Originally Posted by vpats
Don't mean to throw cold water on your dreams, however, in most States you can't legally purchase a vehicle at 15. I'll assume that the folks are in agreement with this purchase and will buy the car with your money, and sign the note, you did say you're looking at $8000 and only have $2600.
Have you checked the insurance rates on this car? Beng 15 with a car like the Crossfire it should be expensive, then there's the maintenance costs; ie. oil changes (store bought) can run in excess of $100, tires can cost in excess of $700 and don't get me started on A/C units. You did say 80K + miles on this car, didn't you?
When my step-son went through this, he had neglected to consider the hidden costs to owning a car, insurance, gas, oil, tires, batteries and so on. He tried to sell me on "look it's only $260 per month" Well it's a whole lot more, I knew that and he has learned it.
I do wish you good luck in achieving your goal. Keep us posted to your progress.
I'm going to go with this post. Just maintenance alone is too much for a 15/16 year-old or his parents. I got my XF when I was 18 and the lowest I could get the insurance to was $2800/year. This is with a good driving record, no tickets, multi-line discounts, multi-car discounts, etc. $2800 a year. That's basically what you have saved up to this point in one year. That's not something that everyday people just throw around.
Look, I know why you would really want one of these cars, but truth be told, it's not a good idea. You need something that gets better gas mileage, something you can haul your friends around in, something cheaper to fix if something goes wrong. The oil changes themselves will cost $140 each at the dealer, around $80-100 if you do it yourself. I know this car may woo girls your age (trust me, we've ALL been there), but I think they'll be more impressed when you can actually drive them somewhere cause you have money for gas, or because you have money for a ticket to a movie or to take her out to dinner. Trust me, this car would be good for you when you're a little older, not as a first car.
If you do buy this car, be prepared for the day you'll have to sell it. It's too much for someone your age. It's almost too much for someone my age.