How much car can Miamians afford? (Tamiami: cars, charge, venue)

[perry335654]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Funny thing, while driving on Miller Road in my Imperial Crown I almost hit a silver Maserati Ghibli that pulled out from the street by the old SAL railroad tracks. It is really amazing what a cheap looking car today's maserati is, along with other exotics. Thankfully I did nit hit it as it would have been a shame to damage an Imperial by smashing into a Maserati. In 1996 I was rear ended by a Lamborghini driven by a rich kid with attitude. Fortunately I was in my Dodge D300 truck and he was the one who ended up in the hospital. It did cause the rear end cover on my truck to rub the pinion but that was a cheap fix. It took forever to get a payment from their insurance company.

Well, I hope the rich kid is okay, you can fix cars but sometimes not people

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by perry335654

Well, I hope the rich kid is okay, you can fix cars but sometimes not people

He had some cuts and a broken leg and probably did fine unless he had more accidents. My truck eventually fell apart due to rust.

[Felix C]

I can afford a whole lot more than I could ten years ago and then I could afford a whole lot more than ten years before that so I guess in ten years I can afford a whole lot more than I make now.

There. That takes care of it.

[hurricaneMan1992]

"Affordable housing crisis threstens Miami-Dade, say local leaders."
Affordable housing crisis threatens Miami-Dade, say local leaders | Miami Herald Miami Herald

“The ability to live near transit and potentially eliminate a car from a household’s monthly budget could make as much or more difference to their bottom line as living in an affordable unit.”

[airborneshodan]

Uber / Lyft provide a real alternative to owning a car in Miami. There is no social stigma and it is considered cool. With the cost of parking and distance to walk to your car, getting a Uber / Lyft is quicker in most locations. At .75 cents a mile you can't go wrong.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by Awsi Dooger

I realize that part of it is self esteem, and peer pressure, the status of owning a new car. Meanwhile everything else is higher also, including auto insurance. I rather enjoy the rates I pay.

While you have some decent points.....you are 100% wrong on this one. I had a 2004 truck that was totaled in an accident. I replaced it with an identical brand new 2013 and insured it under the same policy that totaled the old one......Premium was $22 cheaper on the brand new truck than the 2004......Why? The truck value was obviously more (like 3X higher), but the bodily injury was less because the new model had more safety stuff like additional airbags.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by Awsi Dooger

I like foreign cars with great reliability ratings. I pick the specific model out years ahead of time and wait for the criteria to fit. Right now I am driving an older Infiniti. Awesome car. Rarely an issue. I have already picked out its replacement, just like I identified the Infiniti 5 years ahead of time. My next car will be a 2015 Volkswagen Golf. That car was recently named Car and Driver Car of the Year. The miles per gallon in real world driving exceed sticker estimates. I need a white one with light colored interior to deflect as much as possible of the overbearing South Florida heat.

Once again I would like to dispel some of your misconceptions...... I am glad you like "foreign cars" but the 2015 Golf is now made in Mexico (earlier versions were made in Germany). Mexico hasn't exactly been synonymous with "quality" for many automakers.

Also google "car color and heat difference".......color will not make any difference in how hot the interior of your car will be.....it is a myth.

Here is a great experiment done by a NASA guy:
The interior of a Black car is not hotter than a White car - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

[MiamiResident]

Originally Posted by hurricaneMan1992

"Affordable housing crisis threstens Miami-Dade, say local leaders."
Affordable housing crisis threatens Miami-Dade, say local leaders | Miami Herald Miami Herald

“The ability to live near transit and potentially eliminate a car from a household’s monthly budget could make as much or more difference to their bottom line as living in an affordable unit.”

That was an interesting in article.

[MiamiResident]

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

Once again I would like to dispel some of your misconceptions...... I am glad you like "foreign cars" but the 2015 Golf is now made in Mexico (earlier versions were made in Germany). Mexico hasn't exactly been synonymous with "quality" for many automakers.

Also google "car color and heat difference".......color will not make any difference in how hot the interior of your car will be.....it is a myth.

Here is a great experiment done by a NASA guy:
The interior of a Black car is not hotter than a White car - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

The back interior captures more heat than the white interior. You see an object black because it absorbs all the colors of the visible light and you see an object white when the object reflects all the colors off its surface. Black objects trap more electromagnetic energy (Light energy) and white objects capture the least energy.

That is why tennis players wear white/light colors.

I agree with you when you say Mexican made cars are not as goog as Canadian or U.S. made cars. My 2012 honda civic was made in Canada and the 2013-2015 Civil were made in Mexico. The difference in quality is day and night.

[Sugah Ray]

Originally Posted by hurricaneMan1992

Well, my *net worth* is zero due to debt (mainly student loans...the next financial bubble, as some are saying). As I'm sure many, many Miamians who are on the road are in the same situation, especially with all of the underwater homes. Right now, and for the last year, I have spent $0 on car ownership because I live in South Beach and I don't have children so the 1 hour bus/train commute is doable (although to be fair, the places where people have to live far out in order to afford a car on top of rent/mortgage are also an hour commute during rush hour...).

You can afford a Dodge... Dodge Patas