL. I plan to sell my car privately, and make a downpayment of 15-20k on the new car if i go for it. I plan to travel for 1 year at the minimum and 2 years at the max with a budget of $2k a month. I'm only working now until around July/August 2013, and that's it for me. I'm single, no kids, no girlfriend, i don't own a house, rent is only $300 a month, and that includes utilities with 4 other room mates in a house. no debt whatsoever. college graduate, and have been working in my profession for 6 years now.

So what do you folks think, I'd like to hear the opinions here. Should I buy a new car or just hold off and just travel the world first or do both?

 

[ricyoon]

i think you would need to list more about your current situation including finances, family situations and aspirations for overall opinions.
Based on what you mentioned, i would pick travel for a year or two over a lambo; that's just me though.

Good luck and godspeed.

Ric

 

[idosubaru]

Oh cool, I like the way you think...i think!!.....I say forget the new car - I would avoid that even being in the equation at all (qualifier to come later). That's how the rest of America lives, spend a bunch of money on cars, bah, not for me. In general I question myself if I start thinking like everyone else and proceed carefully. I sort of think like this - if so much is at stake between buying a new car or driving my *ancient* 2002 relic like i have now - my life is really boring. It's a drop in the bucket really, it's just a car. It's easy enough to get the reliability I need from an older Subaru. Choose wisely and with a little education you can have a reliable older vehicle. But I'm weird and haven't watched TV at all in 10 years because there's hundreds of things I find more fun than sitting down watching other people have fun or have drama...seems really boring. I fall asleep if folks talk about TV shows, which happens a lot...going and doing something is so much more fun. But I'm strange, so maybe you should do the inverse of whatever I say.

I say do whatever it takes to do the traveling thing and actually experience life, people, and the world a little. Then make your car decision based on that. Figure everything else out and make the *easy* car decision. If a new car easily fits into your plans, then do it, who cares. If it doesn't...which a thread like this suggests there's doubt, then maybe not. Find a car (newer but not new maybe) that's a perfect and easy fit, no sense in taxing yourself or future for a piece of metal.

Sounds to me like you know how to live smart and think ahead...keep doing that.

 

[Latigo]

There's a lot to be said for new $hit. Personally, I'm fantastically comfortable in my home, country, and profession. Would I like to see Europe or Africa or drive across the Australian Outback (perhaps in an Outback)? Sure. But spending a year or two doing that doesn't do it for me.
I'd get the Outback. If the MSRP is over $32k, you can easily talk em below $30k. Mine stickered nearly $35k and I got it just under $31k. Use the savings to drive across central Mexico if you want an adrenaline packed adventure.

 

[Soon2bSubaru]

I think you shouldn't listen to anyone else's opinion and should go with what your heart tells you.

 

[Eiger19]

Wait to buy - Personal experience

So here is a little bit of advice from someone that just debated that very decision a year ago.

In July 2011 my wife and I decided to sell our 1996 Jeep Cherokee. It was too expensive to drive with its pitiful gas mileage. We decided that we wanted to buy a car. After a bit of research we found that a new car made sense. We began looking around and were pretty set on buying a new Outback. Until my wife suggested that we just live with one car, our current 1997 Nissan Altima, until we need another car. We found a job (we do contract work) that was close enough for one of us to bike to work and lived with the one car until December. Then per our plan we left working in December 2011 traveled around the US a bit and returned from South America following 5 months abroad in mid July 2012. Then at the end of July after having plenty of time to think about it and think about what we wanted to do over the next couple of years we pulled the trigger and bought a 2013 Outback.

Long story short I am very glad that we waited until after we were done traveling to purchase a new car. I am happy we didn't have car payments while we were gone. I am happy that the car didn't just sit there for half a year (which isn't the best thing for a car).
I would say wait to buy a new car if you know you are going to travel. While traveling your reality and what you may want to do with your life could change. Traveling is a very eye opening experience and you will undoubtedly return a little different. If you completely change your perspective on life it would be a bummer to have a shiny new car waiting for you at home that no longer fit into your life.

Just my 2 cents. Best of luck to you. Enjoy!

 

[iainb]

I posted a similar thread in the forester forum back when I was interested in the forester. but the few response I got said don't do it, dont buy a new car. I agreed with them, and lost my interest. Now that I'm leaning towards the outback, and about to go for it, I'm saying to myself whether I'm making the right decision all over again.

A little about myself. I've always had dreams of just quitting my full time job and just traveling around the world for a year or two. it's something i think about everyday, and i now have the funds to go for it. Now a part of me wants to buy a new car as well. I'm looking at a 2013 outback 2.5 limited, which will run me $32.5K with TTL. I plan to sell my car privately, and make a downpayment of 15-20k on the new car if i go for it. I plan to travel for 1 year at the minimum and 2 years at the max with a budget of $2k a month. I'm only working now until around July/August 2013, and that's it for me. I'm single, no kids, no girlfriend, i don't own a house, rent is only $300 a month, and that includes utilities with 4 other room mates in a house. no debt whatsoever. college graduate, and have been working in my profession for 6 years now.

So what do you folks think, I'd like to hear the opinions here. Should I buy a new car or just hold off and just travel the world first or do both?

You need strangers on the internet to tell you if you should buy a car or travel the world for two years?

Seriously? FFS...

 

[Storkiln]

Given the modern speed of going anywhere you wish on the planet within 24 hrs (sans flight delays), you'll need to be living for some time in various locales in order to stretch it out to 2 years.

Might I suggest something completely different for your consideration: pick a region in the world and go through it on a bicycle tour. Go from village to village throughout Europe, or Australia, or New Zealand, or Southeast Asia. What better way to intimately experience a place, plus getting in shape. Browse through the Journals at this site. A good number of people there are doing the long tour for the first time in their lives.
crazyguyonabike.com: Bicycle Touring: Journals

Or do the same thing, but on a motorcycle.

 

[subiesailor]

Travel the world for a few years

See the below story here
Latitude 38 Letters - August 2012

A car is just a car anyone can have a car. Not everyone can travel, see the world and live life by experiencing it.

Taken from Lattitude38 ---- (GO TRAVEL)
"Having now covered 31,700 ocean miles and visited 35 countries with my Columbia 34 MKII Breta, my boat and I are back in the United States. I finished the trip as I began it, singlehanded. But while enroute I had a total of 17 crewmembers, all of them vegetarians — and all of them female. Cynthia, a Dutch girl, even lasted through the whole ugly Red Sea leg from Sri Lanka up to Israel — and that 4,400 miles took 147 days. Susanne, a Swedish girl, did the Atlantic and the Caribbean with me, which was 3,400 miles and 109 days. Maus, my cat, accompanied me all the way around. I kept an exact record of all my expenses during my circumnavigation. In the 4 years, 9 months and 9 days it took me to sail from Puerto Vallarta to Puerto Vallarta, I spent an average of $14.66 a day. That's $445 a month, $5,350 a year, or a grand total of $25,300. I had budgeted $20 day, so I completed the trip way under budget. Those numbers include every single expenditure. I did two bottom jobs, one in New Zealand and one in Thailand. I had no major breakdowns, and didn't fly home."

As we recall, Wessbacher paid $10,000 for his Columbia 34. After his circumnavigation he purchased a LaFitte 44.

 

[scoobydoo2]

If it was me...I would do the around the world thing. You can always get a car anytime after that...and you only live once. My dad used to say "get even, live long enough to spend your kids inheritance." You can't take it with you when you go...that is why my wife and I have spent the last three summers traveling around Europe.

 

[Gelacy]

If you plan to travel the world, how would you keep the car in running condition while you're away from home? Other than giving it to someone else to use for the length of time you'd be gone form North and South America, I would suggest to not buy a new car until you get back.

By then the Outback, in the U.S., would be coming closer to the fuel efficiency requirements when you get back than in this model year.

Or are you planning on literally traveling the world in your vehicle?

 

[Jake2c]

Have to concur with most people here. A car is just a car. I have traveled the world by boat and airlines and the memories and stories I have are priceless to me. I also just bought a new OB and I am enjoying it but during the heavy part of my travel I just had an old beater which was fine. There will always be another car but the world is changing quickly.

 

[jetlagged]

Thanks for the responses here folks. I posted the same thread in a travel forum, and the responses mirrored this forum overwhelmingly. I had doubts, and was about to go buy one, but now it's cleared up and I'm just going to hold off. Feels like a huge weight has just been lifted off my shoulder. Yeah going to a forum like this may not be the right place to get advice about life, but that's whats great about forums because we can exchange/share opinions here.

 

[Subyblue]

TRAVEL. If you don't do it now, you will always wish you had. If you go and it isn't your life's dream after all, then just stop and come back to what you had.

 

[ricyoon]

Thanks for the responses here folks. I posted the same thread in a travel forum, and the responses mirrored this forum overwhelmingly.

I'm willing to bet you'll get a slightly different response in a bmw/mbz/audi forum.