Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A nice car is something you can afford and like doesn't matter if it is an BMW or a Toyota Corolla. Keep it clean and up on its maintainance and you will do fine.
Why feel guilty? You do not even know if the driver of the car next to you, which you consider to not be such a nice car, is even wishing they had what you do.
For some, spending big money on a really expensive luxury or status car is not something they want to do, whether or not they have the bank to do it.
For others, what they consider as "nice" may just be different than you. I have owned a couple 80's Pontiac Fieros over the year. At one point, I was driving around my 88 Fiero, with 160K miles, worn out interior, faded and peeling paint, while my new "DD" Volvo sat in the driveway a lot. Few people who saw that Fiero would have considered it nice. It looked like junk, but owned it for over a decade, and just loved how it drove (and it ran well!) To me, and maybe only me, it was nice. I could easily afford newer, and far more expensive sports cars... I just like them.
To each their own! Drive what you like/love/want! Have fun!
I look at my BMW M5 and I know it's a nice car. I don't care what people think of me or it. I drive it not them. I think the executive size luxury sedans like the 7 Series and S Class are just overkill and meant for people with more bank than brains. Why would I care though? I'm smart enough to not buy it and my life is far too complicated to be concerned with cars that I wouldn't notice on the road in the first place.
So your really expensive car is just fine, but the one someone else might choose is overkill for those who aren't smart?
Congrats on being an xxxxxxxx.
Last edited by manderly6; 12-29-2012 at 10:18 AM..
I'm somewhat of a minimalist so in a sense I've kind of felt guilty in the past about having more car than I really needed. I still lust after an E92 M3 and occasionally others, but just don't like the idea of that much money going towards a go-fast/look good toy.
I look at my BMW M5 and I know it's a nice car. I don't care what people think of me or it. I drive it not them. I think the executive size luxury sedans like the 7 Series and S Class are just overkill and meant for people with more bank than brains. Why would I care though? I'm smart enough to not buy it and my life is far too complicated to be concerned with cars that I wouldn't notice on the road in the first place.
I do agree to an extent. There does become a point where the value per dollar rapidly decreases. Is a BMW 7 Series really worth $30K more than a BMW 5 Series? Not really. There comes a point where the increase in luxury appointments is minimal but the cost differential is exponential.
I DO however like the Mercedes S550 sedan. The difference between the S-Class and all the other executive sedans is the stately presence that an S-Class has. I'm generally not a German car fan but nothing says success like a large, black, impressive Mercedes S-Class...it's intoxicating.
However the most amount I'd ever spend for a vehicle would be the sticker price for a new Caddy CTS-V. American luxury, Corvette engine, and an aggressive styling unlike anything else on the road. I'll take two.
I hold 2 bachelors and a masters degree, I'm highly educated thus the reason why (in your wording) I have " bank ".
Just because I own a late model 7 series doesn't mean I don't have brains, just ask my financial advisor.
Interesting how such a smart guy, with "bank".....who "bled" to own a 760li didn't do just a little research on how bad that sled depreciates......hmmmm
On a side note, I have a friend who just took delivery of his 2nd brand new Ferrari 458. He kept the first one 4500 miles and though he pays cash for these cars he simply isn't rich enough to actually enjoy the cars.
Can't drive it anywhere he has to park it and lose sight of it. Can't leave it outside, can't drive in bad weather, no one else can drive it.......so many rules it hardly seems worth owning.
When I owned my Z4 I purely enjoyed it. I didn't feel guilty at all ... .
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Few people who saw that Fiero would have considered it nice. It looked like junk, but owned it for over a decade, and just loved how it drove (and it ran well!) To me, and maybe only me, it was nice. I could easily afford newer, and far more expensive sports cars... I just like them. 
.
