A downside of a fancy car

[MichealKnight]

FlyBoy, I really appreciate your post, and I need to hear some of that. Again please don't get the wrong idea, when it comes to clothes, restaurants, etc- very unpretentious here.

I'm sure I'll get there on the car-thing, it's just reversing something that's been 'normal' to me since I was 6. I got 36 months to stew on it

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

FlyBoy, I really appreciate your post, and I need to hear some of that. Again please don't get the wrong idea, when it comes to clothes, restaurants, etc- very unpretentious here.

I'm sure I'll get there on the car-thing, it's just reversing something that's been 'normal' to me since I was 6. I got 36 months to stew on it

Hey no worries...and no judgement here. Hell, I used to own an airplane...and that IS NOT a frugal endeavor in any way, shape, or form!

Oh, and I used to have an Infiniti (admittedly not a "true" luxury car but nicer than a 9 year old Honda IMHO) and I enjoyed the luxuries that came with it. But, I have gotten used to the Accord with little issue (or regret?) and have actually enjoy not worrying about it being dinged, etc.

 

[eytonxav]

As a performance enthusiast and engineer who has tracked cars in the past, I never gave a damm about buying a car for vanity reasons, as it was all about performance for me. Most of those cars cost more than many would want to spend in a vehicle. Anyhow, I am too old for that thing now, so just stick to mid-level SUVs.

 

[Keim]

FlyBoy, I really appreciate your post, and I need to hear some of that. Again please don't get the wrong idea, when it comes to clothes, restaurants, etc- very unpretentious here.

I'm sure I'll get there on the car-thing, it's just reversing something that's been 'normal' to me since I was 6. I got 36 months to stew on it

I have a solution for you. Drive an old 93 f150 like mine for a few months. Then sell it for about what you bought it for. You may even find you like not worrying whatsoever about your vehicle. I do!

Then when you "step-up" to a $10k car like FlyBoy's you'll feel like you are riding high.

 

[Amethyst]

A hooptie, but a practical hooptie! Wish I had access to a truck like that, to haul yard waste to the dump. Plus everybody gets out of your way.

I have a solution for you. Drive an old 93 f150 like mine for a few months.

 

[Keim]

A hooptie, but a practical hooptie! Wish I had access to a truck like that, to haul yard waste to the dump. Plus everybody gets out of your way.

Exactamundo!

 

[Koolau]

A hooptie, but a practical hooptie! Wish I had access to a truck like that, to haul yard waste to the dump. Plus everybody gets out of your way.

I always thought the perfect car would be a new one that had been written off by an insurance company for hail damage. IOW, nothing wrong on the inside but beat to heck on the outside. Spend 10% to buy from the insurance co., spend a grand on replacing the glass and then have a car which will last 15 years that no one will steal, can't be damaged in a parking lot, can be insured for liability only. YMMV

 

[NW-Bound]

I only owned a pickup once in my life. In 1980, after I bought my 1st home, needed a truck to haul "stuff" for landscaping. Mulch, manure, gravel, bought by the front-loader scoop.

It was an F-150, but I no longer remember anything else. Perhaps it was a 1972, and I paid $1500 for it at a dealership. It was not too beaten up, but one could tell it was a trademan's truck, because of all the scratches, and a few dents. I had a Datsun 280Z at that time, and kept both vehicles for a while.

Never felt the need for a pickup again, after that one. I was able to haul a lot of stuff in a minivan, and would call the gravel yard for delivery of bulk material. I also have a small trailer to haul things that would not fit inside the minivan.

 

[Keim]

In addition to the typical yardwork, hauling and home repair duties, the f150 has proven convenient for getting to some of my favorite locations.

The fact it looks like crap is also a bonus on this road.

A car wouldn't do this very well.

 

[RetMD21]

It is not fancy but we bought our 2007 Solara convertible four years ago. Summer car.

Two reasons. It was garaged every winter, and 60K miles on the clock. Like new/full load. Private sale in another city from what turned out to be a brother of a former colleague.

Fun car but with without a huge investment. My friend with the Viper eventually sold it and got a Miata which he actually drives. No bear issues so far.

 

[RunningBum]

Here's an example of bear damage, most likely to someone who left their car unlocked overnight. Not a sure thing, but this was not an isolated incident. I've also heard of people who said they went out to find their door opened, and a few things moved, but no damage.

 

[brett]

Fun car but with without a huge investment. My friend with the Viper eventually sold it and got a Miata which he actually drives. No bear issues so far.

My sister is on her third Miata over many years. Incredibly inexpensive to maintain. All three have been problem free. She aways buys them used. Two-four years old, low milegae.

 

[brett]

Here's an example of bear damage, most likely to someone who left their car unlocked overnight. Not a sure thing, but this was not an isolated incident. I've also heard of people who said they went out to find their door opened, and a few things moved, but no damage.

We live in bear country. The very last thing one does is leave any food or food waste in the car and/or leave the car unlocked. Bears know how to open unlocked car doors!

 

[JoshTrent]

I always thought the perfect car would be a new one that had been written off by an insurance company for hail damage. IOW, nothing wrong on the inside but beat to heck on the outside. Spend 10% to buy from the insurance co., spend a grand on replacing the glass and then have a car which will last 15 years that no one will steal, can't be damaged in a parking lot, can be insured for liability only. YMMV

My DB has Two Hail Damaged Cars. Both were damaged in Colorado in 2017, considered totaled by the Insurance Co. He kept the cars, and the Ins Co sent sizable checks (replacement $$ less salvage value). He replaced the glass that needed replacing, and since he owned the cars outright, invested the balance. I still don't know how to react when I see them.. it' got to be the weirdest Millionaire Next Door "flex" I know of!

 

[bobbyr]

I have never wanted a really high end car, but I think if I did get one it would only be if my finances allowed me to treat it as "just a car".

The idea of stressing myself out over a scratch on a fender is just foreign to my nature.

likewise...

I like driving old/used with no collision coverage, so I can knock over the garbage can when I pull in the driveway and park wherever with no ding or scrape concerns.

 

[Koolau]

My DB has Two Hail Damaged Cars. Both were damaged in Colorado in 2017, considered totaled by the Insurance Co. He kept the cars, and the Ins Co sent sizable checks (replacement $$ less salvage value). He replaced the glass that needed replacing, and since he owned the cars outright, invested the balance. I still don't know how to react when I see them.. it' got to be the weirdest Millionaire Next Door "flex" I know of!

Wow! TWO perfect cars! YMMV

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

likewise...

I like driving old/used with no collision coverage, so I can knock over the garbage can when I pull in the driveway and park wherever with no ding or scrape concerns.

Up here in the rust belt, you have to be careful shopping for used cars. I've seen a few that look good until you peek underneath them. A rotted subframe will total a unibody vehicle. Truck frames are also vulnerable.

DMiL had a nice-looking 2000 Honda Accord. Underneath, condensate from the AC drained onto the front subframe at a crucial mounting point. Distilled water is quite corrosive, and it ate a large hole in the metal. The car was always garaged and seldom saw snow.

 

[ncbill]

All my vehicles are older (1996 to 2007 model years)

Since they're outside 24/7 eventually the clear coat starts failing.

So I then take them to the local MAACO for the mid-grade (urethane, not enamel) paint job...around $1,000.

In our mild climate that's good for 3-5 years...just have to be careful to wash by hand or use a "touch-less" car wash since it's only paint (no clear coat)

 

[captain3d]

If a car needs washing it is too fancy for me.

 

[bobbyr]

Up here in the rust belt, you have to be careful shopping for used cars. I've seen a few that look good until you peek underneath them. A rotted subframe will total a unibody vehicle. Truck frames are also vulnerable.

DMiL had a nice-looking 2000 Honda Accord. Underneath, condensate from the AC drained onto the front subframe at a crucial mounting point. Distilled water is quite corrosive, and it ate a large hole in the metal. The car was always garaged and seldom saw snow.

The south is spared the rust and snow issue fortunately...

I buy cars new, then drive them for 200k miles...honda accords, nissan altimas (trunk needs to be big enough for my golf clubs) -- always liked sedans for some reason.

 

[teetee]

I had a 1996 Honda Accord that served me well in the New England area between 2002 and 2017. Inn its final year, the gas tank neck rusted out and the gas smell came out of the rear seat (something else was leaking) so it's no longer safe to drive but replacing the tank would cost more than the car so I let it go. The usual repair and suspension parts replacement probably costs more than the $4k car's purchase price but overall it was a low cost transportation for that 15 years.


I now have a 2015 Mazda 5 and I expect it to last for another 10 years. By then I would retire and get anything I want, maybe an electric Yaris with 10k lb towing ability.


Has anyone tried rust proofing products like Fluid Film? Some youtuber mechanics stand by it.

 

[teetee]

If a car needs washing it is too fancy for me.

On the other hand, washing a really dirty vehicle is one way to make it fancy (again?) without too much expense.

 

[Koolau]

On the other hand, washing a really dirty vehicle is one way to make it fancy (again?) without too much expense.

Heh, heh, tell that to the person with the truck with the "orange patina." Washing THAT truck might make the whole body fall off - YMMV.

 

[bobbyr]

I now have a 2015 Mazda 5 and I expect it to last for another 10 years. By then I would retire and get anything I want, maybe an electric Yaris with 10k lb towing ability.

How do you like the Mazda? I might go that route next.

I had a Mazda GLC about 40 years ago...slick little five speed hatchback - loved that car.

 

[teetee]

How do you like the Mazda? I might go that route next.



I had a Mazda GLC about 40 years ago...slick little five speed hatchback - loved that car.

It is nothing fancy. Mazda started focusing on the interior after 2016 so my Mazda 5 is hard plastic all around but its reliability rating is pretty good.

It is a small minivan with sliding rear doors but drives like a car with SUV-like seat height and lots of head room. 2015 is its last year in the US without the skyactiv stuff. I like it for its handling, its simplicity, and that it has traditional automatic transmission (CVT has a lot to improve). Good value (being an unpopular minivan) and practical (easy to live with) are what I really like about it.

Nowadays with turbochargers, super high compression ratio, and cylinder deactivation designs with lots of computers being more common in cars (none of them are good for engines' longevity), I can see me skip all those and go straight to electric vehicles after Mazda 5.