Speaking of cars...

[deeaa*]

That car thread got me thinking...what's it with getting nice new cars, unless you're a millionaire?

I'd not want to put more than 10-15% of family yearly income towards a new car. 10-year old cars are fine by me, can't see any reason to get anything newer or more expensive. Even the maintenace is much more expensive on new cars.

But some do...I have a colleague with same income as me, who doesn't even have a house, instead he rents a really small flat with his wife...and still they bought like a 30k car???? That must be like half of their yearly income!

That's insane to me...he coulda gotten like years of mortgage payments on a proper house for the same, and still get quite a decent car for like 5k or so...which is what the 30k car will be worth in a few years anyway. Just money thrown down the drain, when you buy a 'newish' car...so why not just buy the cheapest that still offers OK safety, space etc?

You never have to take them to expensive brand maintenance. You never have to worry about dents on them. You never have to wash or wax 'em to keep the paint nice. You don't even have to care if the dog eats the seats, because once you're done with it, the value is zero anyway. Just duct-tape it.

So WHY would anybody want a new/fancy car even if it would mean a significant percentage of their yearly income? Wouldn't it make more sense to buy like a summer house or at bare minimum, a house first, not a car?

Ah, maybe I'm just a miser...

[ibanezjunkie]

But some do...I have a colleague with same income as me, who doesn't even have a house, instead he rents a really small flat with his wife...and still they bought like a 30k car???? That must be like half of their yearly income!

your colleague is a complete numpty

[Rampant]

Well folks

Firstly, I'm glad we are all different. Some people actually think that those who enjoy guitar playing as a hobby are merely wasting their time. Are these people heathens?

Me? I'm a complete car nut and worship at the altar of the performance car. My wife is a car freak too! We have owned a selection of extremely nice cars and have "thrown a lot of money down the drain" to buy, run, insure and maintain them. That's fine because we both regard it as a hobby and enjoy the experience of owning special cars and, more importantly, driving them.

Cheerz

Rampant

[ibanezjunkie]

personally i prefere riding in older cars, because 'old' can also mean 'classic' :

[deeaa*]

it's different when cars are a hobby. I like cars myself...still longing after my Chevy with a V8...I could easily get me a classic car some day, something late 60's american would be a dream.

But still, that'd be a hobby and working hard on it...and it's value would only rise...but to spend 30k on an everyday rider when you are still renting while nearing 40 years of age? That is different.

[Tig***]

I have neighbors who get new cars constantly. Not sports cars, classics or anything cool like that, but SUV's and trucks. (remember, I'm in Texas)

My '99 V-6 Ford pickup has 168,000 miles and still runs very well, so I see no reason to get into debt for a few more years. I bought my wife a Honda Civic last year to replace her dieing '97 Taurus. For the money, it is an outstanding little car.

However, if I won a lottery, I'd be sure to find a sweet Hemi 'Cuda, maybe a bad resto-mod '69 Camero, or resto-mod Corvette. Just something special to enjoy now and then.

[WackyT]

I personally just traded in my '94 Ford Explorer 4x4 under the "Cash For Clunkers" program and bought a 2009 Jeep Compass 4x4 for a daily driver for work. I drive about 60 miles a day for work. I also have a '92 Mazda Miata and '94 Suzuki Intruder 1400 motorcycle I tinker with. I love to tinker, but I also want a reliable ride for work.

[sumitomo]

Did someone say CARS?I like cars,guitars,fishing ect.,and I have never had a car payment.I repair cars for a living and for fun,I love racing I have a few race cars and I play more guitar now cause it's cheaper that racing,but I still race autocross for about 5 mts.I have a right hand drive WRX and a Impreza with a STI drivetrain in it the sleeper.I put rollcages in them because well I like to drive 'em and like to live too.Love them cars,fast ones.Yep!! Sumi

[deeaa*]

I personally just traded in my '94 Ford Explorer 4x4 under the "Cash For Clunkers" program and bought a 2009 Jeep Compass 4x4 for a daily driver for work. I drive about 60 miles a day for work. I also have a '92 Mazda Miata and '94 Suzuki Intruder 1400 motorcycle I tinker with. I love to tinker, but I also want a reliable ride for work.

Man, I woulda bought that Explorer off ya :-) I'd love one...if in OK condition, not badly rusted and driven circa 300.000 I woulda given you 3000;- for it in a snap...they sell for roughly four K around that age here.

The car of my dreams would be 98-95 Chevy or GMC conversion van with a 6.2L diesel engine and seats for 5 plus a huge big boot. I used to have one like that but with a 5.7TBI...a diesel is much more economical. But alas, most I can find are always driven way past 500.000 and quite rusted too, and if they have like only 300k on the clock and rust-free, then they also cost nearly 10k :-( I only make like 40k a year so I'd hesitate...its pretty expensive to have those transmissions etc. repaired here.

But I always go see if one is on sale locally. Those are really popular here, but nobody wants to part with them unless they are REALLY driven to ground already it seems.

[deeaa*]

I have neighbors who get new cars constantly. Not sports cars, classics or anything cool like that, but SUV's and trucks. (remember, I'm in Texas)

My '99 V-6 Ford pickup has 168,000 miles and still runs very well, so I see no reason to get into debt for a few more years. I bought my wife a Honda Civic last year to replace her dieing '97 Taurus. For the money, it is an outstanding little car.

However, if I won a lottery, I'd be sure to find a sweet Hemi 'Cuda, maybe a bad resto-mod '69 Camero, or resto-mod Corvette. Just something special to enjoy now and then.

I know, my neighbour changes his mercedeces twice a year. He now drives one of those AMG 6.8 V8 4x4's and some huge 500 series sedan plus a 300 series STW for the wife. But he's had like 5 500 series convertibles in as many years...I dunno, he probably leases them because he never drives the same car for much longer than 6 months.

What is it with 60's cars I do not know but I LOVE 'em...if I won the lottery I'd get me a Charger, Cuda, Roadrunner, 442, GTO...preferably one of those BIG 60's muscle machines....preferably something in 'sleeper' variety though, something that doesn't _look_ fast outside but can eat a strip in 11 seconds or so and wake up the whole town. 50's cars are not as appealing to me. My friend has a '68 Camaro fitted with a beefed-up 440 engine and three on the floor...the torque is just incredible...it's just such a rush to kick it to 2 and kick the pedal to the metal...like a damned spaceship launch and you could swear the whole car body twists along its length quite noticeably due to sheer engine torque.

I always hated small cars, I'd never drive a japanese sport or a small british one (sorry sumi :-) not that I think they're bad cars, I just prefer it big and really noisy with big rumbling engines. I hate turbo whistles etc. toy cars...it's gotta weigh a ton and have a proper V8 if it's a hobby car :-)

But for daily driver...as big an old STW I can get with a small economical engine, A/C a must and no rust, please. ~200k on the clock usually means all wear-out parts have been taken care of once already and they tend to give me 4-5 years carefree driving.

I'll never buy a car with like 160k on the clock...either well under 120k or then past 200k...between 150 and 200 all cars go thru major repairs. I've had like four cars that age and boy they needed a LOT of parts. But every car I bought past 200k has been pretty much fault-free...everything already fixed once they last forever :-)

[Kazz]

That body flexing thing is not an allusion...watch video of 60s muscle cars drag racing...you can see the flex when they come off the line. If I hit the lottery...I would get me a 2001 Chevy Silverado extended cab and a 2005 or newer Mustang for my daily drivers.....and for fun....a Harley and definitely a Roush or Saleen Mustang.

[WackyT]

Man, I woulda bought that Explorer off ya :-) I'd love one...if in OK condition, not badly rusted and driven circa 300.000 I woulda given you 3000;- for it in a snap...they sell for roughly four K around that age here.

She was in OK shape, a little rust, but OK. She had 122,000 miles on her. I got US$8000 trade-in with the 'Cash For Clunkers' Fed program and matching from Chrysler.

[deeaa*]

8k? Damn. That's a good program. They have something like that here as well, but they give like 400-500 for the clunkers. 8k...damn. I'd give my STW away for 8K in a heartbeat...it's worth maybe 4k maximum; coming to 260.000 on the clock its computer constantly nags about some antipollution fault and it also smokes somewhat when cold. I guess the valve sealing rubber tubes have hardened. But runs well...I guess for a measley 1.8L engine almost 300k is getting a bit long in the tooth. Maybe needs an engine overhaul soon, but it's still well worth putting a few grand in it. Couldn't find anything better for the money I'd put in the overhaul/trade-in anyway.

I suppose the program requires/checks that you actually buy a new car? Approved what kind somehow? Or could you just take the 8k and spend it in another clunker ;-) which is what I'd do...

Well, even for 8k plus, I'd still need another 14-15k more to get anything new family size anyhow...waayyy beyond my means. Well over 50% of my yearly income already...hell close to 50% of the whole family income. Impossible.

[sunvalleylaw]

I enjoy cars for more than transportation, but will not spend big dollars on the same. I have owned two Alfa Romeos which I became interested in during college due to a friend's interest, and found them to be more to my liking and more to my pocket book's liking than other european sport sedans or coupes. I prefer high output, smaller engine sport cars, and particularly like cars you might find in road rallys. I owned a '76 Alfetta GT which I used to drive on the track for time trial and track day events and now own a '71 Berlina, which is a four dour sedan. It seems the asian cars have taken over much of the market in the "genre" I prefer, but I don't generally like the asian seating and prefer euro seating styles.

All of that said, I don't buy new cars, and don't buy expensive cars. We own my Alfa, a '99 Suburban for pulling the boat over high mountain passes and for camping, etc, and a '93 Toyota Previa minivan. My hobby, but daily driver Alfas were both purchased for around $3000, and despite the reputation they get, they have taken no more upkeep than any american or german or asian car I or my family has owned. In fact, it seems that our '93 Toyota Previa, which has been a workhorse for years, has taken the most upkeep and repair.

BTW, here is a shot or two of my Alfa:

[WackyT]

I suppose the program requires/checks that you actually buy a new car? Approved what kind somehow? Or could you just take the 8k and spend it in another clunker ;-) which is what I'd do...

Well, even for 8k plus, I'd still need another 14-15k more to get anything new family size anyhow...waayyy beyond my means. Well over 50% of my yearly income already...hell close to 50% of the whole family income. Impossible.

You have to buy a new 2009 car or truck that qualifies for the program. I wanted to buy a Jeep Wrangler but the gas mileage wasn't good enough to qualify against the Ford Explorer. Damn! I should've bought an 8 MPG dually pickup truck instead of a 15 MPG Explorer back in 2001! :

BTW, here is a shot or two of my Alfa:

That is a clean classic little car, SVL!:

[evenkeel]

So, I guess I'm in the minority on this subject. We just took our new Toyota Prius in for it's 5,000 mile service. Buying a new car was a first for me. Mrs. Keel had a new Beetle before we took off cruising. We opted to get rid of our Ford Focus with about 100,000 miles on it. The car was a constant problem. New transmission, two Ac compressors, both rear window mechanisms had to be replaced. All in all a POS.

So, when we decided to get a car we just wanted a new one. The criteria was economical to buy and to operate. Small, but with reasonable room for luggage. Comfortable intown and on the highway. Good history re: maintenance and service. I also wanted to support more fuel efficient technology. The hybrid system is not the final answer, but it's a step.

Is the Prius a "love it" kind of car. No. I've owned a few of those. When I met Mrs Keel I was driving....

Alpha Romeo. Single guy, cool convertible, not about basic transportation.


Way back when, I drove one of these....

Saab Sonnett. Fiberglass body, V-4 engine, front wheel drive. Very wierd, but fun car.

[sunvalleylaw]

Nice boat tail Spider EK! I have always liked that model. Very Dustin Hoffman of you. I like the early '70s Kamm tails as well, with the steel rather than rubber bumpers and would like to get one some day. My sedan may morph into one of those someday, after the kids are grown.

As for buying new transportation, I would love a hybrid someday, but am waiting for when they come out with a mini van or decent wagon type. Seems to me, they should be making the mom and dad commuter cars as hybrids, rather than just the little cars. I am not overly interested in hybrid SUV's, at least as they exist now. In any case, I will likely wait until there is one available in good used condition before we buy. I hate paying for that brand new car depreciation. And by then, the long term reliability of the hybrids will be better known, though it seems the Prius line is doing ok. My buddy had a scare with a repair that initially looked to be three grand, but it turned out to be much less. Anyone else know much about the long term reliability and upkeep issues?