RE: What Salary needed to afford Challenger
There's no fight, Bud.
We can all debate issues, express differences of opinion, and remain friends. We just need to maintain a level of dignity and respect for everyone in here and thier opinions, even if we don't agree with them.
I'm not a "proponant" of financing everything in life. I see credit as a necessary evil, have a lot of experience with it, and feel it should be addressed carefully. If we learn how to do that early in life, we don't have problems with it later on. Too many people don't learn to handle credit responsibly as young adults, and those poor habits tend to follow them through life.
Everyone who's responded to you has valid points. Cash IS the way to go IF you can. If not, don't finance more than you absolutely have to. Be realistic with your payments if you get a loan. Even though your payments won't go up, everything else will (gas, insurance, food, entertainment, the "unexpected" emergency, etc.) so allow yourself plenty of "breathing room" in your budget.
Good Luck!