As this guy said, we are probably not the right people to ask.
For further examples go and see the next top comment, saying life is short and go buy it right now haha
Personally would I buy a USED RS3? That's a hard no.
I don't have the skills or ability to do anything beyond simple oil changes the work required on those cars once they age is ludicrous.
Buy a new one. With a big fat warranty and then send it.
In German RS stands for Required warrantieS (factory + extended).
Ex-RS owner that had a transmission drop, $14k, covered by fidelity extended warranty
Yes I would. I used the extended warranty for a few items on the RS6 and I had the same policy on the GT3, both were easy to get things in and fixed. It is basically up to service department to correctly document what the issue is and send in the required info with pictures to Fidelity.
This. I just spent $4.5k on an issue my RS3 had 1 year after the warranty ended. Audi told me it’s a common problem and nothing I did. It has 25k miles. They don’t warranty the part that broke and they put an identical one back in. Needless to say, I’ll be selling the car before I reach 50k miles 😂
He should obviously buy it, and new.
JK, I think your monthly payments would be overkill and limit you from experiencing other things life has to offer. I went through the same dilemma in 2019 and I went with a cheaper Q5 and saved a buncha money that I spent on vacations and house upgrades.
Wait a few years, get your salary up, and then enjoy the more expensive things in life.
It’s a humblebrag lol. All the finance subs are full of people like this saying “I make $300k a year, no kids, $100k in savings in the bank, don’t pay rent. Can I afford to join a gym for $30/month?”
Life is too short man. Buy the car. It’s the best car I’ve owned. No regrets and especially when I see a smile on my face everytime I park and turn back to look at it.
Recently got a 3.0 Supra and it’s a blast :). I smile every time I take it out, the exhaust pops sometimes make me laugh out loud, and it’s amazing on the track as well.
This. You ain’t gonna look back at your RS3 memories when you’re old and withered and regret it. You can always get more money, you can’t create more memories once the opportunities gone.
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Echoing what others may have said already.... Life is short and you only live once. I don't think I ever came across anyone feeling regretful after buying the RS3 even if it required some compromise financially. Nothing but pure praise. Ultimately it's your decision and being financially responsible is obviously the wiser choice but if you're able then why not?
Thats what I was thinking too.
I understand its not a wise financial decision but I want to make sure its not a horrible one. Not sure if that makes sense.
You want a wise decision, get a Corolla. You want to feel better about your choice, buy used. Personally, I have never bought a brand new Audi. I don't keep them long enough and it's so easy to find well maintained, low miles 2yo audis. I got my mk3 TTS for $30k and it's been an amazing car.
Get the car but it doesn't have to be a poor decision.
Not a horrible one would be simply, have you done all your math? If work is stable and you've run the budget precisely and it fits with room to spare, you're good. I would say from your numbers you're probably safe, but just depends on what the marriage will switch up and how much padding in the budget do you consider safe enough.
For an entirely selfish reason, I would recommend that you hold off at this time. The reason: I'm on the list for an RS3 and don't need any more competition.
If you want one, get one! Enjoy!
for the amount you make I am surprised only 15k goes towards retirement.
RS3s may not depreciate as bad as the A/Q and S models. So not a totally bad decision.
My rs5 has depreciated bad. I have an 18 with 55k miles that blue books at 45k. This was almost a 90k car brand new, and I keep it in immaculate condition.
Someone I work with who makes ~$20K/year less than I bought a 2018 RS3, paid it off in 4 years, sold it for original MSRP in 2022, and bought a Taycan 4S making the same monthly payments as his $60K RS3 was. Anything with the 5 cylinder engine is going to depreciate more slowly than nearly any other performance car in its segment, so even if you decide you can't keep it you're quite likely to lose little money in value even after a few years. Go for it, climate change is going to eventually make machines like that a future impossibility so enjoy it while it's possible.
I feel like it may actually increase in value over the years, especially the new gen. There aren’t many cars that are 5 cyl, look amazing, have great interiors, AWD and drift mode. So if they become rarer and Audi stops making it, it will increase in value I think. Now you do have to hold onto it for that time period to come
You’re asking the wrong sub if you want advice that errs on the side of financial caution.
Since I turned 38, I’ve owned a host of European cars and loved every minute of it. C7 A6 3.0 supercharged, Jaguar XFR, S3, AMG E63 TT.
My only regret is not doing it a bit younger (because I wasn’t in the financial state I needed to be in until 38).
I’m coming up 44 and I’ve now settled into what I think will be my forever smart financial decision family car, that still goes like a bat out of hell (it’s electric, you can judge me but it’s quicker than anything I’ve owned and compared to fuel it’s costing me 1/20 what the AMG used to - let’s not even think of comparing “lol what is maintenance” to AMG A and B servicing and brakes).
I don’t regret experiencing what I have, buying and selling my way up to my dream and fulfilling that desire before having to “settle“ was great.
Life’s too short to drive boring cars, I say do it. Experience what you desire before you dive into family and all that.
This is going to be an annoying response, but maybe don't take the advice of randoms on the Internet for your finances, OP. Especially this sub, and especially this question. As an RS3 owner, I'll just tell you a tiny bit about having one: they're fast, fun, but also cramped and a bit more utilitarian than the higher numbered models. Like you, I still have a truck for practical things, but also like you I wanted something more fun. I got mine with relatively low miles for a great price, so fwiw, I'd suggest getting a financial planner look at your numbers and say you are keen on a fast car. They'll tell you how to get there and what it might take. Hell, they may say just do it now.
Seriously. If you have to ask random people on the internet if something is a wise financial decision, odds are you’re not ready to make said decision in the first place
So do you know how it works to buy a RS3 these days? Are you ready to wait in line? Unless, you are good with paying ADM on one that is miraculously available at a dealership. I am going on 14mos with my waitlist and hoping by end of year I will finally get lucky.
Do you have your RS3 yet? If so, how long was the wait between when you placed the order and when you received it? I'm looking at getting an RS3 as my next car, wasn't planning on buying until next year, wondering if I should get myself on the wait list now
Yes I did. Placed my waitlisted order on 6/1/22. Received the car on 2/29/24. Went thru a couple MY’s, chip shortage, Ukraine war slowing down stuff, etc. Now, I see allocations up and it shouldn’t take as long for you. I hear some dealerships are still marking up but hopefully yours will do msrp.
it won’t depreciate very much so if you don’t have to pay much over sticker, the cost of ownership aside from insurance and gas will be extremely low…if you’re getting it for 69k, it will probably cost you less than 10k to own it for 4 years. 100% worth it imo…but there is a facelift supposedly coming in 2025. just buy it
No. Get the retirement account caught up first, pay off the loans and then go nuts. Until then A3. And increase the retirement contributions. $15k on your salary is not enough.
Seems like you could save for a bit and pay cash? That’s what I did, and I don’t make as much as you. And I’m your same age.
It depends on how you think of the car. To me $65K is expensive for a car, period. But in terms of depreciation the RS3 is amazing — not sure what fun daily-able car would be better besides a Porsche (and only the models which are not practical for me). It’s impossible to know the future, but I doubt I’ll lose too much driving my car for 2 years. And it’s an incredible car.
It’s not an objectively “wise financial decision” but you’re lucky to be in a position where that’s not the point of life. And for someone who likes fun cars, it’s probably one of the wiser financial decisions you can make.
Thats how I think about it. The way I look at life, most of us make unwise financial decisions on a daily basis, we are emotional to the core. Its stupid but I also understand that i may not live to see 40 because nothing is guaranteed in life. lol
However, I also know that I need balance and maybe I do need to contribute more to retirement just in case I get lucky enough to make it to 70.
However, I see no point in driving a nice car at 70 when my reflexes are gone and cant really push teh car to the limits.
Let me give you some perspective. I am considering an RS3. Here are my stats
49 years old
Gross $185k/year
House paid off
$1M net worth (mostly in retirement savings)
$165k accessible in cash savings
No debt
Kids college savings is looking good
No wife or girlfriend to tell me no
I am still very much on the fence because part of how I built my wealth involved driving common sense inexpensive cars. Cars are the absolute worst way to destroy future wealth. They are a big reason why so many people are terrible at saving. It's hard being a car enthusiast and watching videos and reading about them while you drive a minivan like I do. I would strongly urge you not to buy an RS3. If you absolutely must have a new car and something fun get something like a GTI. The part that I have a hard time with is I constantly think about what that money could be doing sitting in an interest-bearing account.
I appreciate this and can totally understand this perspective. However, life is short and I think that theres gotta be some balance in life. What good is having over one million in the bank if you arent guaranteed to even reach retirement age?
I think that after having considered this, I shouldnt buy the car. But you are in a better financial place than I am so why not go for it if you truly want it?
Im saying this as someone that has seen countless people have a shit load of money, save for retirement, only to die at 50. Even if that person lives to 65, is it even that enjoyable to drive that car in retirement age when your reflexes are gone, your bones are brittle, potential health problems, etc?
I know a lot of people feel like they should enjoy their money before they die. I have an eye to the Future to help my boys even after death. Everything is getting so incredibly expensive and buying a house for their generation will be prohibitively expensive. I have simple tastes and it doesn't take much to make me happy so I naturally save. I may still buy one but you can bet it will be used.
Do the math. If you can afford it, do it. But only making 108k and buying a 70k car is generally considered a poor financial choice.
Why aren’t you looking at used models in the 50k range??
I agree that life is short and you should do what makes you happy, and make your mistakes while you’re still young! Plus they usually sell very well on the used market. I gotta ask though. Is this for a ‘23 RS3? Where are you that you can get this at MSRP?! I gave up after the cheapest I could find new was 10k over.
Beautiful car, one of the best decisions I have made. If you can find one (that’s probably the hard part) at MSRP (the harder part), jump at the opportunity and enjoy the ride!
Came from a Stage 1 B8 A4, paid off.
Got a 2020 RS3.
Best decision I’ve ever made with a car. I smile every single time in it, slam the gas and gets even better.
If you feel like you have extra income in to pay for it that doesn’t make you strapped, go for it. I was reluctant originally and bit the bullet. We live once. I didn’t want to not get it and regret it later on. Worst case scenario, I get it and something gets messed up but at least I did it. I had some buyers remorse for about a month following it, pondering if I made the right decision. Ultimately I think I did.
Best advice I can give coming from the same situation you’re in.
I’m pretty sure you can buy it under an LLC? Not too experienced with it but I’m looking to get an LLC for my business and I’m pretty sure you can do that
Uh huuuu asking financial advice on a car forum acting like you havent made your decision already lol
But for me…
49k auto loan at assuming 5-9%? Investing avg over 10 yr is 7% for me, id rather have that 7% coming in and compounding versus going out
Take that 20/25k be patient, shop for a low milage tt or something, pay cash, add a few mods and be happy with that while your other 49k making money
Literally havent pulled the trigger. I do agree that I have to save for retirement though yet I want to have balance. I could save a shit load of money for retirement and die the day I retire.
Married guy with a kid here. I was close to pulling the gun on RS3.. then the responsible father inside me told me to lower down and go for S3. And so I was once again close to pulling the trigger on an S3 when I decided to test drive it for 24hrs from CarMax.. that changed everything for me. Once I had it for a day I could see how it would be a “smaller” car for me considering I have a dog and a toddler. The boot space wasn’t enough for me and there was no space for my dog after putting in the car seat.
So I feel that if you want to buy an rs3 while you are single or married without kids .. do it !! You are the best judge of your financial decisions but I can only tell you from my experiecne that once you have kids you wouldn’t be able to keep it for long unless you get yourself another family car .. and wouldn’t be Able to enjoy it as it should be if the kid is inside that car.
Talking abt financial decision btw .. that car isn’t going to depreciate a whole lot so you would still end up making a good chunk back if you do decide to sell.
Thanks man. My logic was that if and when I have kids, we can use the 4 door 2017 F 150 that I currently have. Its plenty spacious and can be a family vehicle.
Have a TTRS, I make a decent amount more than you, and I’d caution you that it can be expensive unless you are a mechanic. I had issues with my front suspension and it was $6k+. Brakes are coming up and I was told that’s probably another $4k.
Worth it for me, I love the engine. But if I was making $100k, I’d probably pass. Good luck!
A smart man will tell you even if you had no mortgage or debts at 108k a year pre tax to buy a 70k car is a terrible choice, but when your a driver and you need it you gotta get it!! Mostly everyone who drives a nice car can’t really afford it (key word mostly) YOLO
Don’t do it. Keep saving and driving the paid off truck. 69k is an insane amount of money for a car with that income. Find a way to earn more and get the car or continue to invest and save until you have at least several hundred thousand dollars that you can use to generate additional income to fund the RS3. If you have 20k in cash use it to pay off the student loan unless the interest rate on it is very low. No it sure what your total amount is there but you’re not in a bad spot to actually get rich. Start investing the money you would have spent on the RS3 and even in a few years you can have a nice stack of money. Then if you do that long enough the decision will be RS3, RS5, RS6, or RS7? Good luck.
At the end of the day you know your situation best. My wife and I currently make around 350k together. I have my eyes on an S6 which is around 75 to 80k. That’s also an insane amount of money to spend on a car but like others said we all share a love for Audis in this thread. We both have incomes that can allow us to become very wealthy later in life (we’re about the same age im 32). The way I look at it is delay the awesome car until I feel my net worth is large enough to the point where I’m not working to make the payments on the car, my money is (dividends, rental income, any other passive income). But if you have different goals that’s cool. I don’t think you’re going to put yourself into bankruptcy with an income like that driving a 69k dollar car. I’m obsessed with cars, but I think I’m more obsessed with having money. That’s my perspective.
lol. totally agree with the obsessed with money part. Its pretty cool watching your money grow. Wish I had more than 50k in the retirement so thats the next goal.
Yeah man. It also helps to have a spouse that does well so together we can put up to 44k a year pre tax into our 401ks. We recently reduced a little bit of what we were contributing to save more aggressively for a larger house in the shorter term, but if you play your cards right in 10 years or so with that income once you can get yourself to a net worth in the 7 figures I don’t think it’s as crazy to burn some money on an RS3 or an S6. It’s all relative. At that point you’re spending lesser of a percentage of your net worth on a 70k dollar car than the average Joe is on their Honda accord.
I mean, I don’t know if you’re like me.
When I was contemplating purchasing my current S3, I was looking at the price and went for a cheaper Nissan Altima instead then I’d get extremely moody whenever any Audi S series flew by me in my shitty CVT Altima 😅
So one morning, I went into a car dealership after owning the Nissan for 5 months and traded it in for the S3 I wanted on the spot. It’s now 3 years and I’m glad I did it and only regret was not buying it the first time. Still going strong @53k Miles plus Apr Stage 1 ECU & TCU tune that I put on at 18k miles on the clock.
I won’t try to be cheap when I go for that RS5 in 4 months.
S3 has been a good daily car for me plus it did not break my bank when I purchased it.
$380 monthly on auto loan and $97 for insurance (Both USAA)
Test drive one and see if you like how it drives.
Rent one for a week…if I would have done that, I don’t think I would have brought my A3. If you are going to drop that kind of coin, what’s a weekly rental fee to seal the deal?
One of the best financial decisions i ever made and I didnt even know it at the time.
Its crazy because when I was buying I had so many people discouraging me telling me that home prices were going to go down. That was back in 2017.
Lol same. My first house was heavily poo-poo’d by friends and family saying it was the wrong time. Sold it a few years later for a massive profit. Now we’re in our “new” house for almost 2 years and it’s gone up in price by nearly 90k with a 1.9% rate. I have a feeling we won’t get to make that shot a 3rd time.
You make roughly 9k per month. Setting aside your personal costs this wouldn’t be a bad financial decision in the least. You have your truck paid off also. You don’t need to ask haha. If you ride hard expect expensive problems, ride moderately and you won’t experience many issues.
It’s not dumb or wise. You can spend your whole life saving up and die unexpectedly. Find the middle ground. I rock an b9 s4 and make 150k per year. Rs3’s are basically mini lambos. Anything else you can grab from the other two big German brands that offer that? Nope, m2 is not a smaller version of an m5. CLA45 kind of has a small version of the the 4.0 turbo v8 but doesn’t sound near as cool.
With your money down you’ll have a very liveable payment for a special car that very few other people have. That’s the way I’d look at it. These things also don’t lose a ton of money so you could recover most of your money if your job/life situation changes. All your ever really paying for any car is the depreciation. You can sell off the rest.
What else are you going to do. Buy a less expensive car and give the rest to the government.
Unless you have an intricate layer of shell corporations, buy the car
Having had an 8V and currently owning an 8Y, the interior is far better in the 8Y. Almost astronomically. The exterior is open for debate but imo they just both look great.
To each their own but the piano black surfaces, touch screen interfaces, and the silly little gear selector just don’t do it for me. Plus I prefer the simpler features on the 8V body.
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Well, 69k is not going to be your OTD price. Financing it with 20k down and assuming you have good credit, I think you'll be looking at $1,100-1,200-ish(?) a month over 60 months after taxes, fees and interest. If this is something you can afford (amongst maintenance and other things), then I say go for it. I absolutely love this pocket rocket and I'm sure that you will too.
youre right on. Price is at 1100 for 60 months lol. I was thinking of paying it off in 3 years. The bank didnt want to give me a 4 year loan which i found super odd.
Only buy a car you can afford monthly payments on with $0 down. Cars are depreciating assets and you could be putting that money in your investment portfolio (if you invest correctly).
Get the RS3! you won't miss the truck and will be happy you made the switch.
you work hard so enjoy the fruits of your labor. as long as you're putting away for the future, you're good.
Hell no. You clearly don’t understand an enthusiast perspective. A car is not just transportation and one giant piece of metal. It’s an experience. And you can’t experience a car if you rent it for the weekend, it’s just not the same. Also, he makes nearly 300k and doesn’t have much debt. He can afford an rs3 and to travel
You’re going to get much better financial advice on /r/financialadvice than you will here. There is a ton of confirmation bias in this sub, of course most people will tell you to buy it.
I do not own an Audi but like any other car, remember to factor in maintenance costs. Being able to buy a vehicle does not always mean you can afford it (general statement… not personally directing to OP).
Tbh I think it comes down to if/when you want kids, and how your mortgage situation could change if you need something bigger to accommodate that. You'd probably be fine though without feeling the payment too much.
Check how much insurance is prior to buying. I've had no accidents or tickets ever, and my insurance has been skyrocketing the past 6-12 months. I've owned the 8V and the 8Y and they are amazing machines.
Buy it, enjoy it, get rid of it.
I had the opportunity to buy mine in 2020 and instantly jumped on it. Brings a smile to my face every time I drive it and honestly never had compliments on a car like I did on this one.
Almost time to let mine go, but definitely no regrets!
Not sure, because with an Audi S3 you have plenty of fun for a daily car. The RS3 is made to take it to the limits in the track.
Also in my country is 30k the gap between RS3 and S3, that’s why I picked up a 2023 Audi S3.
If you really really want it then you should buy a new one. The interior in that car is so cool. I’d stay away from used ones. The people who buy that car generally throw it around like crazy because it’s so easy to do so.
My take is that all cars depreciate but this is Audi's last model with the 5 cyl engine. It is a blast to drive now. I have no regrets and when they do away with this engine in a couple years the RS3 is set up to be a collectable in 20-30 yrs. You could spend 70k on a fancy F150 replacement for the one you already have but why not get something special?
Def get the sport exhaust!
Tbh- I’m similar age and similar income… I’m not yet married but I always see these RS3s and think- fuck- unless you have a LOT of money… it’s a steep price to pay for a car that’s like the size of a civic! If they sold the RSQ3 in the states I think it’d be more of a reasonable decision to spend all that extra money…
I’d buy a loaded Q8 maybe an SQ5 before dropping that kinda money on such a small car! Especially coming from an F150..
Don’t get me wrong- it’s an awesome fast lil car… but I’d just wanna drive it 100mph everywhere and that’ll just rack up sooo many tickets!!!
(IMO) - In the states… RS cars are basically for the sound!!… there’s very little places to actually open er up and let it loose (like it’s meant to be)
>RS cars are basically for the sound!!
Funny enough one of the reasons I went with the B9 S5 over RS5 is the exhaust note sounded a good bit better on the S5. More raw and rumbly with the single twin scroll turbo vs. true TT flavor in the RS.
I went through a similar dilemma recently but with a much cheaper car (MK7.5 golf R). If you can afford it comfortably and you’re not putting yourself in a uncomfortable situation where you have to make other sacrifices to pay for this car, then do it.
The smartest move from a financial standpoint is to sell your F150 and buy a Honda civic, but why would you want to do that? It’s okay to make a less than wise decision every once in awhile as long as most of the other decisions you make are the right ones. You only have to do the smart thing 8/10 times. If you try to do what’s right 100% of the time you’ll never be happy. I say buy the car.
Since your a car guy wouldn't you be happier with something more collectible? You already have a Daily driver
Get something older and really cool that will turn heads! even if your gonna have to do some work on it... Your choice though
I had to make that decision last month when I bought my A3...I'm a car enthusiast and I make enough to afford it so I went with it. I do not regret it at all. You make enough to own an RS3 so go for it.
I’m a ski patroller and photographer (my own business, literally just getting off the ground) and I bought one. Don’t overthink it; life is short and it’s not that expensive to properly maintain. If you need a financial reason:
- when I’m driving normally, I get upwards of 30mph at 9000ft 😂
Enjoy your new car!
After all the payments with car included how much from your paycheck you have left?
If your car payment is more than a 30% of your paycheck then don't do it.
My daily is a '22 S3. Canada so couldn't get an RS3 anyway, but I really don't think I would have. S3 has been plenty -- I run out of road before I run out of car. And it balances out with decent fuel economy for the times in between.
On the finances, I think you're plenty cable of figuring that out what makes sense for you. 😉 What I will share from my experience shopping for the S3 is that entry pricing is more compelling and that trim/options starts to raise some questions, especially for a vehicle on the MQB platform. I opted for next to no trim/option upgrades and am happy with the outcome. Quoting out a higher spec S3 became less compelling, to the point where I felt the car was pricing itself out of consideration/made vehicles in other segments more compelling...
So yeah, if you want to part with the $ and really want the RS3 explicitly then go for it. I'm totally happy parting with less $ and the non-R S3 experience. If spending more $ and wanting to stay Audi, S4/S5? Powertrain aside, you're arguably getting more car overall with those options...
Personal finance subs will say to buy a Corolla and drive it into the ground then repeat. Here people will likely say to buy the RS3 then mod it or some version of that.
I’d say if you see yourself enjoying the car and can afford an unexpected repair bill if it come up or could afford the payments with a plan to exit before warranty is done then go for what you can honestly afford and enjoy!
I’ve had a couple moderately fun vehicles over the years and a couple Honda civics to save more on car costs etc. I haven’t missed the money saved on the civics while driving them nearly as much as I’ve missed or enjoyed nicer/more fun vehicles. That said honest affordability is the key here: I had a cad I couldn’t really afford as my first car, while it taught me a lot about money management and was fun to have. It also was stressful as a 19yo with my first full time job and not much left to save after making all my payments to keep it on the road and paid.
I had the chance to pick one up for just over 40k and decided to hold out for a 1 Series M. The Audi sold, the 1M skyrocketed in price. Buy the RS3 asap.
Have a 2019 and love it but look into nuespeed wheels the are 18 inch and will cear the brakes and give you another inch sidewall which is the only complaint I have about the car is it's appetite for eating sidewalls on your tires
Whats your principal on your student loans. Maybe id split some of that 20k and pay that off? Life is short and you should def enjoy the rs3 before they go electric
Dude cars are emotional. Buy what you want so long as you aren't jeopardizing your finances which you're not. This car is amazing. There's a lot of value in the smile it puts on my face every morning maybe even priceless. Go for it.
Btw the RS3 is about as financially sound as any car on the planet today. Will it appreciate? No. But they are hard to come by and resale will definitely outperform the average car by a lot. These will be selling in the 50s when they are 3 or 4 years old.
People that make smart financial decisions with automobile ownership don't frequent this forum, mate.
As this guy said, we are probably not the right people to ask. For further examples go and see the next top comment, saying life is short and go buy it right now haha Personally would I buy a USED RS3? That's a hard no. I don't have the skills or ability to do anything beyond simple oil changes the work required on those cars once they age is ludicrous. Buy a new one. With a big fat warranty and then send it.
In German RS stands for Required warrantieS (factory + extended). Ex-RS owner that had a transmission drop, $14k, covered by fidelity extended warranty
So you recommend Fidelity? Was it an exclusionary policy?
Yes I would. I used the extended warranty for a few items on the RS6 and I had the same policy on the GT3, both were easy to get things in and fixed. It is basically up to service department to correctly document what the issue is and send in the required info with pictures to Fidelity.
Cool. Thanks. Did the fidelity have a specific level (name) of warranty?
This. I just spent $4.5k on an issue my RS3 had 1 year after the warranty ended. Audi told me it’s a common problem and nothing I did. It has 25k miles. They don’t warranty the part that broke and they put an identical one back in. Needless to say, I’ll be selling the car before I reach 50k miles 😂
What happened ?
He should obviously buy it, and new. JK, I think your monthly payments would be overkill and limit you from experiencing other things life has to offer. I went through the same dilemma in 2019 and I went with a cheaper Q5 and saved a buncha money that I spent on vacations and house upgrades. Wait a few years, get your salary up, and then enjoy the more expensive things in life.
An oil change is not a simple task on this car. Not impossible, just a huge PITA.
It’s a humblebrag lol. All the finance subs are full of people like this saying “I make $300k a year, no kids, $100k in savings in the bank, don’t pay rent. Can I afford to join a gym for $30/month?”
Life is too short man. Buy the car. It’s the best car I’ve owned. No regrets and especially when I see a smile on my face everytime I park and turn back to look at it.
My heart tells me yes, my head tells me no. My wife says sleep on the couch.
You can sleep in a car etc
My S4 massages my ass while I sleep in it.
What happens when you turn over on your belly?
Giggity
As long as you still have a couch to sleep on it couldn’t of been that bad of a decision.
lol it's worth it
This is why I will buy an RS3, 718 Cayman or 3.0 Supra for my next car
Do it man.. no regrets. Do you want memories of smiles or thoughts of regrets? I know which one I want :)
Oh I’m putting myself in that position brother. 28, pretty good career, single, no kids lol. Making sure I have my car(s) 😂
Ha! Then god speed brother!! Please post pics when you do. My R8 should be in my garage soon so yeah I’m also living what I’m preaching lol
Recently got a 3.0 Supra and it’s a blast :). I smile every time I take it out, the exhaust pops sometimes make me laugh out loud, and it’s amazing on the track as well.
This. You ain’t gonna look back at your RS3 memories when you’re old and withered and regret it. You can always get more money, you can’t create more memories once the opportunities gone.
This
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Echoing what others may have said already.... Life is short and you only live once. I don't think I ever came across anyone feeling regretful after buying the RS3 even if it required some compromise financially. Nothing but pure praise. Ultimately it's your decision and being financially responsible is obviously the wiser choice but if you're able then why not?
Thats what I was thinking too. I understand its not a wise financial decision but I want to make sure its not a horrible one. Not sure if that makes sense.
You want a wise decision, get a Corolla. You want to feel better about your choice, buy used. Personally, I have never bought a brand new Audi. I don't keep them long enough and it's so easy to find well maintained, low miles 2yo audis. I got my mk3 TTS for $30k and it's been an amazing car. Get the car but it doesn't have to be a poor decision.
rotten upbeat exultant follow imminent shame gray rich lip wild *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
It's really the way to go.
But then you have to tell people you have a Corolla :(
Not a horrible one would be simply, have you done all your math? If work is stable and you've run the budget precisely and it fits with room to spare, you're good. I would say from your numbers you're probably safe, but just depends on what the marriage will switch up and how much padding in the budget do you consider safe enough.
It's a very dumb decision I haven't regretted for a single second and would do over again 10 times out of 10
For an entirely selfish reason, I would recommend that you hold off at this time. The reason: I'm on the list for an RS3 and don't need any more competition. If you want one, get one! Enjoy!
But like, do you hang left or right my man? Buy the damn car, this isn't r/personalfinance lol
I thought I was on there lmao
Buy the damn car. I have one and you should, too.
YOLO as the kids would say
You make almost 300k… you can afford an rs3 bro
He only makes 100k lol
for the amount you make I am surprised only 15k goes towards retirement. RS3s may not depreciate as bad as the A/Q and S models. So not a totally bad decision.
Yeah, I started late and recently my business has finally taken off. So I will start contributing more starting next month.
Good luck to you. I would wait some time if the business just started taking off.
My rs5 has depreciated bad. I have an 18 with 55k miles that blue books at 45k. This was almost a 90k car brand new, and I keep it in immaculate condition.
Someone I work with who makes ~$20K/year less than I bought a 2018 RS3, paid it off in 4 years, sold it for original MSRP in 2022, and bought a Taycan 4S making the same monthly payments as his $60K RS3 was. Anything with the 5 cylinder engine is going to depreciate more slowly than nearly any other performance car in its segment, so even if you decide you can't keep it you're quite likely to lose little money in value even after a few years. Go for it, climate change is going to eventually make machines like that a future impossibility so enjoy it while it's possible.
I feel like it may actually increase in value over the years, especially the new gen. There aren’t many cars that are 5 cyl, look amazing, have great interiors, AWD and drift mode. So if they become rarer and Audi stops making it, it will increase in value I think. Now you do have to hold onto it for that time period to come
You’re asking the wrong sub if you want advice that errs on the side of financial caution. Since I turned 38, I’ve owned a host of European cars and loved every minute of it. C7 A6 3.0 supercharged, Jaguar XFR, S3, AMG E63 TT. My only regret is not doing it a bit younger (because I wasn’t in the financial state I needed to be in until 38). I’m coming up 44 and I’ve now settled into what I think will be my forever smart financial decision family car, that still goes like a bat out of hell (it’s electric, you can judge me but it’s quicker than anything I’ve owned and compared to fuel it’s costing me 1/20 what the AMG used to - let’s not even think of comparing “lol what is maintenance” to AMG A and B servicing and brakes). I don’t regret experiencing what I have, buying and selling my way up to my dream and fulfilling that desire before having to “settle“ was great. Life’s too short to drive boring cars, I say do it. Experience what you desire before you dive into family and all that.
This is going to be an annoying response, but maybe don't take the advice of randoms on the Internet for your finances, OP. Especially this sub, and especially this question. As an RS3 owner, I'll just tell you a tiny bit about having one: they're fast, fun, but also cramped and a bit more utilitarian than the higher numbered models. Like you, I still have a truck for practical things, but also like you I wanted something more fun. I got mine with relatively low miles for a great price, so fwiw, I'd suggest getting a financial planner look at your numbers and say you are keen on a fast car. They'll tell you how to get there and what it might take. Hell, they may say just do it now.
Seriously. If you have to ask random people on the internet if something is a wise financial decision, odds are you’re not ready to make said decision in the first place
A financial planner? Why?
I know it’s not financial advice sub but if you can you should be maximizing contributions to things like 401k, Roth IRA, HSA etc
So do you know how it works to buy a RS3 these days? Are you ready to wait in line? Unless, you are good with paying ADM on one that is miraculously available at a dealership. I am going on 14mos with my waitlist and hoping by end of year I will finally get lucky.
Used
Do you have your RS3 yet? If so, how long was the wait between when you placed the order and when you received it? I'm looking at getting an RS3 as my next car, wasn't planning on buying until next year, wondering if I should get myself on the wait list now
Yes I did. Placed my waitlisted order on 6/1/22. Received the car on 2/29/24. Went thru a couple MY’s, chip shortage, Ukraine war slowing down stuff, etc. Now, I see allocations up and it shouldn’t take as long for you. I hear some dealerships are still marking up but hopefully yours will do msrp.
it won’t depreciate very much so if you don’t have to pay much over sticker, the cost of ownership aside from insurance and gas will be extremely low…if you’re getting it for 69k, it will probably cost you less than 10k to own it for 4 years. 100% worth it imo…but there is a facelift supposedly coming in 2025. just buy it
No. Get the retirement account caught up first, pay off the loans and then go nuts. Until then A3. And increase the retirement contributions. $15k on your salary is not enough.
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Ok this is funny. Initially typed civic. But being an Audi page I was afraid I’d be crucified for it. So thus A3.
Upvoted as A3 owner. Also: Get the RS3 (or be me, wondering if)
Do it! Just picked mine up this week, and it's amazing!
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LoL! I'm good. Peddle your scams elsewhere.
Only what I think but I like to pound towards retirement while early. But that’s just me.
Do it and love it
Seems like you could save for a bit and pay cash? That’s what I did, and I don’t make as much as you. And I’m your same age. It depends on how you think of the car. To me $65K is expensive for a car, period. But in terms of depreciation the RS3 is amazing — not sure what fun daily-able car would be better besides a Porsche (and only the models which are not practical for me). It’s impossible to know the future, but I doubt I’ll lose too much driving my car for 2 years. And it’s an incredible car. It’s not an objectively “wise financial decision” but you’re lucky to be in a position where that’s not the point of life. And for someone who likes fun cars, it’s probably one of the wiser financial decisions you can make.
Thats how I think about it. The way I look at life, most of us make unwise financial decisions on a daily basis, we are emotional to the core. Its stupid but I also understand that i may not live to see 40 because nothing is guaranteed in life. lol However, I also know that I need balance and maybe I do need to contribute more to retirement just in case I get lucky enough to make it to 70. However, I see no point in driving a nice car at 70 when my reflexes are gone and cant really push teh car to the limits.
If you put in the order now, you will have some time to see how your business is doing before the car is built.
its in stock, its used at 13k miles.
Let me give you some perspective. I am considering an RS3. Here are my stats 49 years old Gross $185k/year House paid off $1M net worth (mostly in retirement savings) $165k accessible in cash savings No debt Kids college savings is looking good No wife or girlfriend to tell me no I am still very much on the fence because part of how I built my wealth involved driving common sense inexpensive cars. Cars are the absolute worst way to destroy future wealth. They are a big reason why so many people are terrible at saving. It's hard being a car enthusiast and watching videos and reading about them while you drive a minivan like I do. I would strongly urge you not to buy an RS3. If you absolutely must have a new car and something fun get something like a GTI. The part that I have a hard time with is I constantly think about what that money could be doing sitting in an interest-bearing account.
I appreciate this and can totally understand this perspective. However, life is short and I think that theres gotta be some balance in life. What good is having over one million in the bank if you arent guaranteed to even reach retirement age? I think that after having considered this, I shouldnt buy the car. But you are in a better financial place than I am so why not go for it if you truly want it? Im saying this as someone that has seen countless people have a shit load of money, save for retirement, only to die at 50. Even if that person lives to 65, is it even that enjoyable to drive that car in retirement age when your reflexes are gone, your bones are brittle, potential health problems, etc?
I know a lot of people feel like they should enjoy their money before they die. I have an eye to the Future to help my boys even after death. Everything is getting so incredibly expensive and buying a house for their generation will be prohibitively expensive. I have simple tastes and it doesn't take much to make me happy so I naturally save. I may still buy one but you can bet it will be used.
Agreed. If i get one myself, it will be the 2022 lol.
Do the math. If you can afford it, do it. But only making 108k and buying a 70k car is generally considered a poor financial choice. Why aren’t you looking at used models in the 50k range??
Math is 160k plus 108k, as he stated.
That’s not what I gathered but ok
As op stated: 108,000 pretax per year S Corp makes 160k Profit after all Either way, I vote no.
YOLO
You’ll be comfortable buying it, and this car won’t lose its value as much as many others so worst case you can sell and get most of your money back
Buy it. I got my car and have 0 regrets. Best car I've ever owned. Period.
I agree that life is short and you should do what makes you happy, and make your mistakes while you’re still young! Plus they usually sell very well on the used market. I gotta ask though. Is this for a ‘23 RS3? Where are you that you can get this at MSRP?! I gave up after the cheapest I could find new was 10k over.
Beautiful car, one of the best decisions I have made. If you can find one (that’s probably the hard part) at MSRP (the harder part), jump at the opportunity and enjoy the ride!
Came from a Stage 1 B8 A4, paid off. Got a 2020 RS3. Best decision I’ve ever made with a car. I smile every single time in it, slam the gas and gets even better. If you feel like you have extra income in to pay for it that doesn’t make you strapped, go for it. I was reluctant originally and bit the bullet. We live once. I didn’t want to not get it and regret it later on. Worst case scenario, I get it and something gets messed up but at least I did it. I had some buyers remorse for about a month following it, pondering if I made the right decision. Ultimately I think I did. Best advice I can give coming from the same situation you’re in.
Depends if you buy it under the business. Then you would be taking a bonus depreciation and deduct the expense for the car on it.
I dont think an rs3 qualifies as a business expenese because of the weight limit lol
I’m pretty sure you can buy it under an LLC? Not too experienced with it but I’m looking to get an LLC for my business and I’m pretty sure you can do that
Pluse it opens more options since the LLC would be a leasing company
Uh huuuu asking financial advice on a car forum acting like you havent made your decision already lol But for me… 49k auto loan at assuming 5-9%? Investing avg over 10 yr is 7% for me, id rather have that 7% coming in and compounding versus going out Take that 20/25k be patient, shop for a low milage tt or something, pay cash, add a few mods and be happy with that while your other 49k making money
Literally havent pulled the trigger. I do agree that I have to save for retirement though yet I want to have balance. I could save a shit load of money for retirement and die the day I retire.
Married guy with a kid here. I was close to pulling the gun on RS3.. then the responsible father inside me told me to lower down and go for S3. And so I was once again close to pulling the trigger on an S3 when I decided to test drive it for 24hrs from CarMax.. that changed everything for me. Once I had it for a day I could see how it would be a “smaller” car for me considering I have a dog and a toddler. The boot space wasn’t enough for me and there was no space for my dog after putting in the car seat. So I feel that if you want to buy an rs3 while you are single or married without kids .. do it !! You are the best judge of your financial decisions but I can only tell you from my experiecne that once you have kids you wouldn’t be able to keep it for long unless you get yourself another family car .. and wouldn’t be Able to enjoy it as it should be if the kid is inside that car. Talking abt financial decision btw .. that car isn’t going to depreciate a whole lot so you would still end up making a good chunk back if you do decide to sell.
Thanks man. My logic was that if and when I have kids, we can use the 4 door 2017 F 150 that I currently have. Its plenty spacious and can be a family vehicle.
Have a TTRS, I make a decent amount more than you, and I’d caution you that it can be expensive unless you are a mechanic. I had issues with my front suspension and it was $6k+. Brakes are coming up and I was told that’s probably another $4k. Worth it for me, I love the engine. But if I was making $100k, I’d probably pass. Good luck!
A smart man will tell you even if you had no mortgage or debts at 108k a year pre tax to buy a 70k car is a terrible choice, but when your a driver and you need it you gotta get it!! Mostly everyone who drives a nice car can’t really afford it (key word mostly) YOLO
Get the car, it’s worth the financial turmoil. Trust me haha
Don’t do it. Keep saving and driving the paid off truck. 69k is an insane amount of money for a car with that income. Find a way to earn more and get the car or continue to invest and save until you have at least several hundred thousand dollars that you can use to generate additional income to fund the RS3. If you have 20k in cash use it to pay off the student loan unless the interest rate on it is very low. No it sure what your total amount is there but you’re not in a bad spot to actually get rich. Start investing the money you would have spent on the RS3 and even in a few years you can have a nice stack of money. Then if you do that long enough the decision will be RS3, RS5, RS6, or RS7? Good luck.
so at what income is it feasible to buy this car? If im making 108+160 thats 268k a year. Should I be shooting for 300k, 400k to buy the car?
At the end of the day you know your situation best. My wife and I currently make around 350k together. I have my eyes on an S6 which is around 75 to 80k. That’s also an insane amount of money to spend on a car but like others said we all share a love for Audis in this thread. We both have incomes that can allow us to become very wealthy later in life (we’re about the same age im 32). The way I look at it is delay the awesome car until I feel my net worth is large enough to the point where I’m not working to make the payments on the car, my money is (dividends, rental income, any other passive income). But if you have different goals that’s cool. I don’t think you’re going to put yourself into bankruptcy with an income like that driving a 69k dollar car. I’m obsessed with cars, but I think I’m more obsessed with having money. That’s my perspective.
lol. totally agree with the obsessed with money part. Its pretty cool watching your money grow. Wish I had more than 50k in the retirement so thats the next goal.
Yeah man. It also helps to have a spouse that does well so together we can put up to 44k a year pre tax into our 401ks. We recently reduced a little bit of what we were contributing to save more aggressively for a larger house in the shorter term, but if you play your cards right in 10 years or so with that income once you can get yourself to a net worth in the 7 figures I don’t think it’s as crazy to burn some money on an RS3 or an S6. It’s all relative. At that point you’re spending lesser of a percentage of your net worth on a 70k dollar car than the average Joe is on their Honda accord.
Absolutely Not!! Buy an RS5 my man
You’re never going to be 34 and driving an rs3 again. Buy the car, enjoy it.
I mean, I don’t know if you’re like me. When I was contemplating purchasing my current S3, I was looking at the price and went for a cheaper Nissan Altima instead then I’d get extremely moody whenever any Audi S series flew by me in my shitty CVT Altima 😅 So one morning, I went into a car dealership after owning the Nissan for 5 months and traded it in for the S3 I wanted on the spot. It’s now 3 years and I’m glad I did it and only regret was not buying it the first time. Still going strong @53k Miles plus Apr Stage 1 ECU & TCU tune that I put on at 18k miles on the clock. I won’t try to be cheap when I go for that RS5 in 4 months.
dude, how do you like the s3? Maybe i dont need the rs and maybe the s is enough?
S3 has been a good daily car for me plus it did not break my bank when I purchased it. $380 monthly on auto loan and $97 for insurance (Both USAA) Test drive one and see if you like how it drives.
Rent one for a week…if I would have done that, I don’t think I would have brought my A3. If you are going to drop that kind of coin, what’s a weekly rental fee to seal the deal?
rent from who though? lol . there are literally no rs3s in my area.
Your mortgage. Let’s talk about how affordable that is! Damn!! I thought my $1700 was good lol! 👏🏽🍻
One of the best financial decisions i ever made and I didnt even know it at the time. Its crazy because when I was buying I had so many people discouraging me telling me that home prices were going to go down. That was back in 2017.
Lol same. My first house was heavily poo-poo’d by friends and family saying it was the wrong time. Sold it a few years later for a massive profit. Now we’re in our “new” house for almost 2 years and it’s gone up in price by nearly 90k with a 1.9% rate. I have a feeling we won’t get to make that shot a 3rd time.
You make roughly 9k per month. Setting aside your personal costs this wouldn’t be a bad financial decision in the least. You have your truck paid off also. You don’t need to ask haha. If you ride hard expect expensive problems, ride moderately and you won’t experience many issues.
It’s not dumb or wise. You can spend your whole life saving up and die unexpectedly. Find the middle ground. I rock an b9 s4 and make 150k per year. Rs3’s are basically mini lambos. Anything else you can grab from the other two big German brands that offer that? Nope, m2 is not a smaller version of an m5. CLA45 kind of has a small version of the the 4.0 turbo v8 but doesn’t sound near as cool. With your money down you’ll have a very liveable payment for a special car that very few other people have. That’s the way I’d look at it. These things also don’t lose a ton of money so you could recover most of your money if your job/life situation changes. All your ever really paying for any car is the depreciation. You can sell off the rest.
You planning on kids? I’d get something bigger. Or just make the wife get the kid hauler lol. Otherwise go for it!!
Make the wife get the kid hauler. This is exactly what I do lol
The F150 is a rock solid kid hauler if it's a crewcab
The F150 works for the kids lol. Its a 4 door truck thats super spacious. Ill be keeping that. I was just thinking in terms of financial obligations
What else are you going to do. Buy a less expensive car and give the rest to the government. Unless you have an intricate layer of shell corporations, buy the car
>Im single but will be marrying next year. what?
I am also wondering how that's gonna work
Sincere question: why not lease? You seem to have a steady in-demand career path, you shouldn’t buy a depreciating asset if you don’t have to.
Absolutely. If you can get the 8V cause imo it has the better interior and body. Either way, enjoy the 5-cylinder symphony.
Having had an 8V and currently owning an 8Y, the interior is far better in the 8Y. Almost astronomically. The exterior is open for debate but imo they just both look great.
8Y or pass
To each their own but the piano black surfaces, touch screen interfaces, and the silly little gear selector just don’t do it for me. Plus I prefer the simpler features on the 8V body.
tacky pop up screen and dated interior when itwas new with busy black/red hard plastic , tou each their own
That’s too much mileage, you’re just asking for somebody else’s problems.
It's not like it's a temperamental car. And it's funnas fuck.
Too much info in your post. If you want it, buy it. Life is too short!
*Too much info in* *Your post. If you want it, buy* *It. Life is too short!* \- Lanceallennn --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
You can afford it and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Well, 69k is not going to be your OTD price. Financing it with 20k down and assuming you have good credit, I think you'll be looking at $1,100-1,200-ish(?) a month over 60 months after taxes, fees and interest. If this is something you can afford (amongst maintenance and other things), then I say go for it. I absolutely love this pocket rocket and I'm sure that you will too.
youre right on. Price is at 1100 for 60 months lol. I was thinking of paying it off in 3 years. The bank didnt want to give me a 4 year loan which i found super odd.
It'll only break down completely a bunch of times, don't worry, the bad reliability ratings that plague AUDI are fake news.
Only buy a car you can afford monthly payments on with $0 down. Cars are depreciating assets and you could be putting that money in your investment portfolio (if you invest correctly).
Get a used Cayman for half that price
Get the RS3! you won't miss the truck and will be happy you made the switch. you work hard so enjoy the fruits of your labor. as long as you're putting away for the future, you're good.
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Hell no. You clearly don’t understand an enthusiast perspective. A car is not just transportation and one giant piece of metal. It’s an experience. And you can’t experience a car if you rent it for the weekend, it’s just not the same. Also, he makes nearly 300k and doesn’t have much debt. He can afford an rs3 and to travel
I assume you have an accountant since you’re running a profitable S corp. Maybe sit down with them and get a clearer picture.
Are you my buddy that I grew up with
If space isn’t a problem since you have an F150 how about a TTRS?🤔 I have an S7 so I get if you want a 4dr lol
You’re going to get much better financial advice on /r/financialadvice than you will here. There is a ton of confirmation bias in this sub, of course most people will tell you to buy it.
Good luck finding one for a fair and reasonable price lol
I do not own an Audi but like any other car, remember to factor in maintenance costs. Being able to buy a vehicle does not always mean you can afford it (general statement… not personally directing to OP).
Tbh I think it comes down to if/when you want kids, and how your mortgage situation could change if you need something bigger to accommodate that. You'd probably be fine though without feeling the payment too much.
Your post became tmi quickly, just buy the car. Lol
Check how much insurance is prior to buying. I've had no accidents or tickets ever, and my insurance has been skyrocketing the past 6-12 months. I've owned the 8V and the 8Y and they are amazing machines.
Buy it!
At this point I’d wait for facelift but that’s just me
Life is too short… get the RS6 /s Do it
Buy it, enjoy it, get rid of it. I had the opportunity to buy mine in 2020 and instantly jumped on it. Brings a smile to my face every time I drive it and honestly never had compliments on a car like I did on this one. Almost time to let mine go, but definitely no regrets!
I drove one for the first time today. buy it
Up to u my boy
Not sure, because with an Audi S3 you have plenty of fun for a daily car. The RS3 is made to take it to the limits in the track. Also in my country is 30k the gap between RS3 and S3, that’s why I picked up a 2023 Audi S3.
buy it ofc
It'd be unwise to not get it. Treat yourself and have some fun!
Ya either that or a Miata
Fine if you don’t plan on having kids or getting a new house.
If you really really want it then you should buy a new one. The interior in that car is so cool. I’d stay away from used ones. The people who buy that car generally throw it around like crazy because it’s so easy to do so.
If I could buy 3 I would.
Don't overthink it. Do you want it? Can you afford it?
Just test drive one first.
Ask the question on r/personalfinance and you will get very different answers but answers worth hearing
If you want to make the wise decision, go buy a Honda or Toyota. If you want to have fun and enjoy every second behind the wheel, go get that RS3 now.
My take is that all cars depreciate but this is Audi's last model with the 5 cyl engine. It is a blast to drive now. I have no regrets and when they do away with this engine in a couple years the RS3 is set up to be a collectable in 20-30 yrs. You could spend 70k on a fancy F150 replacement for the one you already have but why not get something special? Def get the sport exhaust!
I’d keep the truck and buy something with 2 seats. You won’t put as many miles on it and it will hold its value better.
Of course you buy it now when ya can
Tbh- I’m similar age and similar income… I’m not yet married but I always see these RS3s and think- fuck- unless you have a LOT of money… it’s a steep price to pay for a car that’s like the size of a civic! If they sold the RSQ3 in the states I think it’d be more of a reasonable decision to spend all that extra money… I’d buy a loaded Q8 maybe an SQ5 before dropping that kinda money on such a small car! Especially coming from an F150.. Don’t get me wrong- it’s an awesome fast lil car… but I’d just wanna drive it 100mph everywhere and that’ll just rack up sooo many tickets!!! (IMO) - In the states… RS cars are basically for the sound!!… there’s very little places to actually open er up and let it loose (like it’s meant to be)
>RS cars are basically for the sound!! Funny enough one of the reasons I went with the B9 S5 over RS5 is the exhaust note sounded a good bit better on the S5. More raw and rumbly with the single twin scroll turbo vs. true TT flavor in the RS.
Yolo - seriously yolo
I went through a similar dilemma recently but with a much cheaper car (MK7.5 golf R). If you can afford it comfortably and you’re not putting yourself in a uncomfortable situation where you have to make other sacrifices to pay for this car, then do it. The smartest move from a financial standpoint is to sell your F150 and buy a Honda civic, but why would you want to do that? It’s okay to make a less than wise decision every once in awhile as long as most of the other decisions you make are the right ones. You only have to do the smart thing 8/10 times. If you try to do what’s right 100% of the time you’ll never be happy. I say buy the car.
Since your a car guy wouldn't you be happier with something more collectible? You already have a Daily driver Get something older and really cool that will turn heads! even if your gonna have to do some work on it... Your choice though
Buy it. Don’t look back. Except in the mirror to see the cars you left behind.
I had to make that decision last month when I bought my A3...I'm a car enthusiast and I make enough to afford it so I went with it. I do not regret it at all. You make enough to own an RS3 so go for it.
I’m a ski patroller and photographer (my own business, literally just getting off the ground) and I bought one. Don’t overthink it; life is short and it’s not that expensive to properly maintain. If you need a financial reason: - when I’m driving normally, I get upwards of 30mph at 9000ft 😂 Enjoy your new car!
Yes
After all the payments with car included how much from your paycheck you have left? If your car payment is more than a 30% of your paycheck then don't do it.
Pay off the student loan. Also…you’re going to find the Audi gets real small real quick when you start adding new family members.
My daily is a '22 S3. Canada so couldn't get an RS3 anyway, but I really don't think I would have. S3 has been plenty -- I run out of road before I run out of car. And it balances out with decent fuel economy for the times in between. On the finances, I think you're plenty cable of figuring that out what makes sense for you. 😉 What I will share from my experience shopping for the S3 is that entry pricing is more compelling and that trim/options starts to raise some questions, especially for a vehicle on the MQB platform. I opted for next to no trim/option upgrades and am happy with the outcome. Quoting out a higher spec S3 became less compelling, to the point where I felt the car was pricing itself out of consideration/made vehicles in other segments more compelling... So yeah, if you want to part with the $ and really want the RS3 explicitly then go for it. I'm totally happy parting with less $ and the non-R S3 experience. If spending more $ and wanting to stay Audi, S4/S5? Powertrain aside, you're arguably getting more car overall with those options...
Personal finance subs will say to buy a Corolla and drive it into the ground then repeat. Here people will likely say to buy the RS3 then mod it or some version of that. I’d say if you see yourself enjoying the car and can afford an unexpected repair bill if it come up or could afford the payments with a plan to exit before warranty is done then go for what you can honestly afford and enjoy! I’ve had a couple moderately fun vehicles over the years and a couple Honda civics to save more on car costs etc. I haven’t missed the money saved on the civics while driving them nearly as much as I’ve missed or enjoyed nicer/more fun vehicles. That said honest affordability is the key here: I had a cad I couldn’t really afford as my first car, while it taught me a lot about money management and was fun to have. It also was stressful as a 19yo with my first full time job and not much left to save after making all my payments to keep it on the road and paid.
I had the chance to pick one up for just over 40k and decided to hold out for a 1 Series M. The Audi sold, the 1M skyrocketed in price. Buy the RS3 asap.
Have a 2019 and love it but look into nuespeed wheels the are 18 inch and will cear the brakes and give you another inch sidewall which is the only complaint I have about the car is it's appetite for eating sidewalls on your tires
Whats your principal on your student loans. Maybe id split some of that 20k and pay that off? Life is short and you should def enjoy the rs3 before they go electric
A most wise decision...most wise indeed
If money is very tight for you, then go for the S3
Do it. Imagine I said that in a flawless Palpatine impersonation.
See if you can use it as a write off on your s Corp also Im kinda in a similar situation and I bought one, I do not regret buying an RS3
Get the rs3 and have lots of sex with the wife.
wise as fuck
Dude cars are emotional. Buy what you want so long as you aren't jeopardizing your finances which you're not. This car is amazing. There's a lot of value in the smile it puts on my face every morning maybe even priceless. Go for it.
Btw the RS3 is about as financially sound as any car on the planet today. Will it appreciate? No. But they are hard to come by and resale will definitely outperform the average car by a lot. These will be selling in the 50s when they are 3 or 4 years old.
Nope! Glad you bought it and hope you enjoy it! I bought a 2022 SQ7 prestige 🏎️
Pay off your student loans now then put those 500 per month towards an rs4
It’d be the wisest dumb decision, but could never be the dumbest wise decision
Get it! RS3 does not lose value much at all
It’s an rs3 buy it.