So I bought a car last week.  DH's car was totalled at the beginning of the month and we haven't replaced it.  Well we sort of did but not really.  We are planning on replacing his 2016 Subaru Legacy which we got paid out $16k with a 2021 Tesla Model Y for about $33k.  Haven't found the right one year but that's what the plan is.

That being said I was driving a friend two weeks ago and said I was looking for a car and she said "i'm looking to sell mine."  Well I said great can I buy it?  She said yes.  So I picked it up and had it taken to a mechanic and bodyshop and decided okay.

It was a 2011 Subaru Impreza with 31.5k miles.  One old lady driver who garaged it and maintened it but hadn't driven it in a year.  She had broken the passenger mirror but for $1k fixable she said.  Can do!  Was excited.  Then I pulled it out and turns out her family had driven it and damaged it severely.  How bad?

Well it needed a new battery, new tires, and alignment about $1k.  The mechanic then did an oil change and flush of fluids for $1k.  I paid for this and said I would take it off the cost of the car.  Then the damage to the bodywork.  It needed a new fender, fender liner, bumper front and back and polishing of all four doors because it looks like it had been run between two cars or something.  All in around $5k in work according to the body shop with taxes included.

She was so upset that it would need so much work to be driveable.  You could hear the fender scraping on bare metal without the liner and the bumpers were screwed in with screws to attach it.  But I said I'd still buy it because I wanted a non-gas guzzler to drive instead of my minivan.  And in 18 months my DK1 will be 16 and needing to drive.  

So I bought the car for $2k and paid for the registration and excise tax around $500 and we made the deal. I took it to the repair shop this weekend and negotiated to have a rental covered and paid in full cash instead of credit card for a discount.  I paid $3500 in cash.  So I'm into the car for $2500 + $3500 + $2000 = $8000 for a low mileage subaru.

Brought it home today and my DH flipped out.  The car he said looked like a trash dump heap two weeks ago was painted and polished and looked like his DREAM car from his 20s he said.  The cute red hatchback was perfect. It really did remind me of his old ford focus and I told him it was the perfect first kid car.  Since she was a hoarder I still need to have it detailed it's so dirty.  I had about 6 garbage bags of crap I cleaned out and it'll be detailed next Friday.

I picked up my friend and showed off the car.  She smiled and said she was so glad someone was going to keep it instead of sending it to the salvage.  I told her the car would be well loved and provided for at least another 10 years! 

Plan is drive it 18 months, hand it to DK1 for 2 years till 2028 when she graduated.  DK2 has it 2028 to 2030 till she graduates.  Then in 2030 DK1 might need a car for college 2030-2032, then DK2 from 2032-2034.  If the car can make it that long then we are set.

So all in around $8k for a 2011 Subaru Impreza with 31.5k miles.  Not a bad deal at all.  And I get something to run around in for 18 months and if we make more money I might just buy myself another car.  Or DH might get a new tesla at that point and I'll take the 2021 model Y.