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I think many people overestimate how much a "fancy" car probably costs a person.
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Unless it's an exotic it's probably within in reach of the average joe who doesn't mind stretching his/her budget.
This is an excellent point! Luxury cars tend to suffer from severe depreciation in their first few years. An excellent example is the AMG flavor of Mercedes-Benz. A 5-year-old AMG often sells for around 25% of its as-new price, on the private-seller market. Another example is 5-series and 7-series BMW. After a few years, the nominally higher-end BMWs become less expensive than the same-year 3-series. Yet even the 3-series depreciates substantially. Today, E36 3-series BMWs cost the same - if no less! - than a the same year's Civic and Corolla.
The detriment, however, is the cost of maintenance and parts. When electrical systems fail on the higher-end luxury cars, accurate diagnosis is very problematic. Eventually critical systems begin failing, and the car fails basic reliability criteria, despite still looking great. I can't imagine working on a 2006 S63 AMG in 2026, while a 2006 Corolla will still soldier on.
Our local area has very few luxury cars, with ostentatious displays of wealth regarded as gauche and unacceptable. The big money seems to go into high-end pickups, which can easily cost $50K new, and depreciate no slower than the luxury sedans.
It was merely a statement of fact. They are more expensive because they offer more performance, features etc.
There are a wide range of reasons people may choose to spend their money on a nicer vehicle.
I would cite Jay Leno, a huge car affecionado with VERY expensive cars. Then you'd of course have people like Leonardo DiCaprio or Ben Affleck or maybe Shaq with a 100k loaded Escalade....I seriously doubt they are driving expensive vehicles to try to look cool.
The other aspect you are failing to contemplate would also be the various economic concepts like utility theory. A car is only "expensive" relative to ones income and resources. The value of a nicer interior or other special features are not worth the additional money to some but to others it's a minor amount for the upgrade they want.
I hope I have helped expand your horizons on this topic. Going through life thinking everybody else fits into a few neat categories that fit your worldview is unfortunate.
Look, bro, I said a majority, not everybody so lets not rewrite history so it fits into your neat little lecture there. A 2013 Toyota Camry accomplishes the same basic thing as 2013 Lamborghini Venen dose, and I know a fine fellow like Jay Leno is probably highly interested in cars and could buy both vehicles and not even notice the difference in his checking account. People want additional features because marketers program it into their heads and let them know all of their friends will be impressed.
All successful sales people at high end automotive dealerships know almost everybody walking in the door is entering the establishment to get something that they think will impress other people and it is very simple to use this against them and manipulate these morons into wasting their money or wasting the money of the person that sent them there to make the buy. Check it, bro.
Look, bro, I said a majority, not everybody so lets not rewrite history so it fits into your neat little lecture there. A 2013 Toyota Camry accomplishes the same basic thing as 2013 Lamborghini Venen dose, and I know a fine fellow like Jay Leno is probably highly interested in cars and could buy both vehicles and not even notice the difference in his checking account. People want additional features because marketers program it into their heads and let them know all of their friends will be impressed.
All successful sales people at high end automotive dealerships know almost everybody walking in the door is entering the establishment to get something that they think will impress other people and it is very simple to use this against them and manipulate these morons into wasting their money or wasting the money of the person that sent them there to make the buy. Check it, bro.
Some people view cars as toasters and can't fathom that others might not share their view. Case in point.
Look, bro, I said a majority, not everybody so lets not rewrite history so it fits into your neat little lecture there. A 2013 Toyota Camry accomplishes the same basic thing as 2013 Lamborghini Venen dose, and I know a fine fellow like Jay Leno is probably highly interested in cars and could buy both vehicles and not even notice the difference in his checking account. People want additional features because marketers program it into their heads and let them know all of their friends will be impressed.
All successful sales people at high end automotive dealerships know almost everybody walking in the door is entering the establishment to get something that they think will impress other people and it is very simple to use this against them and manipulate these morons into wasting their money or wasting the money of the person that sent them there to make the buy. Check it, bro.
A Camry won't put an ear-to-ear stupid grin on my face when I mash the pedal down, nor would I wander out into the garage late at night by myself just to look at it.
Cars can be works ofart. Some shallow people may buy expensive art just to impress others, but most buy art because they are art lovers and want to experience it as much as possible.
Look, bro, I said a majority, not everybody so lets not rewrite history so it fits into your neat little lecture there. A 2013 Toyota Camry accomplishes the same basic thing as 2013 Lamborghini Venen dose, and I know a fine fellow like Jay Leno is probably highly interested in cars and could buy both vehicles and not even notice the difference in his checking account. People want additional features because marketers program it into their heads and let them know all of their friends will be impressed.
All successful sales people at high end automotive dealerships know almost everybody walking in the door is entering the establishment to get something that they think will impress other people and it is very simple to use this against them and manipulate these morons into wasting their money or wasting the money of the person that sent them there to make the buy. Check it, bro.
Don't you dare comparing a basic economy car to an exotic car.
I am glad that up to this point, at least, in America, you can drive what you please. I personally like luxury but I want reliability. If people want to constantly have a car payment or lease payment, that is their business. For me, I like not owing ANYONE anything whether it is a car payment or even a house payment. To me, that is a better feeling than driving the latest and flashiest car around that will obsolete the next model year. Especially in bad economic times like now. JMHO. :-)
Do your research on the GT-R's. I think they are a lot better than when they first came out but the way they treated people over their launch-control \ transmission warranty and how thier performance #'s seemed hard to duplicate....it left a bad taste in some peoples mouth.
Ever driven a C6 Z06? Those aren't too bad $$$ used and they can really get going, especially if you were to get a used one and threw a supercharger on it with the extra cash saved. A guy around here pulls >800hp and the car weighs around 3300lbs give or take.
True dat. A used C6 can be a lot of car for the money. And, you could even consider leaving it bone stock, even bone stock, they have enough poke to be plenty fun.
For an even bigger bargain but very fun car, a good C5 can be found for around $15-20K.
And you can get these with a Real Man Approved Genuine Manual Transmission. Not those damn flappy paddles that you get on the GT-R.
If there were fewer people who cared what others drove, then maybe people would stop "buying to impress". Or better, nobody actually cares anymore and there'd be only one reason they have one.
I used to work in a dealership, and truly, you never know. Unless they are at the point where it is a new Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls, etc...you just don't know. And banks these days won't lend money to anyone for anything...either they require a lot of money down to make sure their asset isn't upside down if they have to repo it, and charge a lot of interest, or they made the loan based on your ability to repay it and history of paying your bills and charged interest accordingly. The car could be way more than they could afford. It could be about in line with what common financial advice says they can afford. They could have so much money that they could chose to have a helicopter fly them everywhere instead of driving. Its not my business, and its their choice. If they want to fritter their money away irresponsibly, more power to them. If they inherited lots of money, fell into a pot of gold, or earned it, more power to them. I remember one time, when selling cars, when a man of 28 or so came in and bought a 50,000 dollar car with 39,000 down. He only made something like 35k a year, but lived at home, which was expected and normal in his culture. I saw millionaires buying camrys, and people trying to finance used Range Rovers who required cosigners for the loan to go through. But, I also saw millionaires buying more country-club appropriate cars, and others coming out of dire financial straits trying to get financed on a new Corolla. For some, a car is an appliance. For some, its a status symbol. For most of us, its somewhere in between. Right now, I drive what's practical. That doesn't mean I wouldn't buy a 50k pickup truck If it were financially viable for me.
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