My wife and I are friends with a couple who are struggling financially, but who have several well-to-do sets of friends. When describing their friends’ riches, they refer to their luxury vehicles: “They have a Land Rover and a BMW!”, or “He bought his first Mercedes when he was eighteen!”
They’re currently desiring a luxury vehicle for themselves – not budget luxury like Buick, Lincoln or Acura, but decadent German luxury or Range Rover luxury. They’ve found that they can purchase a ten-year-old example for a pretty good price! As a good friend should, I’ve been working hard to dissuade them from making this mistake. I informed them that maintenance costs would be through the roof and could hurt them financially.
“If you buy a Land Rover,” I argue, “you’ll end up parking it after five months. Even a wheel bearing is like a thousand bucks to replace.”
“Oh no, our friends love their Land Rover!” is her response. “They say it’s totally reliable.”
“It’s only a year old though!”
“Well, aren’t BMWS good then?”
“They’re expensive to maintain, that’s why they’re so cheap used. My manager drove one and it cost her a fortune, always at the shop . . . ”
“But they’re so nice! Look, here’s one for only nineteen grand!”
“It has a lot of kilometers in it, plus it’s probably been in an accident. See, the bumper’s a different color? Look, here’s a RAV4. It’s nice.”
“But I really wanted one of those German brands!”
“Land Rover isn’t German.”
“Ha, you know what I mean!”
And so on.
Why drive an Explorer when you can drive this?
There’s nothing wrong with aspiring to own fine brands, but when it comes to used vehicles this can be disastrous for lower-income families. In the city I grew up in, the vehicle of choice for those wanting to appear rich was a Cadillac. On Christmas 1987, my trailer-dwelling buddy next door called me to come and check out the 1979 Cadillac Diesel his dad had just bought. I remember sitting in the sumptuous leather driver’s seat as Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing.” played on the fake-wood trimmed radio. “My dad listens to music like this!” my friend told me proudly from the passenger seat.
Of course, the car was on the road until summer, when catastrophic engine problems removed it from the road permanently, and his family went back to driving his mom’s decrepit old G-body for the next couple of years.
What do the experts say about luxury vehicle ownership by the non-rich? A study from the Federal Reserve details luxury car ownership (limited to Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Infinity, Jaguar, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Saab, and Volvo) and who buys them. The study shows that lower income households “tend to own a luxury vehicle for a relatively short period of time before switching back to non-luxury brands.” The study hypothesizes that “many discover the (marginal) realized utility incompatible with their budget conditions”, which suggests that low-income owners don’t find the luxurious driving dynamics and fine material quality to be a good trade-off for cheap operating costs, interior space, sliding doors, easy flip-down seats, and easy-to-clean interiors.
Our (non-rich) neighbor, a salesman with three kids, thought a slightly-used 2007 Jaguar S-Series would serve the needs of his family while also impressing his clients. Like many, he had a nightmarish experience with it until he finally put it up for sale in disgust. Listed under market, I briefly considered buying it until he talked me out of it himself, complaining that the heated windshield itself cost $1300 to replace, the Xenon headlights several hundred, and the fact that there was always something wrong with it. He had endured seven years of vehicular misery whereas a non-lux brand could also have been luxurious with far fewer headaches, serving his needs perfectly.
One could argue that operating costs can be kept down by performing your own maintenance, and there is an element of truth to this. Brake pads, rotors, coil packs, tie rod ends and ball joints are universally similar among vehicles, though component pricing may differ between brands. Often, these components are the same between the parent/child company (i.e. the coil packs between a Tiguan and an Audi Q5 are identical and dead simple to replace). However, engineering complexity and luxury features can start to throw a wrench in the plans of do-it-yourselfers. Changing transmission fluid is highly important in my opinion, but I would not be comfortable changing the transmission fluid in an Audi Q5 DSG, given that it’s under pressure and it’s a “do it right or plan on replacing your transmission” proposition.
As my neighbor found with his Jaguar, an ability to do mechanical work does not change the cost of complex individual components such as Xenon headlamps and heated windshields. Yes, you could convert to cheaper components (e.g., Xenon to LED headlamps) but then you’re diluting the luxury experience that you paid for and desired in the first place. Finally, most luxury buyers are simply incapable of doing their own maintenance, and the requirement to be a mechanic to affordably drive a luxury automobile seems self-defeating, unless you truly enjoy the work.
Some desire to gain social status and recognition by showing off their pricey new vehicle. A luxury vehicle might seem like a good way for low-income households to bolster their social standing, especially as gaining valuable social contacts grows in importance. These social status signalers expect to be rewarded with preferential treatment by their show of conspicuous consumption. However, it appears that low-income luxury buyers find that they do not enjoy the appearance of conspicuous consumption, that their budget does not support it, or that their imagined new social status never quite materializes. The study concludes that: “Households buy luxury vehicles due to social status signaling motivations that might retreat after a certain image is established and no longer supports conspicuous consumption.”
Recently, some cash-strapped acquaintances purchased a BMW X3 on credit, believing that the options trading course they are taking will soon lead them to vast riches. ‘Dress for the job you want, not the one you have,’ right? ‘Act rich, become rich.’ ‘Don’t validate your poverty by living poor.’ – all the motivational slogans they’ve learned from those financial gurus leading them into trouble while relieving them of the little money they have. I fear that these ideas and decisions won’t end well for them. Rather then bolster their social cred, the vehicle is making people wonder why they’re spending so irresponsibly.
Much of our misguided impressions of the lives of the rich are driven by the media and advertisements. Boomers and many Gen Xers grew up reading Archie comics depicting Mr. Lodge tossing money around like confetti, Richie Rich also being a part of this literary diet. Earlier generations longed to be new-England accented versions of wealthy Hollywood stars. Younger generations want to imitate their rich and socially conscious pop heroes and rich anti-heroes they see on Netflix. People desire to emulate their idea of what ‘wealthy’ looks like and a luxury vehicle is the commodity of choice (though luxury opinions are also gaining in popularity, but that’s a different subject).
Ye for him
Do the rich really live as extravagantly as imagined? From what I can gather personally, the average millionaire is far more “down-to-earth” than many would think. Most aren’t retired. Most go to work every day, working and saving. Most don’t drive luxury vehicles. Most live relatively humble lives.
A USAToday study from 2017 shows that the rich (those who earn $200,000 or more) tend to drive Toyotas, Hondas and Fords as the rest of us.
. . . the most popular cars for high-income Americans are pretty much what everyone else drives, notably Fords, Jeeps and Hondas.
The Ford F-150, which is already the most popular vehicle in the U.S., was also tops among those earning more than $200,000 a year.
Next came the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Honda Pilot, Jeep Wrangler and the only compact car in the top five, the humble Honda Civic.
Vehicle joy can be wonderful, but is easily misunderstood by the public. Unlike what marketing would have you believe, vehicle enjoyment may not come from luxury badges or features, envious stares from neighbors, or perceived value. Owning a $2500 Sentra can be more enjoyable than a $60,000 Mercedes, perhaps for emotional reasons I can’t fully explain, or reasons exclusive to an individual. Aside from my opinion that fancy cars look odd parked in front of a humble home (“Who’s visiting them?”), door dings and parking lot scratches are very unbecoming on a Mercedes, but are part of life when you shop at Costco or Walmart. Kids carry backpacks, zippers and mud, and are very hard on vehicles. Owning a 2016 Caravan is no problem in these scenarios. In a 2016 5-series? Not so much. I wouldn’t be okay with my child walking on white BMW leather seats to fetch something from behind.
Ultimately, of course, people can do whatever they want with their money and lives; my opinions don’t matter, however entitled I may be to them. We live in a free society, and if someone wants to install a pool, get plastic surgery, get a bad tattoo, or buy an Audi on credit, that’s none of my beeswax. I hope to own a Lexus IS350 one day when I have the financial means, even though a Camry would be perfectly adequate. I may choose to buy a classic Beetle. And if our friends choose to fulfill their dream of used German luxury, I’ll support them and be happy for them, as a friend should.
Great article. If my father taught me nothing else, one of the more valuable things he taught me was to buy a simple, reliable car with as few bells and whistles as possible (more things to break and need maintenance). To this day, despite being one of the people referenced in your article who is making well over $200,000, I’m still happily tooling around town in my 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid which has never given me a lick of trouble.
A most thoughtful and well-written piece, sir.
The CC crowd are probably a bit different, as I suspect most here see the virtue in some old pile of rubbish parked curbside, as we either know the historical place it had or if not, want to do so. Mostly, too, we know the probable horrors beneath that gleaming 10 yo Rover: we like it just as much as our neighbour, but only ever buy one such with eyes fully open.
For the vast majority, though, cars are just another aspect of consumer culture, albeit highly a visible one. Status, temptation, brand, insecurity, seduction, ego, all the same things that might sell, say, a posh TV over a functional one, they all apply to the most expensive purchase most of us make beyond that of a home. There is a great deal of science in the selling, and very little in the buying.
A super-smart friend of mine had a godawful Alfa, for which he’d paid silly money. He was convinced, utterly, that it had a “Monza clutch”, whatever that may be. It was “”as fast as a Ferrari”” – well, yes, if you and some dick in the Fazza are prepared to break speed limits wholesale, on freeways! It had “Italian leather” seats – clad locally in Port Melbourne, Oz., one of the many over-priced options he’d ticked.
Now, the guy above had money, so no biggie when the Italian was worth 20% of purchase price in three years (truly). I get a bit sad, however, when folk who really can’t afford to fall for the traps buy something like – in one memorable experience, against advice – a second-hand Volvo, “for the safety of the kids.” It did not work out at all well.
I am tempted, too often, to be cynical to people who buy beyond their means (which, in expensive car terms, means do not buy out of warranty, unless you’re a good gambler!) But I only have to have to think about computers, dreadful devices which I hate. I literally must have a quite-good one, for work. I know nothing, and don’t want to. I have knowledgable friends who’ll tell me how to get the best at about half price, but as soon as they start talking, my eyes glaze. So I buy only new, I get ripped off, and the supposed warranties I value mean bugger-all. I am, like the poor car-buyer of the old Range Rover, the ultimate consumer, a lamb to the slaughter who WILL not listen long enough to do better, because I don’t care about the details of the functional object at all beyond the surface allure (or promises made). I’ve heard my computer has a Monza drive: the rest of what you tell me is gibberish.
And if I had plenty of cash to spare, I’m sure I’d be talked into some expensive computer that was brand-name and posh, and I’d believe it to be the duck’s guts.
Till the day it wasn’t.
I don’t know many who would consider an Alfa to be a status symbol. I think most of the public would just see a bright red oddity with a strange grille shape.
Haha, I’ve never heard of a Monza clutch either and a rudimentary Google search isn’t too helpful.
Absolutely correct on all points. A miasma of marketing, social influences and personal insecurities drive people to such irrational purchases they cannot afford.
One true luxury is having enough confidence, independence and common sense not to start down that road.
My neighborhood is awash in newer luxury vehicles They’re all leased and so common, no one gives them a second glance.
The popular thing for truly wealthy urbanites here is not to have a car at all One is so wealthy, one doesn’t need to work, or commute, so not needing a car is the status symbol. If they want to travel they hire a car and driver.
It’s interesting how perceptance and reality differ. If you haven’t read “The Millionaire Next Door”, you should. It’s based on extensive research and details consumer and other patterns of the wealthy. It turns out – as you say above – that those who look rich often aren’t because they spend all their money on looking rich. Those who are in fact rich are difficult to pick out because they don’t spend their money looking rich. Which is why they are rich.
I like that American (I think) saying about spending money you don’t have on buying stuff you don’t need to impress people you don’t like.
I agree, rich people didn’t get that way by spending their money.
Obviously generalities don’t hold up consistently. Plenty of rich people do indulge themselves; that’s rather obvious. Others don’t, at least not in the more overt ways.
It’s a generalization, but more likely those that earned their riches through their direct efforts, over a longer time span, having started out with little, are more likely to maintain more modest consumption patterns.
Those that strike it rich more suddenly, whether it’s through a breakthrough in the entertainment business or such are probably more likely to indulge. There’s a also a social component: if you chose to live in rich enclaves, you’re going to have to participate and keep up appearances.
It’s impossible to make blanket stereotypes fit. Rich people come in many forms, but clearly the book “The Millionaire Next Door” identifies a key subset. The fact that the millionaire is still living next door and has not moved to Jackson Hole of Palm Beach says a lot about what their values are.
There may also be a generational component. That book was written twenty five years ago, and it would not be surprising if many of the subjects of that research were over 60 the research was done, and thus mighty few baby boomers, who have exhibited many different financial habits and tendencies from those of our elders.
As I recall, the authors made the observation that millionaires bought their cars by the pound, which meant that the average millionaire was driving a large Buick or other mid-price, full size American car, or an F-150. This was back in 1996. Yuppies (again, 1996) that bought BMWs on credit were characterized as All hat, no cattle.
I made this mistake with our Volvo XC70, though for different reasons. I was less interested in the status of a Volvo than I was in their reputation for reliability and longevity. It also ticked the boxes in terms of being a big box that could haul a lot of stuff to cat shows, being relatively low so my wife wouldn’t have to climb up into it (versus our CR-V), and being comfortable for long trips.
What I didn’t take into consideration was that these were not the simple, bulletproof Volvos of old. Things wore out much sooner than expected, and expensively.
Our ultimate solution was to make the make my wife the primary driver of the Volvo, since the only drives 2000-3000 miles a year, thus reducing the wear and tear. We sold her old Jetta and I got myself an Accord, which is racking up the mile’s without drama. It’s not as solid as that old CR-V, but I can’t complain about the maintenance costs.
I recently came close to buying an XC70 AWD for the same reasons. Maybe
I dodged a bullet.
I also bought the XC70, daughter bugging her retired dad to get something with four wheel drive. Something like 70 fuses in there! Gas tanks that don’t talk to each other, a muffler so bizarre there’s no aftermarket. I drive it less than 2000 miles a year.
To me, owning an expensive car is a lot Ike owning an old Victorian house. The dream is far better than the reality.
Apt analogy.
I have become weary of people asking me for car buying advice only to completely ignore it.
Why stand in the way of these idiots?
I say better to stand aside and have a good laugh as they lead themselves into financial ruination.
Having said that, it’s my belief that a used Lexus is the only one of these brands that’s remotely safe to buy used and/or out of warranty.
“I have become weary of people asking me for car buying advice only to completely ignore it.”
A common lament among automotive enthusiasts. I’ve had many conversations with friends and acquaintances where I recognized the virtues of a given high dollar car, while STRONGLY emphasizing all the caveats related to ownership. The end result? The potential buyer owner hears the positive comments, while turning a deaf ear to the huge negatives.
That applies to so much of life, people hear what they want to hear, and ignore what they don’t want to hear.
In the case of cars in particular, when those negatives become apparent it will be your fault since “you said so many positive things about the vehicle”
This is a good point, expanding on it a bit, you really need to consider your audience, what they are looking for, and it isn’t necessarily the same as it would be for you. I’ve owned VWs only for 40 years now, and people roll their eyes often, insinuating I’m asking for trouble, and in some respects they’re right…but it has worked for me. I’ve owned my current one, my only car, 21 years this month, I’m not going to lie, it has left me stranded (ignition cylinder went and I didn’t have tools to open up steering column to bypass the switch) and have had other expensive and/or exasperating problems (endemic ignition coil issues, plastic window regulators broke so window fell into the door, power steering rack replacement and the manual shift cables failed)..but the car has otherwise been durable, if not reliable, and I don’t mind too much (thus far!) tinkering with it. That’s probably not true for most people, and I’d have trouble recommending what I like to other people who aren’t like me. Yes, I want my car to work, but I’m willing to endure some problems to drive what I like. Some problems won’t ever get fixed…two of my doors won’t open due to power lock circuit board issue, I’m not ready to open the doors up (especially with the window regulator issue) to get to them. The stock radio thinks I like my bass cranked up to highest setting, I can adjust all other settings but the bass is fixed at maximum. Yes, I could put in another radio, but I choose to live with it…in a way, it is part of what makes the car mine, the idiosyncrasies (most people probably would disagree). That being said, I’m getting older and some of the things I was willing to bend on before aren’t the same as when I bought my present car 21 years ago….I put more emphasis on reliability since I don’t know if I’ll want to continue to tinker (or my living situation will make it practical to do so)…since no one in my family can drive my current car (manual transmission) my next car needs to be automatic…unfortunately I’m in denial on the timing, which is probably one reason I’ve kept this car as long as I have, I like it too much to switch (not looking forward to my next car)…to me that is the real luxury, to be able to drive and buy something you like.
I think it is kind of like investing…I’m not great at it, but people have asked me advise, they say they “just want to make money”…but I tell them I’m not likely in the same position as they are, so what I do for myself probably doesn’t apply to them…would be nice if it were simpler, but like a lot of things the devil is in the details. You can make things simple, but you might forgo some of the aspects that are important to you (or your situation) so you have to weigh how important it is to customize to what you want versus how involved you want to be (or if you are even interested in keeping up with it).
How well do you really know the person you’re giving advise to? I think you have to be really careful, if you don’t want to be considered to having given flippant advice, maybe based on not knowing well the person’s situation that is asking for it.
Now I’m curious–what year and model is your VW?
Sure, Staxman,
’00 VW Golf GLS, 2.0, 5 speed manual (current). Prior was ’86 GTi, 1.8, 5 speed manual, and initial one bought in 1981, a ’78 Scirocco 1.7 5 speed.
My father owned a ’59 Beetle back in the day as his 1st “2nd” car, but no one else in my family owned any other VW.
+1 about the Lexus.
We picked up a gently used 1 owner LS 430 with 68K on the odo 7 years ago.
It’s now at 119,XXX and all it has needed were two batteries, 6 years apart, front and rear brake pads, one O2 sensor and a set of tires.
I replaced all the fluids earlier this year and it will need a timing belt, last one done in 2012.
Nearly bomb proof, comfy and fast enough when necessary, I intend to keep it for another 10 years if I can get away with it. I’ll be 76 then..
Keeping up with the Joneses never works. Back during the aftermath of the mortgage meltdown, we found so many copies of Carlton Sheets’ “No Down Payment” course in foreclosed homes that it was ridiculous. It just goes to prove that you can’t stop people from doing stupid.
Oh and we’ll just have to agree to disagree on the $2500 Sentra. It’ll have a crappy CVT and will equally be a money pit just like the 10 year old Land Rover
Was going to say, unless it’s a stick or old enough to still have the “wet” automatic.
My work buddy and his wife are currently leasing a Sentra with a CVT and if it were literally anything else (especially a Corolla. Maybe not a DCT Focus.) I’d recommend they take the purchase option when their lease ends after the first of the year.
Well with today’s market they should still buy that Sentra at the end of the lease, then trade it in the next week and put that profit into their next vehicle.
In this case, the Sentra remark was from personal experience. I bought a 2001 Sentra from the Pick-n-Pull a few months ago for 900 bucks. It had 90,000 kilometers on it but was running poorly. After a day or so of troubleshooting I replace the MAF sensor, which fixed the problem.
I enjoyed that car immensely, the steering feel, the zippy engine, the organic feeling missing from newer cars. Part of the enjoyment was the feeling of pride in having beat the system somehow, fixing a scrap car that people had disregarded and finding value where nobody else had seen it..
Unfortunately I had to sell as the fabrics inside irritated my wife’s lungs (and she wanted me to have something “nicer” anyhow). I made a few hundred.
I bought a 97 Sentra manual as a choice of car for my student daughter 36+000kms on it and it ran and drove just fine, she chose my old Xsara which is now showing its age and mileage I sold the Sentra before I got to really like it and last seen was still going just fine my own car a mid mileage Citroen diesel goes just fine and clocks up the KMs with ease everything still works even the complicated computer controlled suspension providing the inspection next month doesnt cost much for faults I’ll keep it and run it till it stops then drive my Superminx as a daily, thats my fall back plan.
Loved the two Saabs I owned, and bought them cheaply, but had to move on from them because they were too expensive to upkeep. Still miss the turbo 9-3, though; it was a zippy little hatchback.
So right, and in so many ways. The allure and “prestige” of owning a luxury car is often dramatically overshadowed by the pitfalls of poor reliability.
Two highly-paid executives that I work with/for previously owned high-end Audi’s. Within a couple of years of purchase, we began hearing their stories of continual maintenance problems and high repair costs. Both of these gentlemen could easily afford the repairs, but had difficulties with being left stranded and the hassles of arranging rental or loaner cars. Fast forward to today — one now drives a Tahoe; the other a relatively low-end F150.
My wife and I wound up “inheriting” an 11 year old Hyundai Elantra when we helped our daughter obtain a newer car, We decided to keep the Elantra to help keep the mileage down on our daily drivers. It’s turned out to be something of a revelation — the Hyundai drives great around town, has proven to be very reliable, and we don’t worry as much about getting door dings in parking lots or having it broken into or stolen when parking in troubled neighborhoods.
When I was running a shop a couple of years ago, I used to see customers who had purchased status cars at BHPH lots who couldn’t afford to maintain them. The most extreme was a woman who picked up a four-figure Porsche Cayenne. She couldn’t afford to change the oil at our rates, which involved $5/ quart synthetic oil, about $25 in labor(complete charity on our part), and an oil filter element from WorldPac for about a third of the Porsche price. The car uses ten quarts of oil per change and the engine bay is full of noise abating/decorative cladding that needs to be removed to execute an oil and filter change. IIRC, the book rate for the job was 1.2 hours. Our total price was over $100 for the oil change. The Porsche dealer would have been in the three or four hundred dollar range. The customer never came back to have it done. Other used Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover customers priced overdue brake jobs and never had them done.
If working on cars is your passion, you’re mechanically inclined, and you have access to some real expertise and proprietary information; it is possible to run an off-warranty Euro-trash car on a budget. If you’re doing it because you think it will make you look rich, you’re about to learn an expensive lesson.
“If working on cars is your passion, you’re mechanically inclined, and you have access to some real expertise and proprietary information; it is possible to run an off-warranty Euro-trash car on a budget. If you’re doing it because you think it will make you look rich, you’re about to learn an expensive lesson.”
Really well stated.
A mechanically-inclined buddy of mine went through a phase of driving older Jags and Land Rovers. He soon found he was no match for Lucas electronics, even with a local mechanic who, he assured me, “knows these things up and down”..
This entire essay is brilliant. One of my favorite things I’ve read lately.
I have also seen this scenario play out before. Toward the end of this piece, the author touches on the point that many wealthy households do not spend money frivolously – which is part of why they’re wealthy. I am witness to this firsthand, as in my line of work, I deal with high net worth clients who tend to watch how much they spend very carefully – and wisely so.
Even beyond cars and transportation, there is a joy that comes with living in a certain degree of simplicity and absence of wastefulness. I haven’t owned a car since the early Aughts (which I understand isn’t possible for some, depending on where they live and what they do), shop regularly at a discount grocery store and thrift store, and I do not lack for anything. Some days, I feel like the richest man in the world. I’m not talking about extremism or asceticism, as it is important to treat ourselves and enjoy life – reasonably.
It is great to read an essay that extols the virtues of relative frugality, even as it specifically pertains to automotive purchases.
The first new “luxury” car we owned was a 1989 mid-range Taurus wagon. Why was such a plebeian vehicle a luxury car? Because it was the first car that we bought without financing.
I’m a car guy, as are everyone who reads Paul’s great site. In high school and college years (1970’s) I coveted expensive cars, no surprise there. The real world, however, teaches otherwise to people who pay attention, and I got over it.
As an old guy now I can buy whatever I care to, but still cannot bear to buy a pricy car that isn’t reliable, or is expensive to maintain. I have made two exceptions, in the form of a current and a former GTI, but they don’t meet my situational definition of expensive… and luckily proved to be cheap to keep.
As Lostdog has pointed out, people have the right to do what they want with their own money, and shouldn’t give a fig what I think. That said, financial holes are dug by purchasing depreciating assets… with cars being a great example of such.
I see signs at oil change places “Protect your investment!” Except in rare instances, cars are never an investment. Rather, they’re simply an expense.
Lostdog, you’ve made your opinion known to your friend and that’s all you can do. Remember, smart guys learn from their experiences, really smart guys learn from others experiences.
“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
–Will Rogers
To the average person, there’s no real need for these brands when there is so much in the way of “trickle down ergonomics” as I like to call it. Most cars these days are available in trim levels that will give you all of the creature comforts you could possibly want. Stuff that was only available on “luxury’ makes a decade or so ago, is now available on the lowliest of cars. Think start buttons and back-up cameras, et al.
There was an article about this very subject in Motor Trend a few years back. It was the cover article and was titled “Is Luxury Really Worth It?”, or something to that effect.
They compared things like a Kia Stinger to its equivalent sister car in the Genesis line for example. It was rather enlightening. The phrase “Why pay more?” comes to mind.
Having said that, I just read an article there this morning that says that the Acura Integra is coming back. It’ll be based on the 11th Gen Civic. The same drivetrain even. I’d be ok with buying one of these after having success (knocks wood on desk) with my 10th Gen Civic Coupe. A Lexus is probably a safe choice too, being a Toyota and all.
But the Germans? – No way. My best friend bought a “Certifie[able] Pre-Owned” BMW 535 once a few years back as a ‘movin’-on-up’ purchase to replace his Buick LeSabre. It needed front brakes after a time. What was a $250 repair on my Mustang cost him about $850. He now drives a Hyundai Sonata. The Hyundai has more creature comforts that the Bimmer. Are the seats as nice? No. Are his maintenance bill better? Absolutely.
Ok, maybe I don’t want the Integra after all. It has Brembo Brakes. LOL.
That type of comparison is nothing new for Motor Trend. In 1972 the magazine compared a loaded Chevrolet Caprice to a Cadillac Sedan de Ville, and found that there wasn’t much to recommend the Cadillac over the Chevrolet when it came to performance and comfort.
As usual there’s always an exception to the rule. Namely Lincoln.
The typical pampered Lincoln’s value would chart out similar to a drive off of a cliff. lol Meanwhile the typical gently aged Lincoln will operate at a net cost lower than the typical cheapest Ford of its era.
“Typically” because there can be exceptions to the exception.
Air suspension; Not even once.
I replaced air suspension in my SAAB 97-x with springs. It was never the same after, in spite of assurances from other owners that they never felt the difference.
Part of the problem was that I had to compress the new springs a bit so it didn’t ride high in the rear (you have to use the Trailblazer springs).
Except that it has been several years since there was a Lincoln available with air suspension and on the models that did have it in the last 20 years it was also available on the Ford version, though not as frequently found.
I agree with the Lincoln, the older ones, at least. For decades, under the luxury they used straightforward mass market reliable Ford components. Nothing particularly expensive or tricky, for the most part.
I’ve found the Lincoln/Mercury air suspension system to be excellent in function, easy to service and reliable. It’s developed a poor reputation due to neglect and, I suspect, unscrupulous mechanics whe fleeced the public.
The key is to regard the air springs like tires, that wear out and need occasional replacement. On my cars,the air springs last about 20 years. It’s a good idea to look at them every few years. If they look weather checked like an old tire, replace them, don’t wait for a leak. They’re cheap to buy, and I can change a pair in about 30 minutes
I super extra don’t agree with that.
Fantastic article, and great observations in the comments. My take on expensive vehicles
at this point in my life (late forties), is that there are other things I would rather do with
my money than purchase a new rapidly depreciating asset, or deal with costly
maintenance on an older luxury conveyance. The cost of insurance has to be factored
into the equation as well, and that is often overlooked by the aspirational purchaser, until
after the fact.
I agree, these comments are thoughtful and well-written as usual, a huge appeal in me frequenting this website.
There are far better things we can do at our age with our money than try to show off our status to people who couldn’t care less.
One of my favorite cars was also the one that came with the fewest number of options- a 1990 Nissan Pickup. Manual windows, transmission and hubs. It had been sinking (literally) in someones back yard and was the second (!) free car given to me.
It even barely came with a frame. Barely.
We think alike, my current daily driver is a 1992 Nissan Pickup, equipped like yours.
Even has a non functional radio, which I don’t plan to fix.
Lostdog, I’d be curious of what the age range these friends of yours are? They aren’t in the range of someone like Paul or me of that I am pretty sure. One reason for that would be to make a connection between their age and what marketing was like when they were in their young formative years. Marketing today towards my 12 year old is so very different than it was to me in 1965. My son’s advantage is that he has an older baby boomer father who is always telling him you cannot believe what they are telling/selling you online and so he has learned to question it.
There’s my age — mid-forties.
Marketing in the eighties did encourage excess and economic materialism.
Not that they’re materialistic. They live within their means with very little income, don’t buy expensive things, and are generous with what they have.
They do want their big break in life to come, but they’re becoming impatient and want some good stuff now.
She also craves a luxury home and will attend an open house occasionally (I’ve also advised her not to do this as it’ll just cause her to be unhappy with what she has).
She also craves a luxury home and will attend an open house occasionally (I’ve also advised her not to do this as it’ll just cause her to be unhappy with what she has).
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While yes it could just make her unhappy, it could also drive the desire to attain it and result in making the changes needed to make it happen.
To me the word to crave generally means in excess. One craves a luxury home. What is wrong with a nice home? Somehow I think she craves because for some reason it will make her happy and full fill her life yet that is rarely the case. A luxury home I don’t need and a luxury car I don’t need as I know neither will make me happy Then, again, I come from another era where I more closely identify with my grandparents born between 1900-1910 and went through the depression.
Well to be fair that is the author’s word and it may or may not be the exact mindset of the woman, it may have just been what flowed well off of his fingers.
But yes crave does sound a little excessive. Also what is the author’s and lady in question’s definition of a luxury home, I’m sure it doesn’t match either of our definitions exactly and certainly depends on location and relative pricing in that area.
When I was growing up, my father had a thing for high end cars. A Lincoln Town Coupe may not have been high end by 1980 when he bought his last one, but a Mark III in 1970 or a Mark IV in 1972 certainly was. But I watched him with those expensive cars, and saw things break/fail/age/rust when they were neglected, just like would have happened with the cheapest cars.
I had a thing for big expensive cars early on, but got cured of that pretty quickly by the fifteen year old 63 Fleetwood Sixty Special I tried to keep on the road on a college student’s budget. I do indeed love cars, but have found it just as easy to love something that is inexpensive or unconventional as something everyone else aspires to.
I have seen the ads in the local Craigslist it seems like Jaguars & BMW’s are really cheap. But there is a reason for this, they are past 60,000 miles and that seems to when the really big bucks for parts & maintenance are. That’s when they become a real money pit.
One of the richest Dutchmen of our country once invited my wife to visit his home as she is an art lover and he wanted to show her his collection, She knew him as he was a board member of the company she worked for and my wife worked there as a secretary (we’d nowadays would call a P.A. )
In the impressive house situated on one of the Amsterdam canals she enjoyed seeing the best pictures made by the most famous painters.
He drove a 12 year old Ford Mondeo…………
Priorities. 🙂
I’ve had semi-decent luck with 4 used Cadillacs (bought with cash) in 40 years; that is, my 3 new cars were about as bad repair-wise. Nothing really expensive, but I do hate being stranded, which hasn’t happened with the last 2. I could stand moving to a smallish crossover for the ease of entry and even give up the V8, but I won’t have leather seats without cooling.
I didn’t realize when I bought it that my ’04 Deville was the first year to have better bolts that prevented the dreaded Northstar head gasket failure, which had suppressed the price of all of them.
THERE. WAS. A. TIME…
Paul and many others of us “of a certain age” remember when DURABILITY was one of the luxuries of a Mercedes, BMW or a number…not all, but a number of premium vehicles.
Yeah, they were always expensive to fix, except with halfways reasonable care, they didn’t break.
But THAT went out the window with the grunge era, as many of you know.
True that there were Lincolns and Cadillacs that’ve had up-and-down durability over the years. Sad that many of the Northstar Caddies turned out to have self-separating heads, over and above the starter that lived in the lifter valley. But I know of people who knew what models to buy and what to avoid, bought well and enjoy their used Cadillacs.
PROBABLY the best bet if you must own a prestigious nameplate: used Escalade. As long as its been well-cared for. The GM drivetrains are as durable as they come.
Well said. I bought a North star Deville knowing it would need head bolt repair. The car was pristine, like new and so cheap, a repair was entirely affordable. I got 120k km
of reliable, pleasant driving from it, for peanuts before the head bolts let go.
Lots of meat on this plate! It’s a subject much more complicated than it can seem; some of the reasons why people buy stuff they can’t afford are survival-grade sensible in ways not intuitive or obvious to others.
A lot of rich people are cheap bastards—they didn’t get or stay rich by spending money! I had very-front-row seats for it in my cater waiter and wrecking yard jobs.
Oh, one thing:
You can’t really—not and still have headlamps that actually work. Your broader point holds, though; at what point does a vehicle stop being (say) a Raaaaaaaange Reauvaahhh and start being a pile of inferior imitation parts with a Rover nameplate on it? Swap the Range Rover for a Chevrolet and the question still holds good.
I had good service from my ’87 Audi 4000 quattro for many years, but I saw it as the Audi counterpart of the simple, bulletproof Volvos of old, as Fuzzyman put it. I’d be very wary of a newer Audi.
For an entertaining deeper dive, I recommend Class: A Tour Through the American Status System by Paul Fussell. At one point he specifically addesses cars. He says a rich person usually drives a stripper Chevrolet, Ford, Plymouth, or Dodge, in a boring color.
A well-written and thoughtful article. Thank you.
It all boils down in my book (when I’m boiling books…hummmm) to drive what you want and what you can afford according to that portion of your budget allocated to vehicles. The key here is to have a literal, or at least inherent sense of, budget. I have found in life that those who suffer the most financially in our society are often those who for one reason or another (and sometimes those reasons are beyond the control of the individual) have not masted the skills of living according to a budget. Falling victim to marketing related to the “status” associated with brands is a key way of making mistakes that take one away from living within their means/budgets.
Bottom line, never buy a vehicle based on what what you believe that someone else thinks you should have or should aspire to have. Buying a luxury vehicle in order to acquire status is as foolish (IMO) as buying a down-market vehicle (or purposefully abusing a vehicle) in order to appear more boho. Both are the result of letting other people live in your head, which is never a good idea.
” Buying a luxury vehicle in order to acquire status is as foolish (IMO) as buying a down-market vehicle (or purposefully abusing a vehicle) in order to appear more boho.”
Good point, both can be displays of superiority. “Unlike you, I’m so unfettered by corporatism that I drive an old Corolla. Take that.”
Excellent advice—not just for vehicles.
There sure is a lot to see when one starts really thinking critically about the advertising that surrounds us like smog. Awhile back there was a billboard near my office, for some Lexus or Acura SUV. The tagline was something to the effect of show the world you’re a nonconformist and a rebel by buying this. Under a picture of a vehicle functionally, dimensionally, and apparently almost identical to its every competitor. That’s quite a steaming pile of rebellious nonconformity, eh!
Basically spot-on, but there are a lot of gray areas, some of which make you wonder why exactly higher-end cars cost so much more to begin with.
Much has been made of Audis being expensive to run, but Volkswagens can be just as finicky, as they share some drivetrains.
On the flip side, Lexus, Acura and Infiniti have proven to be just as reliable as their lower-end counterparts, but old Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans command premiums as used cars because of their reliability, so when you encounter a Lexus RX and a RAV4 going for roughly the same money, the Lexus may prove to be a bargain.
If you’re looking for lower operating costs, avoid anything European and go Japanese or Korean. Hyundais aren’t as expensive as Toyotas, but that gap is starting to narrow too.
If you want a low purchase price and only slightly less reliability than the Japanese, go American.
Disagree low purchase price used is European brands out here reliability is average on everything, the repair industry here is thriving keeping ex JDM cars alive, I drive a 376.000 km Citroen with computer controlled everything and its as reliable as the sun YMMV.
I think this is the first time I’ve actually seen a photo of Bryce’s mythical Citroen. Looks good – thanks for posting it. As to the broader topic, a very well-written article and good commentary. I’m happy with our Ford, Toyota and (base model) VW but tempted to get a long range AWD EV which pretty much means Tesla or Mach E. But the (mostly mistaken) perception that such EV’s are “elitist” luxury cars makes me hesitant. Yet it would cost me about the same to replace my Tacoma with a new one, as it would to get a Model 3.
Very good and timely article. In the mid-1990s, our local Jaycees Chapter held a dinner meeting, and the speaker was a businesswoman from a neighboring town. I was sitting at her table. She had bought a used Jaguar XJ sedan, and she commented on what a money pit it was turning out to be. Then she discovered that one of the men sitting at our table owned the local used car lot from where she had bought the Jaguar.
That turned out to be a very frosty dinner meeting…and it was held in August.
“New England Accent”? It does not exist. I have lived in Massachusetts all my life, and have traveled almost every corner of the other five. There are many interesting accents in New England, but they are so varied that there is no way to claim a generalized “New England accent” anymore than you can claim a “French-tasting wine”. Boston, Bangor or Bridgeport accents have little in common. Take the example of Medford, a very old city, settled in 1630 or so. It, has two different accents depending on which section you were born in. “Meffuh” vs “Medfid”, by the way.
I definitely could have written that part better. I meant to say that people wanted to emulate celebrities who feigned the accent such as K Hepburn and Cary Grant.
For the uninitiated, the accents of people like Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant or even JFK aren’t typical New England accents. They were spoken by people of means who were afforded the luxury of being groomed to learn to speak like that. It is a taught accent. It’s not heard anymore because it’s not taught anymore.
Absolutely true. Most of these people that drive expensive cars that they cant afford are very superficial thinking that what they drive will make people give them more respect. In reality, nobody cares what they drive, and the people that know their finances feel sorry for them for their stupidity and immaturity.
One of the reasons people who are good with their money buy average, reliable cars is because they see a car for what it is, transportation.
There is nothing wrong with an old car in good shape, but a well off guy driving a smoking peice of junk would make you think he was a hoarder or something. Lol
A lot of this is that basic financial responsibility is no longer taught in schools, so a lot of people have no idea how to save, and only buy things when you can pay for them.
“A lot of this is that basic financial responsibility is no longer taught in schools, so a lot of people have no idea how to save”
Just had this conversation the other day with a young lady. When I was in Jr High long ago there was a personal fiance elective that I took which taught about budgets, loans and the like. She said there was no such option for her.
“and only buy things when you can pay for them.”
Actually that is part of the problem for so many. If they have the money at the end of the month, it means it is time to treat themselves or splurge, rather than put it away for the time when there is more month at the end of the money.
First of all, I’m in my 60s, and they never taught financial responsibility in any schools I attended. I learned it from my parents. But secondly, let’s not look back through rose colored glasses. The boomers were the original credit card generation, and here’s an article to prove it: https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/research/credit-card-debt-by-age/
Thanks for the link those are some surprising numbers.
I agree that the boomer generation is the original credit card generation as the “accepted everywhere” types of cards came to prominence and popularity as the early boomers came of age. However I’m not seeing that the article linked proves or supports that.
My son and I have a credit card issued by the same credit union. Recently they raised the limit for both of us. Mine is more than 4x his, but then again I’m 30 years older with a much much longer credit history with them and in general. Knowing the average limit for each of those ages would give us a little more insight. Who knows everyone might be near their limits and if you gave the 20-30 year olds the same limits as us 50-60 year olds their balances may soon be just as high.
It also doesn’t give us any insight into the payment and purchasing patterns of the different age groups. With the timing of when the cycle ends and when the payment is due I can’t remember when I’ve ever had a 0 balance on my credit card yet I always pay the full balance due and never pay any interest.
With all the cash back and miles type programs out there many people do use their credit card for everything they can and someone with more income and expenses is likely to have a higher balance.
CA Guy makes a good point about Home Economics in that it often included parts about managing a household budget and “stretching a dollar”. But in general something like the personal finance class I and one of my brothers took was never common and certainly never something that was required.
Early 50s are not boomers. The youngest boomer, from the late end, are 57. I’m from the front end putting me deep into the late 60s. Those of us in the late 60s to early 70s are more likely to have had married grandparents go through the depression and a father who served in WWII. I definitely see things different from those in even their late 50s due to a ton of depression era relatives and WWII vets around my father. I personally hate credit card debt and have none.
Roger that. I’m in your age group with Depression era parents/ grand parents.
If you can’t pay for it you don’t buy it…Period. What you buy better last. Credit cards…perhaps a necessary evil but I don’t buy anything that way…20+% interest??? NOPE..
Shop/auto mechanics for boys and home economics for girls were ways in which financial responsibility was taught in schools – but that was a long time ago and in a financially less complicated world of: executive compensation not nearly as astronomical or out of line with the average worker as today, much higher taxes and stocks and bonds and charge cards for the rich, bank accounts, savings bonds and certificates, and 24-month car payment books for those below them, and unions and pensions rather than self-funded retirement accounts for a large percentage of the work force.
Have your friends watch Car Wizard on youtube. He has lots of vids where he goes over how unreliable and expensive it is to maintain luxury brands, especially Audis Land Rovers and BMWs.
Personally I drive Hondas but have been tempted by Audis. I wont buy a cheap off lease Audi though cuz I know their long term reliability is garbage and the repair costs are $$$$$$$
One or two broken down European luxury vehicles covered with a tarp and a flat tire is de rigueur for every mobile home park I’ve visited. Luxury vehicles with their wallet draining maintenance is what force most people off the hedonic treadmill.
This editorial is a pretty harsh assessment because it really deals with people’s yearnings for success and achievement, and is only peripherally about their choices in auto purchases. The great myth in American culture is that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed, and if you are not successful, than it is a reflection of what you lack as an individual. Your lack of talent, intelligence, perseverance, or what is seldom mentioned, luck.
While we have always been exposed to the depiction of the “good life” through the traditional media, it has now become so pervasive with social media. Besides the lives of the real rich and famous; inheritors of generational wealth, industrialists, entrepreneurs, and celebrities, we are now bombarded by accounts of how Internet millionaires amass vast overnight fortunes by astronomical numbers of “clicks.”
This reminds me of the old saying, “If you’re so smart, then how come you aren’t you rich?”
If you can’t really be rich, why not try to fool yourself into thinking that you are, or might someday be rich? What better way than by acquiring the cast off trappings of the wealthy? In this case, older prestige vehicles.
Unlike other luxury items such as expensive watches, or multi thousand dollar hand bags, we depend on those vehicles for necessary transportation. While you can wear your Timex, or carry your Macy’s bag to the office, you really need to drive to work in that Land Rover!
The fancy handbag can be used until it is no longer fashionable, the watch can be used until it breaks or makes the wearer too self conscious, and then it can sit in a drawer.
Unfortunately that used prestige vehicle can develop some crippling problems that run into astronomical expenses. I’ve been a regular on the Jaguar Forums for years and have read many heartbreaking tales of woe,
I think that many people will have a brief fling with a luxury item, after awhile it becomes apparent that there is no real pay off for having it, as it doesn’t do anything materially better than a more affordable version, and it does not fit into their actual lifestyle. It can also become a real burden.
I think that most of us know that we cannot improve our financial position through consumption, only through the increased production of capital. Money, that is.
For most of us that means working overtime, or a second job. Or by acquiring improved education or training that makes our labors more valuable, then we can find higher paying employment.
I think that the possession of a luxury item is more about how it makes the buyer feel about themselves, then how they think they are actually perceived by others.
Okay, now a few words about cars. I read that article in the Fed, referenced at the beginning of the editorial. At one time, long ago, higher priced cars were functionally better than lower priced models. They were bigger, faster, better built, and were more comfortable. Through the marvels of modern production and technology most domestic cars were functionally equivalent by the post WWI period. (My opinion) While a twelve cylinder Packard was faster than a Ford, it was mostly unneeded and unnecessary potential. Both cars could be legally operated on a public highway with similar utility and performance results. That left the only field that a lower priced marque could not perform equally on. That was prestige, not luxury, per se. Convenience, comfort, and even safety features have been trickling down to lower priced cars for decades. Logically there is no reason to pay a premium for these features.
Unfortunately a high price doesn’t guarantee reliability or a long service life. Many expensive makes are more complicated and replacing regular service items like coolant hoses can require an extraordinary amount and expense of labor. I know of BMWs that have a critical hose positioned under the motor, while supercharged Jaguars had rubber coolant lines run under the supercharger, requiring it to be removed before the hose can be replaced. Extensive electronic systems and aids that have no manual back up control are prone to malfunctioning after the vehicle has passed it’s warranty.
Of course, the actual wealthy first time buyer, who the manufacturer was targeting, or lessee would have disposed of the car after only a few years. As bad as they can be, most of these cars usually can be trouble free until the mileage exceeds 50-60,000 miles. These cars were not designed to provide carefree service for the second or third buyer, why would they be? They will be too old to be fashionable and the manufacturer doesn’t have any interest in maintaining high trade in values.
The wealthy can afford to buy anything that they want. The average working person knows that they can’t, but often can’t resist the temptation. At least once. Experience is a tough teacher.
This is one major reason Lexus and to a lesser extent Acura and Infiniti kicked open the premium/luxury party door 30 years ago and peed in the punch bowl. 15 years ago I remember a friend with an LS430 complaining that her car needed some work and it only had 225k miles on it….
Look in the hidden enclaves of wealth in New England and you rarely see new luxury cars. The showy wealthy (or posers) love them some Range Rovers and M-Class though. But otherwise you’ll see newer and not so newer Land Cruisers, Outbacks and RX350s.
Despite what I thought was a lesson-learned with our money pit Volvo (bought new), my now-ex recently traded her deadly reliable Lexus on an Audi Q5. It certainly is a pretty car, and nice to drive. But she’s in no position to pay massive repair bills since she’s barely keeping her head above water on her condo and the husband-provided-subsidy has ended. Good luck with all that. Maybe she’ll find another subsidy.
There used to be a commenter on this site by the name of Frank Bray. I haven’t seen him post in quite some time now. I remember his name because he posted one of the best quotes on economics that I have ever heard. It should be made into bronze plaques and hung in every economics class in every school. His comment was “Debt is not prosperity”.
Fascinating article and discussion. I think most of us as we get older get more comfortable in our own skin and care rather less than we once did about others’ perception of us. Or simply realise that nobody does care what you think your car says about you.
That said, would it surprise y’all to learn that to this day the most reliable car I ever owned was a 9 year old Jaguar XJ12 bought at the tender age of 24 in 1995 ? Yes, pretty lucky I know….
That car had real luxury – effortless performance, plenty of space, mechanical refinement and a cossetting ride.
Luxury is about a lot more than the badge on the front.
Great topic, article and discussion. Well.done!
After typing that, I Had “commentors block. I stared at this screen for over an hour, wondering how deep I want to go into this thing.
Image, consumption, status, class, perception/reality, The Joneses, spending. saving, all that jazz.
It is all a bit much for my early-morning mental horsepower, and my mental h.p. even while at my best. There are a lot of planes to land and not enough runway or controllers.
So I’ve decided to stay in the wading pool, just letting my feet stay cool, and I will quote Sammy Hagar from the Van Halen song “Right Now”:
“The more things you get, the more you want.
Just trading one for the other.”
Again, great input throughout this thread.
I know dozens of millionaires. About 99% (just a rough estimation) of their capital is locked away in real estate and other non-liquid assets. They never buy new luxury cars, regardless the brand.
They do lease big, brand new vehicles though. Usually it says New Holland, Fendt, Deutz-Fahr and such on the grille.
A great article and a lot of interesting commentary as well. We haven’t owned a car in years since we live in a neighbourhood with easy access to transit, plus I can walk or bike to most of the places I want to go. If we travel out of town we rent a car. For my wife and I, we would never buy a used luxury car – I’m quite happy with Japanese, Korean and US makes. If they break I can get them fixed anywhere and it won’t cost an arm and a leg. That used Jag or Mercedes or BMW or Range Rover might look and drive great until something inevitably breaks. In the late 2000’s a friend of ours bought a ‘99 Range Rover that was in decent shape but had a lot of kilometres on the clock. He was strongly advised against it by another mechanically-inclined friend of ours, but he pulled the trigger and ended up with a lemon that had very expensive suspension issues (among other problems) and it ended up parked in his backyard until 2017 when he parted it out and put the money towards a new Tesla. Yeah, a much more expensive car, but he’s been very happy with it and he’s had no problems with it at this point in time. Notice I said “at this point in time”. Hopefully it doesn’t turn into a very expensive money pit for him.
Nothing is as expensive as a cheap used luxury car. This is always going to be true.
” I suspect most here see the virtue in some old pile of rubbish parked curbside”
Guilty .
That it’s running fine after nearly 40 years and closing in on 1/2 million miles rapidly doesn’t mean it’s stylish nor a wise buy .
“there’s no such thing as a new England accent” ~
Rubbish .
I suppose next you’ll say there’s no such thing as a California accent either .
Thankfully I’ve not been accused of that (yet) .
I grew up Down East and lived in Maine, Ct., N.H., upstate N.Y. and so on, all were different but all were also clearly different than anywhere else in the U.S.A., all shared many similarities .
This is a great thread , I see more deep thought and honesty than in many of the normal replies .
-Nate
“there’s no such thing as a new England accent” ~
Mr. and Mrs. Howell are quite put out with this comment.
“there’s no such thing as a new England accent” ~
Mr. and Mrs. Howell are quite put out with this comment.
Part of the issue I see is the shift in what defines “luxury” Years ago in the depths of mid oughts Mercedes Benz S- Class malaise I commented that M-B had fallen from the glory of spartan but eternal beasts like the W123 to a box of gadgetry with the build quality of a 90s Kia. I never cottoned to “luxury” as defined by power assisted everything and tufted velour, I always saw a Rover P5 Coupe as the epitome of what luxury should be, nicely styled, beautifully made and discreet about it, Rovers were what bank managers and government ministers drove because a Rolls was ostentatious and a Jaguar was trashy. I think the original Lexus LS captured that image of sensible expenditure because it wasn’t cheap but it would last forever.
Personally I’ve only brushed luxury, my parents had a Mercedes but a very basic one, and I rode in some fancier cars growing up but my rides are definitely on the economy side. I don’t see the value in what passes as luxury although quite by accident I drive a pickup truck with leather seats. While there was a time I wanted a Land Rover, I know better now, except maybe a dead simple Defender or very early Range Rover. After seeing Audi Service Position, i like Mazda running costs much better.
“The nicer the nice, the higher the price” Sly & the Family Stone, 1971. I have often been questioned on my automotive choices; I prefer to find old cars (sometimes known as classics) that I can rejuvenate and enjoy. I currently own a couple of ’70’s cars that bring me much pleasure and enjoyment, repairs are expected from time to time, but are mostly not costly. I had always said that I would like to purchase at least one new car in my life, and not settle for used. I wasn’t worried about depreciation, because I tend to keep my cars forever. I bought a Honda Fit Sport, and twelve years into ownership, I’ve only replaced the OEM tires and battery. My only regret is that I didn’t buy the V-6, 6 speed Accord coupe! Yes, I could afford to buy any number of pricey cars, but why?? I’m content where I am! 🙂