Car Value Vs Net Worth

[Davids]

I have no car and no bike. Net worth in the high hundreds of thousands.

The only way to beat that would be to have no legs.

[My Own Advisor]

2000 Mazda with 200,000 km.  Value?  Not very much.  My laptop is worth more.

Car is less than 1% of NW.  The way it should be :)

[jooles]

Wow. Thanks for the wake-up call.  I drive a $2500.00 car, but unfortunately we own 4 cars (there's only 2 of us).  My hubs was dabbling in the used car business for a year.  That's how we ended up with a surplus of vehicles.

He and I each drive a $2,500 car that's less than 10 years old with less than 100k miles on it.  That's where we are comfortable.  It's clearly time to sell the other 2 cars!

Total car value as an expression of net worth = 3.2%.  Not terrible.  Could be better.

Once we sell the extra two cars this will be 1.8%.  Won't be downsizing vehicles from here, but doing SERIOUS work to get that Net Worth up and up and up...

[Gretamom]

Net Worth = 500,000
car = 2003 Chrysler Town and Country with about 248,000 (I don't even look anymore!), rusty, and small amount of damage on the front driver's side, worth about $1000.
Frankly, it's a little embarrassing, but I just can't get a new car if I don't need one! 

[Bateaux]

Net worth 1.6 Million.  Car is 2003 Dodge Ram Conversion Van.  Dodge 318 engine.  125,000 miles.  Worth $1500.  Maybe.  So less than 0.1% of Net Worth

[Elderwood17]

Right about 1.5% for us.  That will keep going down, hopefully, forever.

[sol]

0.38 percent. Large net worth, and only one 2006 cheap vehicle.

[SnackDog]

0 percent.  Sold our last car in 2012. Employer provides vehicle, insurance and fuel.

My guidance on vehicles is purchase price < 5% gross annual income.  Which for most of you should be < 1% of net worth (which is a function of age mostly).

[libertarian4321]

2002 Chevy Silverado.  Not sure of it's blue book value, maybe $3k?

Net worth somewhere north of $3,000,000.

But my wife ruins it with her extravagant lifestyle.  She drives a 5-6 year old Beemer.  I'm guessing it's worth $15k+

[Auldtriangle8]

Net worth $122k, 2005 Prius worth about $5k. I am selling (this week) a super face-punch anti-mustachian 1999 Pontiac Trans Am (though loads of fun to drive, and a manual with 28 mpg highway) worth about $3k. Going to one car family with me biking everyday and DW in the Prius.

Ratio before: 6.6%
Ratio after: 4%

[27y/oTennesseeRetiree]

Okay... so this may sound bad... but I am going to skew my ratio.  Currently it is about .62% but I am car shopping.  I was going to just mothball my current vehicle... a 2006 VW Jetta TDI with 325,000 miles.  I know that sounds crazy... please someone tell me that is crazy.  I guess you need to hear the whole story to make a recommendation.

I am shopping for a Dodge (or Freightliner, or Mercedes) Sprinter Cargo Van to convert to a stealth camper to travel full time around the United States and hopefully up into Canada and down into Central and South America in.  My budget for the entire conversion is about $15,000.  My takeoff date (hopefully) is August 15th.  My income is mostly passive and I feel like my expenses on the road will be comparable to off the road if not lower because I am paranoid about running out of money still.  I will also have the added income from renting my primary residence.  If things get tight I will pull over and get a restaurant or bar job - free food and fast cash. 

So... I want to keep my car for about the first three months that I am on the road (in a barn on the family farm - no cost) to make sure that I like being on the road before I sell it.  Should I just go all in and sell it before I go?  I realize I can "store" it on Craigslist, but I also know what has been done on this car in the past two years.  I shouldn't have to put any money into it for at least another two years.  Almost everything has been replaced, I won't find another with this mileage as meticulously maintained. 

On the flip side... two vehicles is silly especially if one is not being used.

Okay... so I just re-read this.  I sound like a crazy person.  In the first line I say, "I was going to just mothball my current vehicle."  Seems like subconsciously I had already made up my mind.  I am going to go with that.  I will store it on Craigslist.  If anyone wants the car it is $6,000.  But you have to wait until my camper is done.  I'm going to a dealer auction to look at a Sprinter tomorrow.  They are estimating a sales price of $6300... I want to see it first, but I am hoping to get it for about $5,000.  I guess that will make my ratio lower technically... the $10,000 on the conversion would be housing value vs. net worth right?

So my current car value is $6,000 we will call my replacement car value also $6,000.  So that is a wash.

My current home equity is only about $15,000 (pulled out most of equity at 3% interest as a downpayment on 6 rental homes - trust me... the numbers are good.) I would value my finished camper at about $25,000 based on what I am looking at as a base vehicle and what I have seen... I feel like the value will hold between $18 and $22k for 1 to 2 years depending on mileage. So while car wise this is a wash, it does have me tying up more cash in my "home." 

I increase my equity $10,000, but I increase the money I have in my home from $15,000 to $19,000 to $20,000. 

Okay... that is all really negligible.  But I do thank you Mustachians for listening to my nonsensical dribble long enough for me to decide I need to sell my current car.

[Caoineag]

1.54% of networth, dropping fast thanks to increases in networth.

2010 Kia Forte, should last us a very long time despite our fondness for road trips. By the time we need another car, our networth should be high enough to prevent us ever exceeding that percent. We share 1 car in our house.

[bryan]

I'm going to a dealer auction to look at a Sprinter tomorrow.  They are estimating a sales price of $6300... I want to see it first, but I am hoping to get it for about $5,000. 

Do you plan on staying in the van post touring?

If not, if you want to be really smart, you can do the repairs and minimal work on the van to get it decently comfortable (so as to avoid too much sunk capital and subjective value of the van), do the tour, end your tour in the Bay Area, sell the van, and get a flight home.

Not sure how the taxes/regulation works for selling the van in this manner (maybe all the work is on the buyer's side).. but a high roof sprinter van is quite expensive out here, probably fetching the most resale value out of anywhere in North America?

[Cascadiasubduction]

Net worth= 448K
Car1= $969
Car2=1088
0.46%

This is an awesome thread!!!!

[Rosbif]

Another divide by zero error here...

The only time I have ever heard people discussing vehicle value/income ratios outside of here is in the context of "about one year's income is a good place to start". Terrifying.

[RetiredAt63]

Seriously?  I have never ever even considered spending that much money.  Wasn't that thinking for houses?  A higher multiplier of course, and still silly since there are so many other variables to consider.

No-one in my family has ever spent a year's salary on a car.  Not even close.

Another divide by zero error here...

The only time I have ever heard people discussing vehicle value/income ratios outside of here is in the context of "about one year's income is a good place to start". Terrifying.

[2Birds1Stone]

Doing it like this, between my car and my motorcycle

9.3% of my net worth tied to vehicles =(

Well, thanks to increased net worth and vehicle depreciation, I am down to 7.9% =)

[Melody]

Another divide by zero error here...

The only time I have ever heard people discussing vehicle value/income ratios outside of here is in the context of "about one year's income is a good place to start". Terrifying.

My personal rule is no more than 6 weeks after tax income... This actually works pretty well for most people, it will enable a low income earner to get something basic but usable and a dink couple a nice but not excessive car. This rule seems to hold among most of my friends as well...

[medinaj2160]

I am doing terrible:

Net Worth= 298K
Cars: Lexus (payments) and Fiesta (paid off)= 45K
15.3%

House paid off, income 135k and we are 30.

[Rosbif]

Another divide by zero error here...

The only time I have ever heard people discussing vehicle value/income ratios outside of here is in the context of "about one year's income is a good place to start". Terrifying.

My personal rule is no more than 6 weeks after tax income... This actually works pretty well for most people, it will enable a low income earner to get something basic but usable and a dink couple a nice but not excessive car. This rule seems to hold among most of my friends as well...

Well that sounds less crazy! The one year thing gives an "affordable" monthly payment.

[patrickza]

0.46%, my car is reliable and better keep lasting me because I don't want to buy another for many many many years.

[KBecks2]

Our cars are about 1% of Net worth, but we're upgrading a car, and will end up around 4% of net worth.  Ridiculous! 

[medinaj2160]

I am doing terrible:

Net Worth= 298K
Cars: Lexus (payments) and Fiesta (paid off)= 45K
15.3%

House paid off, income 135k and we are 30.

I am thinking about buying a 60k Tesla Model 3 and I was trying to justify  the expense and happened to find this thread in Google in which I had posted already lol.

Now

Net Worth= 650K
Cars: RAV4 (payments) and mitsubishi Evo (payment)= 45K
6.9%

House paid off, income 165k and we are 33. It is kind of nice to see that although I spend more in car than most in here our net worth is increasing. I just really enjoy working on cars and racing cars.

[AccidentialMustache]

0.55% of our NW. Single 8 year old reliable mmm-approved car.

[2Birds1Stone]

I am doing terrible:

Net Worth= 298K
Cars: Lexus (payments) and Fiesta (paid off)= 45K
15.3%

House paid off, income 135k and we are 30.

I am thinking about buying a 60k Tesla Model 3 and I was trying to justify  the expense and happened to find this thread in Google in which I had posted already lol.

Now

Net Worth= 650K
Cars: RAV4 (payments) and mitsubishi Evo (payment)= 45K
6.9%

House paid off, income 165k and we are 33. It is kind of nice to see that although I spend more in car than most in here our net worth is increasing. I just really enjoy working on cars and racing cars.

You race a RAV4?

[medinaj2160]

I am doing terrible:

Net Worth= 298K
Cars: Lexus (payments) and Fiesta (paid off)= 45K
15.3%

House paid off, income 135k and we are 30.

I am thinking about buying a 60k Tesla Model 3 and I was trying to justify  the expense and happened to find this thread in Google in which I had posted already lol.

Now

Net Worth= 650K
Cars: RAV4 (payments) and mitsubishi Evo (payment)= 45K
6.9%

House paid off, income 165k and we are 33. It is kind of nice to see that although I spend more in car than most in here our net worth is increasing. I just really enjoy working on cars and racing cars.

You race a RAV4?

I used to race the Lexus IS-F and now the Mitsubishi EVO at Road Atlanta.

[webguy]

We don’t really deive much as I work from home and my wife is a stay at home mom, but we have 2 vehicles:

Net worth: $2.03m
Car 1: $2,000 (2008 Honda Civic)
Car 2: $13,000 (2012 Honda CRV)

[Apples]

Our car is 8.3% of our net worth.  My (bought brand new) truck is owned by the family business and my Dad chose it, so I don't count it.  Our car is the car my parents bought for me at 18, with the agreement that I would buy it from them when I got into the "real world".  I've now owned it a year, and I have driven it for 5 years.  110,000 miles.  My husband was putting a killer 120 mi/day commute on it, but now it's down to 40/day!  Woohoo! (No, we won't be moving and he won't get closer-this is one of the cons of living on a farm not near a city that the other person can work in).

The next car we buy will probably be about 5-8% of net worth, then drop in value from there.

Most of my friends have vehicles they either own outright since 16 or bought brand new with payments two years ago at graduation.

Tailrated we're close to your numbers!

We're up to 2 vehicles (plus the farm truck), and based on the price of the 2nd one I thought we'd for sure have a higher %.  The two cars together are 7.7% of our net worth.  Not too bad for a 2009 SUV with 170,000 miles and a 2015 SUV bought 3 years old with 50,000 miles.

[sol]

0.38 percent. Large net worth, and only one 2006 cheap vehicle.

Since posting in this thread ~3 years ago, our single vehicle died and was replaced by two newer ones.

For our two cars, combined blue book value is approximately 0.75% of our net worth (which is also a fuzzy number).

My personal rule of thumb is that you should only buy vehicles in cash, and never own more vehicles than 1% of your net worth.  But vehicles are just tools to me, not hobbies or identity like they are for some folks.

What really baffles me is people who have more net worth tied up in their vehicles than they do in their homes.  You're doing it wrong!

[boarder42]

networth = 370k
Cars = 20k

5.4% ratio

we'te doing fantastic here

cars = 12k total
Networth = 850k

1.4%

this was a fun revival.

[Car Jack]

I believe I'm specifically excluded since I own THE vehicle that would be banned by MMM.  2014 Wrangler Unlimited.  I have zero incentive to get rid of it.  Sort of hard to plow snow off my driveway in a Leaf.  Price to plow a good sized snowfall.....1 storm is $300.  For a year like a couple years ago with 11 storms.....fogedaboutit.

[2Birds1Stone]

Net Worth - $114k
KBB Vehicle Value - $8k

7.5%

However I have only been at this for 4 years.

Net Worth - $375k
KBB Vehicle Value - $15k

4%

[Le Barbu]

NW 1.1M$
Cars worth 11k$ (2006 Civic, 2010 Forester) so 1% of NW

I aim for buying 3-8 years old car for less than 10% of annual income and pay cash

[saijoe]

2011 Toyota Highlander $16K
2015 Toyota Prius V $17K
Total $33K
NW $1.4M
Car = 2.35%

House $250K which is 17.8%

[Bicycle_B]

Just found this thread, and love it! 

Unfortunately that means I must participate.  Still occasionally driving the formerly fancy Midlife Crisis Car.  Current KBB value 6300.  About 1.3% of net worth.  Adding in bikes, transport tools = 1.4% of NW.

Net Worth - $114k
KBB Vehicle Value - $8k

7.5%

However I have only been at this for 4 years.

Net Worth - $375k
KBB Vehicle Value - $15k

4%

@Birds1Stone, great improvement!

Props to all of the inspiring people under 1%.  Will keep that in mind if I ever buy a car again.

[acepedro45]

Three-year-old thread dredged up!

Net worth: $350k
Car Blue Book Value:  $1900 for a 2003 Chevy Cavalier with 117k miles

Today's net worth is a little over 625k.
KBB is now $3,300 or so for a 2005 Toyota Corolla we bought earlier this year. This splurge means my ratio is only a little bit improved to 0.528% from 0.543%.

For the curious, my beloved Cavalier has been passed to another family member but is still running strong.

[Arbitrage]

Well, I'm not going to do very well on this compared to people here, but should be much better than coworkers/friends.  Also much better than if I had followed through with the Tesla Model 3 purchase I was going to make before catching the FIRE bug ~8 months ago (finally let go of it about 4 months ago).

Two cars, both purchased new.  No plans to replace either in the near future, though DW seems to think my car - which was her daily driver up until 3 years ago - needs replacing just because it's old and therefore must be about to break down.  Switching to bike commuting in 3 weeks, so I don't see why it'll need replacing for a long time.

Mine: 2007 Elantra, 76k miles.  $12k new (MSRP over $16k).  Just looked it up, and was surprised how much it is still worth according to KBB: $4800 private party. 
Hers: 2014 Subaru Outback, 40k miles.  $27k new (MSRP about $31.5k), apparently worth $20k now according to KBB?  That seems optimistic.

Still, if I trust those numbers, that puts us at over 2%.  Better than the 6% it would've been if I had sprung for the Tesla.

[2Birds1Stone]

Net Worth - $114k
KBB Vehicle Value - $8k

7.5%

However I have only been at this for 4 years.

Net Worth - $375k
KBB Vehicle Value - $15k

4%

Progress!

I sold the motorcycle and  NW is up by 5%, so now my car is worth 2.9% of NW.

[PoutineLover]

I looked up my 16 year old bike on bicycle blue book and apparently it's only worth $43 in good condition, and MSRP new is $300. Winning?

[lexde]

NW: $21k
Car: $8-9k (2012 Camry 65k Miles)

Still early on my journey! But I’m keeping the car for a long time and my NW is creeping upwards! Bought it 2-years-new with 16k miles on it, and it has been good to me so far.

[OurTown]

2013 Mercedes, $11,000
2012 Honda Insight, $4,000

Total NW $617,000 (does not include value of personalty, like cars)

Car fmv as percentage of net worth = 2.4%

[markbike528CBX]

I believe I'm specifically excluded since I own THE vehicle that would be banned by MMM.  2014 Wrangler Unlimited.  I have zero incentive to get rid of it.  Sort of hard to plow snow off my driveway in a Leaf.  Price to plow a good sized snowfall.....1 storm is $300.  For a year like a couple years ago with 11 storms.....fogedaboutit.

@Car Jack glad you said "Sort of hard " vs a Leaf.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2Jn_Xw6SQk -plow with a Leaf
Diclosure: have not veiwed the vid.  YouTube is hard to do on a iPad 1.

Anyway, 0.6% of investable NW,  less if paid house equity is included.

[TheWifeHalf]

NW - 7 figures
truck  - 4 figures    5 figures  (looked it up) It was bought when I was in a coma to replace the one totaled in the accident.  It is 14  10 yrs old, bought used 8 years ago. It is an example of why I don't question when TheHusbandHalf buys a vehicle - he keeps them for years.

He loves his truck (really, any vehicle we have). After the accident I told him to use my van as a trade in. I will always remember the look of total surprise on his face. I had a feeling I'd never show dogs again, and he had made it custom for that use. We kept the seats I didn't need, so they looked practically new, so was easy to trade in.

We will never have a Mus----n vehicle, it's not his style. He is the one that works for the money to pay for it, and he's the one that will drive it the most, so I don't question his decision. I might want to know WHY he picked (a Lincoln) but do not question the idea to purchase one.

His truck is a Lincoln, he said it was something he always wanted, and one of the dealerships he drove buy, had one. It was 2 years old because they stopped making it. We had the money for the one totaled, and the trade in of my van, so I think the cost was extremely manageable. I drive it to the store and back now, never alone, and it is a quality vehicle. The only problem we've had is usual maintenance, the last being changing the spark plugs.

[Dicey]

I love when an old thread gets revived. There is so much good stuff in our archives!

I especially love when people post updates.

I have a new to me car since this thread began. DH and bonus kid are still happily driving the same vehicles. I was just fine driving my old car, but DH does the maintenance and he deemed it time to go. We considered a Tesla, but I don't want the stress of such a fancy car, plus the driving ranges are not yet well suited to our needs. My "new"car is still older than this thread, lol. All of them are paid for and I can't be arsed to look up their values, but it's miniscule, compared to our TNW. I'm mostly posting to say congratulations to everyone for making such good progress during the last three years!

[UnleashHell]

2 cars - each about .6%  of net worth
7 bikes.... probably not far behind.....

my garage is for bikes...

Divorce damaged the net.
new (to me) car 2012 prius.

now at about 1.8% of net.
car should be around for another 8 to 10 years though...

[SnackDog]

We haven't owned for a while but will be purchasing soon I reckon. Looking for a used, reliable vehicle good for 10 years for around 0.2%.  I could be persuaded to recklessly splurge all the way up to 0.3% for Applecarplay, advanced collision avoidance, etc.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Have a few vehicles. (Gifting one to my parents in August - just waiting for them to be able to drive it from California to Washington). Total vehicle(s) value - .03% of our net worth. Honestly, still regret our nicer car purchase. No regrets on our Bolt - my favorite car I've ever driven!

[SnackDog]

Have a few vehicles. (Gifting one to my parents in August - just waiting for them to be able to drive it from California to Washington). Total vehicle(s) value - .03% of our net worth. Honestly, still regret our nicer car purchase. No regrets on our Bolt - my favorite car I've ever driven!

A $10,000 vehicle at 0.03% of net worth means you are sitting on a $33 million savings account.  Nicely done!

[Rightflyer]

Using investments only, we are at 0.29%.

May have to get a scooter or small motorcycle though so that will go up (slightly).

 

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Have a few vehicles. (Gifting one to my parents in August - just waiting for them to be able to drive it from California to Washington). Total vehicle(s) value - .03% of our net worth. Honestly, still regret our nicer car purchase. No regrets on our Bolt - my favorite car I've ever driven!

A $10,000 vehicle at 0.03% of net worth means you are sitting on a $33 million savings account.  Nicely done!

Math is hard. You are correct - just under 3%