I drive a 2000 Toyota Rav4...maybe my employer will figure out that they don't pay me enough LOL. I'm a civil servant and believe me, we're at the lower end of the pay scale food chain.

DH bought a Mercedes S500 on ebay for 11,000.00...flew up to New York City and drove it back...it was an Arizona car so had no salt/snow rust problems..it was 7 years old when he bought it and in so so shape...he's done most of the work himself...so it saves us tons on maintenance...but we get that too...and it's to the point where we're ready to get rid of it...There's a stigma with owning a nice car...we buy cars that last and last and people seem to think we're more rich then smart...but while peeps are trading cars every few years, ours will last we hope at least 20! It's become his hobby...the first one in all our marriage that I've liked cause it saves money instead of spending money!

Might they have been paying you a nice compliment on your new (to you) car, just said in a joking sort of way? I would have taken it that way...specially since I always buy cash cars and drive them until they quit.

Folks often said something similar to that to me when I had my house built. What they really did not consider was that it was just a modest home that about anyone could have afforded to build if they had employment and even a half way decent wage.

Sue

Might be that it's not so much the car as the $$ (they think) it takes to fill the gas tank. Just a thought!
:-)

Next time, tell your boss, "No, you DON'T pay me too much. In fact, I'm having to skim from you just to make payments." That ought to shut him/her up. Or not...LOL!

I'd love to have a Lincoln! And I wouldn't care how old it was -- in fact, the older ones are probably better built and roomier. They've just always been a nice ride.

I've driven many used cars that were expensive cars new, but I drove them because I got a deal on them. I've had a Lincoln,
several big buicks, Olds 98s, Cadillac and Mercedes. I'd rather buy a car like that because usually when someone buys it new, they take good care of it. Cars owned by young people, and especially inexpensive cars, usually are not as well maintained.

I know what you mean. I drive a 2001 Toyota Camry 4 cyl. It only has 41,000 miles on it. It's my second one, the previous one I had for 11 years! Well I've saved my money and I'm going to be 63 in December and I am thinking of buying a Lexus RX350. I've priced them out and I can get good money for my car as a down - so the payments will be just about what I paid at the beginning of 2001. Anyway, peoples eyebrows usually go up when I tell them what my car next might be. Knowing me this may be my last car since I take good care of cars and don't put lots of miles on them.

Why can't people just get excited for you and say "Good for you!!! It sure is a beauty!!!"

It seems like it's hard for people just to say something nice and leave it at that.

~Susan (Who deserves to buy what she wants!!) :-))

I find it kinda funny...in that Lincolns and Caddies are wanted by young men(especially non white, like my son!) who think they are cool!!!! The older the better it seems..
Angela, I always think of them as "sunday go to church cars!"...lol

We know someone who drives an M Class Mercedes..It's a freakin tank and ugly..but she's a defense lawyer who practices in a big city, and her safety could be at risk. And hey..she can afford the payments..

I drove a Jag a few months back..It belongs to one of the elementary teachers at the boys school. I wasn't impressed with it once I drove it across town to move it for her. Looks cool on the outside and hey it's a Jag...
Her husband bought it for her as a present.

I think Susan, that you should say "it's my dream car, and I've waited a long time to make this purchase!"

Over 20 years ago I bought a 10 YO Mercedes and my boss said the exact same thing. I liked it but didn't keep it long because it had a lot of engine problems and parts were 3 times as expensive as other car maker parts.

We have always bought used cars, or to say it PC, pre-owned cars. You can get a great deal that way, especially if you buy it from the dealer and it doesn't have much mileage.
Clare

Some years ago we bought an older BMW that was in great shape. It was $16,000. I know that new that model was over $100,000. People made comments about how we must be rich. When we stopped at a thrift sore once some people in the parking lot commented "What are they doing here?" We finally sold it later and now have a 95 Lincoln Continental that we bought at the car auction for about $800. It looks pretty good.

So what if you paid half price or full price for a luxury vehicle? If you choose a car that costs more than the average vehicle, it is your perogative. Work hard, save your money, inherit it, buy it at auction cheap, whatever, as long as it was not stolen, ride with pride.

Kim

After two back surgeries & wearing a steel "chair" brace for a year- then 4 cardio by-passes, DH could almost feel the stripes on the highways & he was looking for comfort. We bought a Cadillac in 1980- a used '79 w/10,000 miles.
DH named it Silver Cloud...yes, he always names cars. We drove that baby until it quit in 2003, spending less than $4,000. in mech. repairs to keep it tip top. It's last day on the road, odometer read 324,000 miles. Now stored in the barn; DH hopes to restore it one day...it will never happen, but it's not costing a cent to store & he gets to hang onto his hopes 'n dreams. That's pretty cheap transportation!

In April '97 we decided to get one just for my use & were car shopping. While DH chatted with salesman I roamed; spied a dark blue '94 Fleetwood w/only 10,000 miles on it. After I "tried it on," called DH over & told him the seat settings made it fit perfectly...my main criteria for after soundness ; ) He drove it to check out the mechanical aspects & declared it excellent. Looking thru glove box we found prev. owner's name, phone # & maint. records. We put down a $100. deposit & that night, DH called the gentleman who'd owned it. Just like with the '79, the salesman had been truthful. The next morning we called & told them to begin paperword & detail it.

Never in my life had I insisted on buying a car & DH was as shocked as I was about it...but for some reason, I felt we needed that car! It must have been one of those "God Whispers," for in June DH was in ICU, on a heart pump with only ONE artery open & it was 90% blocked! We were flown 600 miles by air ambulance with two specially trained nurses to "man the pump," to NW Lousiana. Already on the transplant list there they quickly moved him to the top.

Two of our adult kids drove the car down to me, visited with DH, and flew home.

There until late November, it was a huge relief not to have the worry of mechanical problems; a concern I'd surely have had with the ol' '79. And with so much else happening in out lives, not sure if I'd been able to handle that too.

Now has DH's scooter carrier on the back & is still running great! It was not, nor has it ever been a status symbol for us; in fact we'd like to have a pick-up, but their gas mileage is too poor (and we're too old 'n poor to be buying vehicles, besides, we're sill getting 22 MPG on Big Blue.)

Suzi (Sorry I'm so word-y!)

A lot of my cars have been 3 to 4 years old and I paid about half of the new price or less, and yes, my financial status could have permitted me to go up a year or two, but as like the posts above, why pay more if you can get a nice older car? However, if you find someone driving a much older car labeled "Stutz Bearcat", "Jaguar XKE, or "Cord", you can bet his financial status is above the average.

I drive a Lincoln Town Car Ultimate. The thing is loaded; it has every bell and whistle that can be put on a car. We are retirees, when DH decided it was time for a new car we were looking for a good used one, BUT, came home with this one instead. We will drive it for at least 5 years, it is on year no. 3 now. I do feel safer in it and it has lots of leg and head room, which is important when you get older. It's kinda tough getting in and out small cars with arthritic legs. It gets excellent gas mileage and has never been in a repair shop!!! If I had my choice for safety reasons, I would drive a hummer!!! LOL

My DH was just stating today he didn't know what kind of car we would get next as he understands they have stopped making the Town Car. We drove Mercury Grand Marquis for many, many years, I don't know if they still make those. We don't look at our Town Car as a status symbol but a comfy ride.

This is why it pays to buy used cars! People think you paid more! Some of them don't change much year to year, so people don't realize how old they are.

I drive a 1999 Toyota Sienna. Gee, why hasn't anyone made those comments to me??? LOL

Sheryl

I know a family who think what you drive is who you are. A young couple in this family bought a huge, four-door pickup brand new. The thing cost more than their house (they live in a poor neighborhood in a not-nice house). when they get away from the neighborhood and the house, she want people to think they have money (if that makes sense). Her family is all like that...what you drive, defines who you are. I think what you "have" is more important and I would have spent that money on paying off that house and then maybe trying to get a better one where it was safe to live...different strokes, etc...lol

My Mother had a friend who bought a new Lincoln Towncar every 18 months are so. All My Mother's friends were on a waiting list for her next used car. My Mother bought one of her "used" cars in 1998. It was an awesome car, I hated to see it go when she went in the Nursing Home. Every one of these little old Ladies drives a Lincoln from the Friends oldies.

Main Man's Mom had a 1980 Lincoln with about 28,000 miles on it. We sold it to one of her neighbors for $300.00 in 2000. Boy did he get a bargain.