Do Northern Virginians Define Themselves By Their Car? (price, shop)

[katyusha25]

Originally Posted by algia

... having a $600+ payment on a CAR is just retarded! there are so many other satisfying things in life than that...it's a waste...considering the depreciating factor...will these people drive these expensive cars passed 200,000 miles? no, a new model will show up and they'll lease that one...but wasting so much money doing this is very very silly.


Not to mention that the other super silly thing is when you see that the car can go over 200 miles per hour and your allowed maximum is 70!!! that indeed justifies half that monthly payment spent in vain!

Did you know that contrary to the commercials, those Land Rovers are almost NEVER used for rough terrain here in the US? how many LR's have you saw or heard were hiking through the Grand Canyon!!!?

I think people just have a constant need to be ADMIRED for a reason or another and they think that by buying expensive crap they accomplish that, IMO it takes away from the actual person, because the CAR gets the admiration, the ppl admiring it are all thinking the same..."$600+monthly, what a waste"!!!!! I don't think anyone in their right mind would DREAM of having such a monthly payment!

Algia, almost everything you said here is subjective; just because you think something is retarded or silly, doesn't really mean it is. To address your points:

a) people have a right to spend money on whatever they want to. If I own my own house already, and have money already tied up in 401K, IRAs and investments and have no family, what else am I going to spend my money on? Whatever the hell I want. One of those things is nice car.

b)I have never, ever seen a car that had a maximum speed on the speedometer under 100 mph, unless it's from the 1980s. That Corolla I rented when I was there even had a maximum speed of at least 110mph.

c) Land Rovers are absolutely used here the U.S. for rough terrain; I know many people that use them for that. The Grand Canyon isn't the only area in the U.S. with rough terrain. FYI, Land Rovers are great cars to have in the mountains. Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it never happens.

d) Again, the fact that you're projecting some armchair psychology on people, namely people who have expensive cars, doesn't mean it's accurate. I'm not saying it's impossible, but Lord Almighty, I haven't heard generalizations such as yours in some time.

That's like someone saying, "Wow, that guy drives a 2000 Honda civic! Poor guy, he must be broke!" Give me a break.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by Caladium

I think this is the quintessential "northern Virginia" attitude. Yes, you'll find plenty of people who are car enthusiasts and who trade them in regularly, but IMO the majority here drive a car for as long as they can, until it starts developing chronic serious problems.

When it comes to cars, people here are into getting our money's worth.

When we lived in Vienna we drove our cars to death, literally. Now I live in the country and spend a lot more time on the roads, in a car, so what I am sitting in matters more. Plus, there are different vehicle needs here. Colors matter too, dirt roads do a job on dark cars!

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by katyusha25

Algia, almost everything you said here is subjective; just because you think something is retarded or silly, doesn't really mean it is. To address your points:

a) people have a right to spend money on whatever they want to. If I own my own house already, and have money already tied up in 401K, IRAs and investments and have no family, what else am I going to spend my money on? Whatever the hell I want. One of those things is nice car.

b)I have never, ever seen a car that had a maximum speed on the speedometer under 100 mph, unless it's from the 1980s. That Corolla I rented when I was there even had a maximum speed of at least 110mph.

c) Land Rovers are absolutely used here the U.S. for rough terrain; I know many people that use them for that. The Grand Canyon isn't the only area in the U.S. with rough terrain. FYI, Land Rovers are great cars to have in the mountains. Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it never happens.

d) Again, the fact that you're projecting some armchair psychology on people, namely people who have expensive cars, doesn't mean it's accurate. I'm not saying it's impossible, but Lord Almighty, I haven't heard generalizations such as yours in some time.

That's like someone saying, "Wow, that guy drives a 2000 Honda civic! Poor guy, he must be broke!" Give me a break.

Great post! Rep point to you!

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by algia

Normie, you're so funny......where do you come up with this stuff.....

A scratch on a Honda is less expensive than one on a Mercedes...
The car is parked most of the time, so the only one defined by the car is the parking lot...
If someone needs to define themselves by a way to get from point "A" to point "B", then that's a bit of an psychological issue...
As car54 stated, I too am impressed by the owners of old and restored classic vehicles, having a $600+ payment on a CAR is just retarded! there are so many other satisfying things in life than that...it's a waste...considering the depreciating factor...will these people drive these expensive cars passed 200,000 miles? no, a new model will show up and they'll lease that one...but wasting so much money doing this is very very silly.

Now, considering that DC has parallel parking and very small streets towards DuPont Circle etc...that's like asking for trouble...I feel like my car is too big for that city and I only have a mid size SUV...I was considering trading it for a mini cooper...
If you want to see people defined by their cars come to Florida, since here all you can do is drive everywhere...no public transit...or at least none that can be used by everyone...you will see young ppl living in crack town but owning a very expensive car! always wonder why, as you can't really have Thanksgiving dinner in a car!

Not to mention that the other super silly thing is when you see that the car can go over 200 miles per hour and your allowed maximum is 70!!! that indeed justifies half that monthly payment spent in vain!

Did you know that contrary to the commercials, those Land Rovers are almost NEVER used for rough terrain here in the US? how many LR's have you saw or heard were hiking through the Grand Canyon!!!?

I think people just have a constant need to be ADMIRED for a reason or another and they think that by buying expensive crap they accomplish that, IMO it takes away from the actual person, because the CAR gets the admiration, the ppl admiring it are all thinking the same..."$600+monthly, what a waste"!!!!! I don't think anyone in their right mind would DREAM of having such a monthly payment!

A mere $600 a month? BFD. If that's what someone wants, it's not a big deal. Or are you saying they should just buy the car without a monthly payment? That would depend on the interest rate. It might make sense to borrow at a very low interest rate and invest the money at a higher rate. I've done both, bought it outright and other times had a lease or loan. Depends on what is the best deal.

I couldn't care less what anyone pays for vehicle. I've never even thought about it. Why would I care what their monthly car payment might be? Get what you want! Pay what you want!

[katyusha25]

Originally Posted by Denton56

Great post! Rep point to you!

Thank you, thank you very much!

If there are things I'm well-versed in, one is logic, and the other is being able to point out shoddy arguments and generalizations.

[scimitar12]

Originally Posted by car54

When someone passes me (in my old Corolla) in some fancy car....all I think is, mmmm, must have a high FICO score. That's really all it takes, and I'm not impressed. To tie up lots of money on a rapidly depreciating asset is stupid IMO.

What impresses me are gorgeous street rods that were hand built by their owners or a really nice classic car...vehicles that you can't just walk in, sign on the dotted line and drive out in...anybody can do that.

How do you know that the person driving the street rod built it? Granted, someone built it, but the odds are high that the person just bought the rod as a toy as opposed to buying that fancy car.

[Jadware]

You can make the same argument for people wearing nice clothing. Functionally, all you really need is cover from the elements. But obviously some people like to spend more on nicer things. Same with a car.

The car is just as much a self-expression of identity as any other possession. It's when you start compromising other aspects of life to afford one that it gets out of control.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by Jadware

You can make the same argument for people wearing nice clothing. Functionally, all you really need is cover from the elements. But obviously some people like to spend more on nicer things. Same with a car.

The car is just as much a self-expression of identity as any other possession. It's when you start compromising other aspects of life to afford one that it gets out of control.

Well said!

[Caladium]

Lately I've been seeing a lot of new cars on the road and in parking lots. I mean spanking brand new, probably bought in the last month. Coincidence? Or are lots of people out buying cars all of a sudden --and if so, why?

[khuntrevor]

Maybe they found out they couldn't get a mortgage if their lives depended on it, with their measly downpayment--so they bought a new car to go with their apartment in Lincolnia.