Tips on Buying Cars: Nissan Rogue Spending, chevrolet nova, sticker price

Question
Hi! My name is Tanner Yeomans. Let me start with the basics: I am 17 years old, and I will be a senior in high school. I make straight "A's", and I have a great job. I am very responsible. I like to spend my job money, but I have been saving it up to buy a car this summer. I want the Nissan Rogue. My parents are letting me get a car. I have told them time and time again that I plan on making car payments because that is why I am saving up my job money. (I make $125 a day.) I have done all of my research on the Rogue, and it is a very safe vehicle. It has gotten rave reviews. I am selling my car that I am driving as of right now. It is a 1975 Chevrolet Nova. I am selling it for $4000 (my parents just sold our jet-ski for $1900). We plan on putting down about close to 6000 for a down payment. How can I convince my parents that this is the car for me? I do know what I would be getting myself into. I have been working super hard. I have helped out around the house. What else could I do to show them how bad I want this car?? All they do is look at the sticker price and then walk away. The one that I want has a sticker price of about $21,000. (I'm getting new). I have also told them that people never pay the sticker price. So really, the dealer would maybe go down to 19,500-20,000. Then if we make a down payment of about 6000, the price immediately jumps down to about 14,000. If we configure the payments then, they would be as low as about 210-250 per month. I would be able to do this!!!! PLEASE HELP!!!

Answer
Tanner,

Sounds like you are very responsible to me.  I can't necessarily help you convince your parents.  I didn't have any luck doing that when I was your age, so I might be the wrong person to ask.  It sounds like you have done your research and have all the ammo.  I would recommend sitting down with your parents, not getting upset, or rude, and simply lay out all of your research that you have done, and hear them out.  Let them see that you have done your research, you know what you can afford - make sure that you have a written budget to show them.  

PS, you need to be a car salesman if you sold a 1975 Chevy Nova for $4000.

I hope this helps, and Good Luck,

Thanks - Jb