Could use some advice on financial situation.

[JohnO]

Keep this in mind. The hunt/want for something new is always better than actually getting/having it. Don't get yourself into the position of regret. You have something reliable that works. It sounds like your current vehicle gets you where you need to go. Why mess with that? Don't forget about the increase in Property Tax and Insurance associated with a more expensive vehicle! Gas mileage reduction too.

[Borderland]

I retired early at 63. The second divorce set me back financially about 5 years. Anyway, my present wife and I are both retired with zero debt.

I have a 2019 4R that I purchased new with cash, but I wouldn't buy a new one at todays prices. I certainly wouldn't finance one.

If you've never been debt free I suggest you try it. You'll never go back.

[GmanVP9]

I retired early at 63. The second divorce set me back financially about 5 years. Anyway, my present wife and I are both retired with zero debt.

I have a 2019 4R that I purchased new with cash, but I wouldn't buy a new one at todays prices. I certainly wouldn't finance one.

If you've never been debt free I suggest you try it. You'll never go back.

My only debt is a small mortgage. No CC, no college, no car payment

[GJM]

Spending less is solid advice. Another option is to figure out how to earn more.

[JohnO]

If you've never been debt free I suggest you try it. You'll never go back.

Zero debt for a bunch of years now. The mortgage was the only debt I carried. I will not go into hock for a car, no way!

Also proud to say I have never paid one red cent in credit card interest. Screw those loan sharks!

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Just a tip from the geezer world - Hey, you got a problem, let's go to the Doc.
Why - we have an Rx for that!
Pharmacy - well, it costs $200 a month AFTER insurance.
Surprise!

Now one can debate about such. We had a one time hit for $800 bucks. You see folks at check out being told $2k for some wonder pill. Surprise. Got to plan for that sort of thing. OMG - I've got to sell my Staccato to keep my butt hole working!

[jeep45238]

Spending less is solid advice. Another option is to figure out how to earn more.

The best option - both.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

What saved our bacon as an academic was side gigs - shhh? Not supposed to do that as it took you away from the purity of refereed scholarship. Got the house money that way.

[Sig_Fiend]

Have you driven a 4Runner (I assume you have)? I rented one and drove it all over Colorado, on road and off. It sucked. It had terrible handling and a floaty, imprecise feeling on road. And, an unforgivable combination of being underpowered and having bad fuel economy. One of those vices is ok by me as a compromise, but never both. It was ok off road, but that's not the life of a daily driver.

So, I would definitely not agonize over one of those! But if this was about a Cayenne, I would say to make sure the rest of your financial life is in order, including no high-interest loans and adequate retirement savings, and then go for it. Life really is short.

I don't disagree. The last one I drove was a 5th gen and it was underwhelming. Pathetic power delivery for a 4.0L (270hp / 278lbft). I would have expected minimum 300hp and ~330-350lbft for that engine size. Also, the suspension did indeed suck.

That said, supercharger + Bilsteins. Life is too short to worry about problems that are easily solved for a few grand. Most OEM suspension sucks on most cars, except for maybe a few manufacturers' higher end offerings (e.g. Porsche, BMW M cars, etc.).

As far as fuel economy, some mods can improve it a bit. The big problem is people's external mods (bumpers, wheels, tires, racks, etc.) adding hundreds of pounds of weight or more and drastically affecting aerodynamics. Looks cool but, you pay for it.

[Borderland]

My only debt is a small mortgage. No CC, no college, no car payment

Time to start paying down that mortgage. It's nice to walk into a dealer and pay cash for a new vehicle. They get long faces when they don't have an opportunity to write a 6% loan for a 50K vehicle. Cash is king.