Want vs Need.......

[Scape Goat]

I am struggling with this at the moment too. My Bronco is being shipped as we speak. Already left MAP. I wasn't expecting mine until the end of the year.

I am going back and forth if I should take delivery as it is not going as planned. But, as many have said on here already, you only live once and this is an experience.

Whatever happens I hope you eventually get your Bronco. When you do, enjoy the hell out of it.

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[JerryC]

For me, we ordered 11/21 so it will be a long while, the question may become affordability.

How many times will Ford raise the price and how high will the interest rates be.

We ordered a loaded out 2dr BL at close to 60k. We can afford that now, but tack on another $4K-$5K and bump the interest rate 2 or 3 percent on top of $5 dollar a gallon gas and it's a definite nope.

If all of that comes to pass I expect there will be plenty of abandoned orders and we can think about a BD instead of BL. Maybe...

 

[BroncoAZ]

I owned a few Broncos over the almost 30 years I’ve been driving, I’ve always owned a manual transmission vehicle as well. When I moved across country for a new career in October 2020 I sold my 1987 Bronco with manual, 2020 Raptor, 2006 Dodge 2500 diesel, 2015 VW Passat TDI 6MT, and 2015 VW Touareg TDI. Everything but the Raptor were paid off. I used some of the money to buy a boat for $28K and banked the rest. Now I have a work truck, we leased the wife a 2021 Tacoma, and I took delivery of my 2 door Badlands with manual trans in December 2021. I certainly didn’t need the Bronco, but I did want it for a long time and wanted it so I bought it. I’m responsible, max my Roth 401K, have no debt other than a 15 year mortgage that is 35% of the house value, so I might as well live a little and buy a truck I can enjoy on the weekends.

My ordered Ford Lightning is the dumber purchase for me. I’m planning on using it for a work truck and getting reimbursed by my employer, if not we’ll likely sell the Tacoma and have her daily the Lightning.

 

[st3v]

Like any large purchase in life:

-If the purchase causes hardship in your life in any way, don't do it.
-Don't buy it if you won't really make use of it.

 

[DogHauler]

If you came here to ask that question you don't want it and don't need it.

 

[Scohin]

Flat out it's a want. No one needs a Bronco, most people only *need* a little ecobox that gets them from A to B.
But we only get the experiences we have when we're alive.
So if you can afford it, then do it

 

[jimmy234]

I went through the same thing getting a JLU back in '18. Absolutely did not need such a large vehicle (just me, wife, and young daughter), and really had no plans to offroad it. Ended up paying about 43k, I believe, put a few thousand down, and then the payments started... and I immediately regretted what I got myself into.

It was sustainable, and I had done the math and knew I could make the payments and still live my life, but it was a constraint, to be sure. Gas, mindlessly jumping on the bandwagon of mods... I bought into the "lifestyle" whole-hog, and I only ended up taking it offroad twice in four years.

There were fun moments, for sure. But I've since moved into a much more sensible vehicle, and sometimes I think back and kick myself for how much of that money I could have invested in my house, my family's future funds, etc.

It's easy to fall in love with objects for a lot of us, and I do not blame anyone. And some people have loved these vehicles all their lives and this kind of thing is a no-brainer for them. My view at the end of it all, even as someone who did pay off the full jeep loan years ahead of schedule and wasn't driven to eating ramen every night because of it, is ask yourself if you REALLY do want this thing, or if you're buying into something you've mostly formulated in your imagination.

So yea, cheesy and long to basically say what others have: - Do it if you want, but be honest with yourself above all.

 

[MyBroncoNotYours]

I agree the want vs need debate on spending $50k is hard to swallow. I have a fully paid off vehicle. I needed a second vehicle for the two of us because one wasn’t cutting it, so I have the justification to buy, just not $50K.

What it comes down to for me is, live your life to its fullest. You could die tomorrow because of an aneurism, heart attack, car crash, etc. Always plan for the future but don’t forget to live/enjoy the ride. You never know when it could get cut short.

 

[jnew71]

I agree with you if the Bronco is actually being used to make new adventures. Bronco can be a heck of a nice vehicle with it's key capa

I went through the same thing getting a JLU back in '18. Absolutely did not need such a large vehicle (just me, wife, and young daughter), and really had no plans to offroad it. Ended up paying about 43k, I believe, put a few thousand down, and then the payments started... and I immediately regretted what I got myself into.

It was sustainable, and I had done the math and knew I could make the payments and still live my life, but it was a constraint, to be sure. Gas, mindlessly jumping on the bandwagon of mods... I bought into the "lifestyle" whole-hog, and I only ended up taking it offroad twice in four years.

There were fun moments, for sure. But I've since moved into a much more sensible vehicle, and sometimes I think back and kick myself for how much of that money I could have invested in my house, my family's future funds, etc.

It's easy to fall in love with objects for a lot of us, and I do not bla

me anyone. And some people have loved these vehicles all their lives and this kind of thing is a no-brainer for them. My view at the end of it all, even as someone who did pay off the full jeep loan years ahead of schedule and wasn't driven to eating ramen every night because of it, is ask yourself if you REALLY do want this thing, or if you're buying into something you've mostly formulated in your imagination.

So yea, cheesy and long to basically say what others have: - Do it if you want, but be honest with yourself above all.

A lot of my fears wrapped up in your response.....not using it as intended or having buyer's remorse. The purchase won't be a constraint, although the spend still bothers me. Someone else asked if having the security of money in the bank makes me happy - not necessarily happy, but less worried and anxious.

The plan now is to purchase it, but not trade in a vehicle. Both are paid off and have plenty of life left. If after a few months we're using it as intended (which is the plan), I will trade in my car. If not, the bronco goes to someone that will let it loose.

Are you not purchasing a bronco?

 

[zedster]

YOLO

 

[ColeTrain84]

i don't "need" one but i've never bought any vehicle brand new in my life. I sold off my 500hp 2002 Camaro Z28 as i was sick of fixing little stuff all the time. Then i saw my local dealers Mannequin and really liked it. Took it for a 3 day test drive(dealer/sales guy is a friend from high school) and i fell in love. Shortly after i decided to buy one and put my order in after a few weeks of deciding what i wanted. Yeah $57k is a lot for a SUV i may only take really offroading once or twice a year but i'd like to do some overlanding with my wife and 2 boys and make some memories so i got one. That being said it's mostly a toy/occasional driver so its not going to be getting driven daily. Could i live without it, absolutely. But being i have a genetic heart condition that means i probably won't live to a real old age(currently 37 y.o.) i decided to make memories instead.

 

[JD155]

Well by the time most of us actually get our Broncos with all the delays, we'll have enough cash saved up, it won't even be a huge car payment. At this point, it's pretty much going to be a retirement gift in 10 years. Because Ford can't get their $hit together.

 

[jimmy234]

The plan now is to purchase it, but not trade in a vehicle. Both are paid off and have plenty of life left. If after a few months we're using it as intended (which is the plan), I will trade in my car. If not, the bronco goes to someone that will let it loose.

Are you not purchasing a bronco?

It sounds like you have a good middle-ground plan in place. It would be much scarier if you were trading for the Bronco and the Bronco was becoming your only vehicle.

I initially was going to get a Bronco, yes, but I've since backed out. I'll probably face some criticism for still hanging around here, so be it.

I think it was my love/hate experience with the jeep that ultimately put me off on the Bronco. For me, I think I dove into the deep end of this "offroad lifestyle" vehicle stuff, and after four years of forums and spending money on ultimately useless mods, I kind of overdosed on it all and I started to sour on it pretty hard in the last few months. I kind of rebelled against it, to be honest lol

I would drive down the streets/local highways and just see this sea of jelly-bean colored jeeps and 4runners and now broncos, and I just kind of had this gut reaction of being done with it all.

I don't know. Reminds me of the opposite in the 90s: Everyone driving a beige or gray sedan and just wanting to break out of it. Cycles, man. Cycles lol

So, I'm most likely a fringe case, but if my situation feels kind of similar to anyone reading this, maybe it will help to give that person a bit more perspective.

 

[LowerSlowerDelaware]

True, but the act of spending money on something, doesn't make someone a participant.

“The act of owning a gun doesn’t make you a marksman any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician”. Jeff Cooper

 

[RoLyMa27]

True, but the act of spending money on something, doesn't make someone a participant.

In the context of this discussion, spending money buying a Bronco, at the very least makes him a participant. Now, I guess he could spend 50k on it and then let it sit in the driveway!

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