M3 to Boxster Post-Conversion Analysis

When I make a decision I stick to it and throw myself behind it. But
that doesn't mean that I can't evaluate the decision in retrospect.
It's important to learn from past decisions.

Recently I decided to sell my M3 and get a Boxster. Was it a good
decision?

I had some primary goals:

1) Save money. I didn't feel that I was getting enough out of the M3
given what I was paying for it.

2) Be safer. By moving to a slower car I argued that I'd be safer and
more likely to live to see age 30.

3) Other random stuff: was getting bored with the M3, had never owned a
convertible, didn't like being upside down in a loan, etc.

With these criteria, how'd I do?

1) The Boxster was much cheaper. This saves money. No doubt. I've
gone from a $55K car to a $26.5K car. Here's the thing though. I really
didn't. The M3 had a loan balance of $38.4K. When I look at my
transition cost to move from the M3 to the Boxster I spent $2.8K to move
out of the M3 (bank buyoff) and $3K to acquire the Boxster (auction
cost, tax, tag, etc.) on top of its $26.5K cost. This means that I
spent $32.3K to make the transition. So, my effective cost for the
Boxster is $32.3K. Well Xxxt... my total buyoff for the M3 would have
been only $6.1K more. Is the move from a very practical, fast and
subtle M3 to a rather slow, impractical and sporty Boxster worth saving
just $6.1K?

2) The Boxster is safer. I'm driving much slower because, well, I can't
drive faster. This means that I am safer. Or am I? The Boxster is a
smaller car, meaning that in a head-on that wasn't my fault I'll be hurt
more. And while the Boxster does have front and side airbags for the
passenger and driver, it doesn't have curtain airbags to protect your
head from the side windows. And the Boxster doesn't have traction
control for slippery (or Joe's-driving-like-an-idiot) situations. And
the Boxster's brakes don't work anywhere near as well as the M3's. So
am I really safer?

3) A number of smaller issues do point to value in the Boxster. I was
ready for a change from the M3. I had had it for a year and a half. I
have always been intrigued by the convertible mystique. And it is fun
to drive around with the top down. I'm a person who hates debt so being
upside down in the M3 loan was annoying me. I knew that the more I
drove it the less it was worth and the more I owed. So I had gotten
cautious because I percieved that I was in a bad situation. I've been
trying to sell it for three months so I was annoying to Heather when she
tried to eat, for example, in the car. Typically I couldn't care less
about the cars because they're utilitarian. I hate the idea of
worshiping, or even giving a second thought, to a piece of metal and
rubber. But in the past three months I had to keep it clean so I was
annoying about it. It was nice to get the Boxster and take Heather to a
drive-through. We enjoyed getting ketchup splattered all over her face
and the car. Now, honestly, that's worth a million bucks. The fact
that Heather and I had some fun together. And I feel less like daily
driving is a racing event. I'm much more laid back in the cockpit. I'm
in the fast lane but not diving in and out of traffic.

Final analysis: If I had known then what I know now I wouldn’t have made
the switch.

Final-final analysis: Given the fact that I learned something, the
switch was worthwhile.

Final-final-final analysis: Life is too short to worry about this Xxxt
so I will let my "No Regrets" policy override any further analysis of
the M3-Boxster conversion. I'll just enjoy the Boxster.