Car buying scenario for daughter

[Revving2Redline]

My MIL is a poster child for automotive logical fallacies.

"Any car that burns oil is worn out, I don't want to have to open the hood. I have a professional job now and opening the hood is for poor people."

"If you come over here with that car, park on the grass. I just paved my driveway and don't want an oil slick."

"Any car with xxx miles is worn out, I don't mind buying a 20 year old LeSabre if it's got low miles."

It seems in OPs situation there is steam building behind wanting/needing a truck, and the task is figuring out how to let this steam escape so a rational decision is made, even if it is in fact buying a truck. The two women involved are confused about wants vs needs, probably luckily because they've had a well-provided life experience so far. It would be good for the daughter as an entering-adulthood skill to ground herself in the expenses of everyday life, to help her better define wants vs needs. It's hard to come up with this income/expenditure baseline in the semi-dependent, nebulous world of being still in school while working part-time and living at home. (Adding a vehicle compounds this measuring problem.) And this magical time, seeing one's kid enter adulthood and start making grown-up decisions, is wonderful and memorable so one doesn't want to offend the kid and have them move out early. The mom/wife has hangups that sound like my MILs that need airing in the sunlight so it can be seen if they're reasonable, and where the line is that won't be crossed.

I used those excuses in previous relationships to move from one headache to another. I identify with Charlie Harper. https://static.klipy.com/ii/c3a19a0b747a76e98651f2b9a3cca5ff/8d/6f/S4DWPxdB.gif

 

[Silverado12]

Chevy has the new Equinox EV on sale (I think the RS model) for under 30K. I don't think the price of fuel is going down anytime soon, so may as well not have a gas bill with that payment. Just my opinion, though. If I didn't make long trips to remoteville, West Virginia I would get one.

 

[QwikKota]

I looked long and hard to find a reliable used truck. The prices are much higher compared to a car because of the utility factor. Why does She need a truck? Is She hauling or towing something?

 

[fantastic]

Yeah, I think it will teach her patience & restraint on what she wants by reminding her of what she already has. It may not be glorious vehicle but it's a heck of a lot better than what a lot of us forum folks started driving with. Based on your initial math if she gets 5.25 months out of that car she'll recoup the cost of that $2100 repair bill. That's a gamble I'd bet since it should have some life left at 144k. Are these the ones that blow up the engines though? I don't know how often that happens but I'd still gamble on it blowing up just for the shear fact she can use that time to save money for the replacement vehicle & having no trade-in value. Certainly a used reliable brand can be a good option for a replacement once the money has been saved up.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Yeah, I think it will teach her patience & restraint on what she wants by reminding her of what she already has. It may not be glorious vehicle but it's a heck of a lot better than what a lot of us forum folks started driving with. Based on your initial math if she gets 5.25 months out of that car she'll recoup the cost of that $2100 repair bill. That's a gamble I'd bet since it should have some life left at 144k. Are these the ones that blow up the engines though? I don't know how often that happens but I'd still gamble on it blowing up just for the shear fact she can use that time to save money for the replacement vehicle & having no trade-in value. Certainly a used reliable brand can be a good option for a replacement once the money has been saved up.

Any car even brand new can break down

 

[fantastic]

Any car even brand new can break down

Great point

 

[TimeFlies]

In my opinion, she should keep her current Hyundai.
Once working no less than 2 years FULL TIME, then trade it in if she still wants to. A recession is coming along to, and in a couple years she may be able to buy a nice, barely (3 to 5 years old ) used, something, cheap.