[quote=flu][quote=bearishgurl][quote=jpinpb] . . . Back maybe 30 years ago, if someone had, say, a Mercedes, well, then, you think that person has money. Today, whenever I see an expensive car, I just think that person has a lot of debt. It is not impressive to me. And I think many times that is one of the purposes of some people is to get a car to impress. I think they are fooling themselves.[/quote]
So true, jp. Especially since, if one REALLY wanted a Mercedes, (or any other luxury vehicle) they can get a used one older than five years (the “certified-used” threshold) and let the first (and second, if applicable) owner take the hit on the bulk of the depreciation. These “older” models often “look” perfect, due to quality paint jobs and quality leather interiors and can make the same “impression.”
I see absolutely no reason at all to purchase a vehicle newer than five years old, of any make. Why mortgage your life away or “burn” your casryh, even if you have cash to burn??[/quote]
i disagree. Sorry BG, but It would have to be some exceptional reason for me to buy a preowned european car (like I knew the exact history of it, which I came almost to doing a few months ago). Particularly a high end, fully loaded with electronics thats more than 2 years old. Too many things and too many unknowns. Buying a high end 1-2 year preowned high end car, I wouldn’t really be “saving” that much relative to the entire purchase price. It’s not like 1-2 year old car will get me 50% off… For example. Let’s figure one wants to spend $100k on a S550. I seriously doubt one would consider saving $20k 1-2 year oldpreowned. If you can afford to be in a $100k car, you aren’t going to be worried about saving $20k for a preowned, you’re not going to be shelling out $80k either.
In any cases, most of these higher end cars are not purchased out right in cash anyway. Most are leased since in 3-4 years, people can ditch them for the latest and greatest..
…That is, unless you’re a fobby asian… in which case… you might not lease, but buy outright in cash…Or better yet, you buy your 20 year old college freshman daughter a new S550 in cash because you want her to be in a “safe” car…despite she can’t figure out how to park it into the garage of the 5 bdrm/bath SFH, which fobby mommy and daddy also bought for her while she is in college, which BTW, she got in (through admission of said fobby parents) was “helped” by a financial donation to the institution.
Yes, I’m speaking as from experience as a witness, because I’m the guy that frickin helps her move the car in and out of her garage because she cant figure out how to without banging into walls or the new car next to it……and neither can her fobby boyfriend….And BTW, the new second car exists for fobby reason #2…..Fobby parents hears child’s car broke down one time (well, actually it just needed new brake pads…)…but rather than let protected child go get a dealer provided rental, fobby parent buys her a spare car so it won’t happen again….. I guess that’s what happens when you have parents runs a import/export business that nets $20k PER DAY…. because obviously fobby parents made it very clear to me that that was the case too……So goddamn fob-u-licious.
And no, I am not jealous/envious. It’s pretty entertaining frankly, it’s almost comical…..I say almost, except the times when I think about the irony of the situation…I’m talking about a 15 year mortgage, and this 20 something year old lives in a home that is debt free. That’s the irony. But hey, that’s what happens when we send our hard earned dollars to overseas….It’s just fob-tastic.[/quote]
I don’t resent these kind of people as long as they live well and treat other people accordingly.
But I must say one thing about the word FOB. It kind of wierds me out. I have heard people jokingly use it many times (comes with having asian family) but I have heard it used in horrible context as well. It is almost the “N” word of the asain cultural. I have heard it used as a hateful word as well.
FLU, is this your next door nieghbor? Maybe she could attend Blackwater Summer Camp for the privileged! 😛
